The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-05-26
The Convention Was Slow in Getting
Started Prank E. Howe of Benning-
ton Was Elected Chairman-Contest
Between H. ]. M. Jones and G. E.
Moody for Eighth Member of Dele
cation

Republicans in state convention a
Montpelier city hall to-day unanimousl,
adopted resolution endorsing Justie'
Charles f.. Hughes for the Republican
presidential nomination. The resolution
was presented by Clarke G. Fits of Brat
tleboro, and the mention of the name oi
Hughes provoked an enthusiastic demon
stration on the part of the convention
which lasted for several minutes. Mr.
Fits resolution was as follows:
The Republican state convention
of Vermont endorses and affirms the
spoken word of the Republican vot-
ers of the state in favor Of Charles
f. Hughes for the presidential nom
inaton. We believe that his un
blemished record, his wide expert
ence, his forceful character and his
great intellect combine to make him
the master hand to navigate the ship
of state across the uncharted shoals
which are ahead. We urge that the
delegates elected by this convention
by their personal efforts and by their
votes support him with the full
strength of the state.
The convention did not meet until
II 30 and took recess at IL until 80.
Five hundred and eighteen of the Gil
delegates were present The convention
organized by selecting exLieutnant- Gov
er Frank f. Howe of Bennington as
temporary chairman and Warner r. Gra-
ham of Rockingham and Benjamin Will
liams of Proctor as temporary secretary
and assistant secretary, respectively.
This organization was later made per-
manent The convention had been called
to order by Stanley G. Wilson of Chelsea,
chairman of the state committee, and
prayer had been offered by Rev. Stanley
f. Bloomfield of Montpelier.
Mr.. Howe, in taking the chair, adj
dressed the convention as follows:
"The Republican party this year stands
on the outside looking in and it is good
place to be-not often but once in
while. The actor who is always on the
stage forgets how the play looks from
the pit and the gallery.
"The Republican party has held the
center of the arena so continuously for
the past two generations that il came to
consider itself impregnable and secure,
like Casar's wife, above suspicion. Per
haps it needed the lesson of 1912 and the
years following. Anyhow. it is for the
party to profit by that lesson and to face
the future chastened by its defeat and
prepared to resume the responsibility
which the signs of the times indicate is
to be again placed upon the Republican
party by the voters of the United States
on the first Tuesday of next November
IF the Republican party needed les
son the country needed it more The af-
fairs of the nation had been conducted
so long and so successfully by the states
men of the Republican party that the
country had almost forgotten that it |
could be plunged into business depres
sion and started on the road toward ma
tional discredt and disgrace by the mis-
taken acts Of an administration, meaning /
well. but building on a foundation OF the
oretical rather than of practical service. 1
The country has had upwards of three /
years experience now of absolute Demo
cratic control of government and il is
enough to make the blind see the deaf |
hear and the lame and the crippled. as
well as the able bodied. walk to the polls
and vote for a change.
''The first wear and half following the
Democratic victory of 1912 saw the over
throw Of the protective tariff under which
America had become the greatest and
richest and the most powerful nation on
the face Of the earth. Twelve months of
the Underwood tariff law threw mil
lion American workmen out Of their
places and brought many thousand bus
mess men and employees face 10 face with
disaster and possible bankruptcy.
Did the administration at Washing
ton or the Democratic majority in Con-
yress do anything 20 correct the error'
They did not. Had IL been the first ex-
perience Of the kind we need not have
been surprised. but IL was not the first.
Il was the fourth. Il had happened once
tnder Martin Van Buren. Democrat. II
again under James Buchanan.
Democrat. IL occurred once more under
Grover Cleveland. Democrat. Now for =
'ourth time the blunder was repeated
rhile in the White House sat woodrow
Wilson. Democrat. When their revenue
.ystem failed the remedy which the Dem
-rrats applied was the one in which their
lartv Is most expert They increased
he direct taxes ard spent more money.
re havpe of the Underwood law wus e