Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-02

VERMONT'S PART IN PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION.
son " Whatever h a ever the Il, BryanGites may sy , say S or do Pfesid Wse Mar
ne can be beaten or not will depend very largely upon the
action of the republicans. The democrats as the party S1 IN
Their date will probably be in the fore part of June, so that
when the republican convention meets there is likely to be
Another fact has been demonstrates by the outcome of
the election in Massachusetts. Even though the progress
dent Wilson will receive a largely increased vote, and it Will
require energetic work on the part of both republicans and
If republicans show unmistakable evidences of a desire
to remain the real Progressive party of the country instead
of sulrendering that positive vantage ground to the demo-
Gratis; the progressives can be won back to their former po-
Singularly enough, it will fall to Vermont, one of the two
States which remained true to its republican moorlngs IN
t tSla, to demonstrate to the whole DE county, mhn sne p pmd q %
sives, such as shall make a separate progressive presidential
If Vermont on the first Tuesday of the coming March
adopts the direct primary law submitted to- the voters by
ehs; meSi fo sn e # WlI, ns shGw thns t svste enp"0 If vermont Sraee IS fa nHs
to receive the direct primary, it will be due to refusal of re-
to provide direct nominations, and they cannot claim to be
sincerely progressive. The spectacle of Vermont repudiating
pect it will happen. 1t requires no prophetic eye, however,
to see what is likely to happen, if direct nominations are de-
feated under republican auspices.
1t is probably safe to say that the progressive national
convention, if one is held, will follow the republican national
depend upon the character and action of the republican con-
vention.
There will be widespread interest in the delegation
that Vermont as a steadfast republican State sends to the
national convention as an index of the Republican party as a
ing for twentieth century republicanism, and not a delega-
ton made up of men who have become party hacks, the
Green Mountain State will be in a position to help stamp the
republicanism of the nation with the mark of progress.
There is a tendency to conclude that only men who have
become conspicuous in public office can fttingly represent the
State in a national convention. The Progressive party in
Vermont pushed to the front in 1912 men without expert
ence in political management who made one of the hottest
and most effective campaigns ever waged in Vermont. The
Republican party in Vermont has a host of vigorous, aggres-
sve young men standing for militant American republican
ISM, hughes repubncanlSm, II you VIII, men OF the type OF
Congressman Greene, who can help the two wings of the
party to }h come ran Together IN IN tnm campaign ini.t OF ifs, a9a6 tho so,oo+io,
of men of this stamp to represent them in the next national
convention, and reject any aspirant who does not measure
up to the standards of progressive republcansm, they can
help pave the way not only for the reuniting of the party in
standing for vigorous Americanism and genuine American
policies in every. particular.
Present indications are that the younger and more pro-
gressive element of Vermont republicanism can help shape
the destiny of the nation as did our Vermont forbears in
1860. The Vermont delegation then voted for Lincoln on
the second ballot despite the appeals of the Seward men to
stand by a New York ~neighbor, and helped the Republican
party to reach the political heights under the exalted lead
ership, of the martyred president.
The younger and more progressive element of Vermont
repubicanism now as in 1896 can smash the slate of their
elders and defy a New England fetch for the choice of a
man who stands for political ideals and truly progressive
principles rather than for mere geography.
Vermont is a small State but it showed that it could help
shape the choice OF a national convention in 1883, when it
rison until he was nominated.
Present indications are that Just such another oppor-
tunity will present itself at the republican national conven-
ton of 1916. At this time with Hughes declining to permit
the use of his his name, there is no one man who stands out
the Republican party in the coming national election.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts is pushing the candidacy
OF his colleague, Senator Weeks, and he says that every New
England State will be for Weeks. Now Vermont NAV de-
eide to support Weeks, but our little State is not accustomed
to be bound and delivered without any word from the rank
and file of the voters, and until they speak he will be a brave
man who promises the support of Vermont to any particu-
lar candidate.
AS a matter of fact Senator Lodge cannot expect the
nomination of Weeks or any other New England candidate
in the present temper of the American nation, and every intel
ligent student of American politics knows it. The idea is
to hold Vermont and all the other New England States u-
der the Weeks candidacy, Pennsylvania under the Penrose
candidacy and so on, until their delegations can be delivered
to some conservative who will stand for the things in the ma
ton that those men represent
That is not the way the Vermont republicans gained dis
tinction in 1860, 1888 and 1896, when they helped lead the
way to the nomination OF truly representative and success
full candidates. 1t will not be the way Vermont republicans
Of 1916 will gain distinction.
If Vermont is free in the coming national republican
convention to support a man of the Hughes type and help
force his nomination, it will do a grand service for our coun-
try as well as our party. There "the path of honor lies