The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-10-27
PARTY HAS FAILED
TO keep FAITH
WITH PEOPLE
Republicans Arraigned at Progress
siVe Rally Last kight
BY PROF. RAYMOND MCFARLAND
Candidate for Congress Says @. o. p.
in State and Nation Has Not
Carried Out Its Promises

Three elements conspired against
the progressives in the holding of
their rally Monday evening. The
affair was not sufficiently advertised
in advance, the weather was threaten
ing and the speaker late. In spite of
these handicaps. however, there was
a fairly good attendance at Apollo hall
when Prof Raymond Mcfarland of
Middlebury college, the candidate for
congressman from the first district
was introduced. DR.. w. j. Aldrich of
ST. Johnsbury. the party's candidate
for governo., was expected to be pres.
ent but failed to arrive. either
through a misunderstanding in ar
rangements or inability to make
train connections.
Prof Mcfarland jumped into the
middle of things by declaring that
Vermont had ceased to be a rock-rib-
bed republican state and that he ca
pected TO see Charles A. Prouty of
Newport elected to the United States
senate To substantiate his opinion
he cited the showing made by the
progressives in the last state election
when the plurality of votes was
against Governor Fletcher in and the
last national election when an even
larger plurality was cast against
President Taft
In his opinion the great change in
politics originated with the DONNA
ton of the house of representatives at
washington by Speaker Cannon. The
progressive party had its beginning in
the opposition to and revolt against
the tactics OF Uncle Joe"
When President Taft was elected,
the speaker declared, the republican
pa-ty went into receivership and the
receiver was Aldrich The party had
promised a revision of the tariff down
ward but instead it gave the country
revision in the opposite direction.
If Senator Dillingham; is returned he
will pursue the same policy as the
senator has stated that he believes in
the Payne tariff. Notwithstanding the
fact that the enactment of this law,
the failure of the republicans to keep
their promises. sent the party down
to the worst defeat ever experienced
by a political organization.
The progressives who are asked TO
20 back to the republican party, said
the speaker, are invited to return to
the party of Penrose. Barnes. Calling.
er and Cannon. The old bunch stlll
dominates the organization.
Taking up the matter of state ex-
penses the speaker said that he did
not agree with Mr.. Howe the demo.
cratic candidate for governor. Much
OF the increase in the cost of the adj
ministration of the state government
was necessary in the interests of prog
ress and better living. What he OBJ
jected to was the extravaganza. The
last legislature he said. had cost
100000 and was in session so long
that it was difficult to remember Just
when 1t did adjourn. a previous leg
islature had cost SCI 900. The speak.
er didn't believe that the people re-
ceived three times the value of their
money from the work of the legislat-
ure of 1912
Prof Mcfarland said that the re-
publican party had not kept faith with
the people. In 1910 it had promised
a direct primary. publication OF cam
paign expenses and quicker justice in
the courts. The primary amendment
ballots provided for use at the March
elections we're so cunningly arranged
that college professor couldn't tell
how to mark them. he had seen no
| publications of campaign expenses
and he hadn't noticed any difference
in court procedure.
lie was not arraigning the memb-
ers OF the republican party but the
| politicians in that party who contin.
ualy thwarted the wishes of the bet
ter element in that organization
F. B. Pope who presided at the rally
and who was one OF the delegates to
the i-st national progressive convent.
ton gave brief history OF the be-
ginning and the progress Of the progress
sive party He reviewed the prev
ious campaign in Vermont when the
party made such an excellent show
inE.
The Bennington City Band played
several selections on the street be-
fore the rally opened.