St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-04-29
PRESS COMMENT
Tamrnany Methods in Vermont

ut (The Messenger has pursued
the executive of the state with a
vfndictiveness without parallel; it |
has misrepresented his purposes, |
questioned his motives, denounced |
his policies and by every conceivable |
means and upon every possible occa-
sion has sought to weaken the esteem
and respect in which the people OF
Vermont hold him. In that emo
also it has failed utterly AZ q con
pletely."
The above extract FIR - 81 lilo
rial effusion in the Mo .@S
nal, the personal orga. 0.
| Fletcher, seems to be ST. ~
ment which is foisted upon the state
periodically, either by the Journal or
by the Bennington Banner, and is
seemingly a part of the political
combination that is trying to create
sympathy throughout the state Tor
the governor on account of criticisms
concerning the mistakes of his adj
| minstration.
The Standard would like to know
when the articles to which the Jour
nal alludes were printed. We have
never seen any such editorials in the
Messenger or in any other Vermont
paper. We challenge the Journal or
the Banner to print an editorial from
any paper, showing pursuit OF the
governor with ''vindictiveness with
out parallel or that has misrepre-
sented his purposes in any way.
1t is about time that this man of
straw, which is created for special
purposes, be revealed in its true
character. The plain facts in regard
to the press of Vermont and its atti-
tude toward Governor Fletcher's-
administration, upon any fair analy-
sis. will shoW that he has been very
tenderly dealt with, and that instead
of his being criticised for his alleged
attitude against the corporations, the
Ereal criticism is against the acts
, of the governor himself, and have
no relation whatever to the role of
trust buster" in which attitude he
is anxious for the people of Vermont
to regard him.
Franklin county by the name of
, Charles D. Watson, who resides in
st. Adams, politically a democrat,
professionally, a lawyer; and withal
man of high standing, a citizen
whose politics are clean, and who is
recognized as a leader in his party.
, He has twice represented the city of
t st. Adams in the Legislature, and
was the democratic party candidate
for governor in 1919. He came
within thirty-seven votes of carry
ing this strong republican county
against his republican competitor
: John A. Mead. Professionally he
1 has been considered for the high
Office of superior court judge. He
/ is mentally, socially, politically, pro-
: fessionally and in every way the
equal of Allen M. Fletcher. He be-
: longs to the same school of politics
as Gov. Fletcher; that is, he is a
conservative in the democratic ranks,
!, while Gov. Fletcher is a conservative
=, in the republican ranks.
1t is understood that Mr.. Watson
!, was selected as chairman of the
f public service commission by Gov.
: Fletcher without any personal solicit
Y tation on his part, or any importuni-
: ties from his friends, or any corpora
: ton endorsement. Gov. Fletcher had
e ample opportunity to know in regard
e to his qualifications and his temper
amental makeup.
;, Mr.. Watson was discharging the
t duties of public service commission
. er with ability and fidelity and in
K | accordance with his conceived prin-
a ciples of right and justice to people
and corporations alike, when he was
e unceremoniOusly removed; not be-
: cause of any laxity of morals, not
because of any lack of ability, or any
S lessening of his respect for law and
d order, but simply because he would
r Rot submit to the orders of the gov
ernor which stultified his citizenship
: and sacrificed his manhood.
z This action by Gov. Fletcher was
t wholly abnormal and perniciOus in
its character. You may search the
l. administrations from Thomas Chit
y tenden down, and no governor OF
Vermont has ever before attempted
l. to dictate to or browbeat any official
d occupying such a high Office as to it's
IL administration. We have to go to
New York to find a parallel Charles
k F. Murphy, the boss of Tammany
has given the country an emphatic
d demonstration of the bulldozing at
titude in his removal of Governor
It Sulzer, and we believe that nowhere
d in states having a thoroughly repre-
sentative government can a similar
II case of bulldoZing be found such al
lie was attempted upon Public Service
4, Commissioners Watson and Babbitt
e Is it any wonder that the people o.
le Vermont, who have always had grea
respect for the Office of governor
st and confidence in their integrity O.
D. purpose and poise of judgment
l. SHOulu REJECT Win unaIL0rdDI6 de
termination the injection of Tam
N many ideals into our state govern
ment?
IN What would be thought of Presi
dent Wilson if, in the railroad rat
Is case now being considered by tn,
a Interstate Commerce Commission
D. he should try to bulldoze and dictat,
]. to any member of that Commission
l. in regard to the decision that the,
are to make?
The more this transaction is con
he sidered, the more the people viii
realize that it is the first time tina
a. any governor of Vermont has beel
's influenced by such a low standard O
ee political ethics as that of Allen N
IN Fletcher. But this affront to tn
DIV citizenship of Franklin county, a
re well as the whole state, is not a
isolated case The raennsfrncfe