St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-08-18
PRESS COMMENT
The RepubIican Trend.

Quoted by the Washington bureau OF
the New York Sun to ascertain the
sentiment of the country in respect
to Republican candidates for pres1-
dent are of interest more as an IN
dication of the trend of thought and
feeling within the party than as
revelation of personal preferences,
and this, Notwithstanding the fact
that the trend has been apparent TO
intelligent observers for many
months. Principles in a democracy
are always more important than
personalities, and it is the principles
of the Republican party that nave
won it's battles and achieved Its trl-
umphs. 1t was an internal war OF
personalities that caused its down
fall in 1912. The foundations OF Uhe
party were neither disturbed nor
involved until men rather than pc
Hefs became the overpowerlng Is
sue And in the division which FOL
lowed the differences OF prlnclple
were more apparent than real.
Fundamentally the Progresslves
were never far away from the Re-
nubIicans. They developed some
novel theories of popular and gov
ernmental powers and duties whlcn
were distinguishing decorations OF
platform that retained the essential
elements of Republicanism.
So IL was that when the personal
element of contention was removed
nv dual defeat they began at once
to drop back into the places they
had but temporarily vacated. Iney
had never been, at heart, anything
else than Republicans, even In their
bitterest moods, and they ala not
stuItify themselves nor strain their
NV
having got together again the party
ia naturally somewhat disposed TO
conservatism. This tendency mas
been apparent for some time, and
the Suns inquiry but adds another
bit of evidence of the trend. Tnat
II may result in the selection OF a
conservative candidate Is quite With
in the range of possibility, but GER
tain it is that personality will be
subordinated to principles. me tie
publican platform will not be built
upon or around about any man next
year. Whoever he may be ne Will
be chosen because of his htness TO
stand upon a platform now building
in the minds of the people.-The
Landmark.
More Money from Each Yankee
Acre.
New England land still increases
in fruitfulness-beca or the
spread of intelligence in newspapers
regarding methods and the more
gregarious living conditions ana
reader markets brought about by
the telegraph, telephone, railways,
troIleys, rural delivery and parcel
post extensions, and better roads.
Figures sent out for public informa-
tho NoVu IIaunO railways
which are themselves doing better
show that although for some reason
1000 fewer acres were planted to
corn last season the yield per acre
rose from 1873 to 46.2 bushels, and
that the total was 9 ,431 900 bushels
as compared with 1871, 900 in 1913
and S,23S,394 in the good year OF
1909.
Those other 1000 acres were
sown to oats, and the return was for
the entire oat crop 1O,362,OOO bush !
els as compared with 9,776,OOO in
1918, and 7,35O,000 in 1909. Here,
too, part of the increase Is due to
higher production per acre-it rose
from 3S.2 to 4O.56 bushels. But
New England's most valuable crop
continues to be hay, and that makes
a jump of over 100000 in value.
The per acre yield was 1.19 against
1.12 tons the season previous; the
complete crop about 100000 tons
more, and the price obtained $7O,-
$4,000, which is better by 11,OOO,-
600 than the record for 1909.
Tobacco prospers and recommends
itself to a widening circle of plant
ers. Thus in six years the crop has
increased in value from SIS, 100000
to $S,721, 900, the last figure being
three-quarters of a million dollars |
higher than for 1918. Again, part
of the excess is owing to making
each acre more fructiferous-an av-
erage difference of 1853 pounds. The
measure of good farming is to COM
pei a plot of certain dimensions to
produce more than it ever did be-
fore. That is New England's happy
achievement for last season.-Bos-
ton Transcript.
Presidential Possibilities.
The occasional emissary of a can
didate for president is due about
this time. Unfortunately, however,
he is apt to find a big job cut out
for him in getting people interested
in national politics during hot
weather.
With business folks alternately
driving hard at desk, counter, mill
or office and joining their woman
kind in weekend relaxation at the
lake, mountain or seaside, they find
little time for politics. As for the
farmer, the "ketching weather" is
absolutely the only source of spec
ulation that he is interested in.
Vermont would be mostly inter-
ested in republican possibilities, if
we had time, so a news-survey of
the field would not be untimely.
Among those more frequently men
toned are the following:
Former Senator Elihu Root of
New York;
Senator John w. Weeks of Mass
achusetts;
Justice Charles E. Hughes of the
Supreme Court;
Former Senator Theodore E. Bur