St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-09-02
Mr.. Prouty's Address.

Mr.. G. A. Prouty's address to the
voters of St. Johnsbury last week
Tuesday evening was announced as
the opening of his active campaign
for the United States senatorship
and may be accepted as the key
note of his appeal to the people. AS
such it demands close attention be-
cause the candidacy of man of Mr..
Prouty's caliber is a matter of con-
siderable Importance. The address
may be divided under three heads:
An appeal to the mar without a dol
lar, a merciless attack upon Senator
w. p. Dillingham;, Reputation of the
republican party and an appeal for
democratic votes.
The appeal to the man without a
dollar was very artfully made in the
treatment of the 'humanities" in
volved in present day politics. In
this section OF his address many gen
eral statements were made that would
be endorsed by all. Some statements
we're made that could appeal only to
those who have failed through thrift
lessness and common wisdom to be
self supporting. The government
should as far as possible relieve the
deserving but unfortunate man whose
earning ability has been destroyed
but for the government to aid all who
20 not labor, save or endeavor to live
in a decent manner would be fatal
to government itself. The time has
not come when the thrifty and in
dustrious should be taxed to support
shiftlessness and improvidence. The
thoughtful man will not advocate it
unless he is running for political Of
flee and believes that thrift and hon
or are in the minority.
Mr.. Prouty's attack upon Senator
Dillingham; as "a hopeless reaction
airy" exposes again the heartlessness
of the man whenever seeking some
thing for his own benefit. The in
cident, when he was attacked by
Senator Lodge in the United States
senate and an attempt made to leg
islate him (Prouty) out of office, in
which he so graphically depicted
Senator Dillingham; as no friend of
his was the time that Senator Dill
bingham eXerted himself and killed |
the amendment that would have /
thrown Mr.. Prouty out of Office as
a member of the interstate commerce
commission. Senator Dillingham's /
effort in Prouty's behalf was recog- /
nized by Mr.. Prouty at the time and /
he sent Senator Dillingham; a letter
thanking him for what he had done.
To attempt now to turn the incident /
into evidence Of hostility by Mr.. Dill
bingham is an exhibition of ingrati-
tude that will not pass unnoticed.
His reputation of the republican
party because it is reactionary is an
error. Every member Of the repub-
lican party knows that the ma
jority of his party is not against
progress in legislation, does not ia
vor unfair legislation for 1.-The inter
ssts," nor is it Indifferent to the rights
of the individual. Mr.. Prouty's
statement that $4,000 of the men
who voted the republican ticket in
Vermont in 1912 were reactionaries
and only 1900 liberal is simply a
SANDER of the men whom he is de-
sorting. More progressive legisla-
ton has been enacted during the re-
publican control of congress. enforc-
ed by republican executives and rati-
fed by the courts than by any other
political organization that ever won
even a name. Mr.. Prouty should
not expect the people to accept his
excuse for deserving his party when
it is based on a misstatement.
In his appeal for democratic votes
Mr.. Prouty descended to the ridicu
lous. His statement. Il have found
much more earnest support for the
measures which I have advocated in
that (the democratie) party than in 4
my own" is an absurdity. Every I
law that .has been enacted and put I
in force for the control Of big bust I
ness, restraint of trusts and regula- I
ton of public service corporations I
was framed, introduced, championed /
and forced through to success by re- /
publicans. They we're enacted as I
party measures and party lines were /
not ignored by democrats at that |
time as they have been in the pres |
ent congress. Everyone knows this /
to be a fact and viii not be fooled /
by statements to the contrary.