St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-07-26
The Senatorship.

States Senator has led to a large
amount Of discussion as to his quail
fcations for the position. The opin-
ion has been expressed with some
freedom that Gov. Gates is not a big
enough man to properly represent
Vermont in the United States Senate.
We hardly expect Gov. Gates will at
tempt to tell the people of Vermont
what an able man he is. He is GER
tainly large enough to know better
than that. Since The Caledonian has
been so generally credited with bring
ing Mr. Gates name before the people
as a candidate, we feel it is proper
for us to discuss to some extent his
qualifications for the position.
First, let us compare him with the
other two candidates. Gov. Gates is
not worth the money that either of
the other candidates is, but he has
acquired a comfortable amount of
property. He has shown himself a
man able to increase somewhat the
talents placed in his keeping. AS a
young man he took the farm that
had been in the family for two gen.
erations, paid the indebtedness on it,
greatly improved it and increased it's
value and from the first has been a
progressive and prosperous farmer.
Neither of the other candidates can
show a record as a real farmer equal
to that of Gov. Gates.
Gov Gates has for years been the
owner of a country store in the little
village of Franklin. This too has
been developed into a stable and
profitable business. 1t has been con-
Quoted under his name and he has
been responsible for it's methods
During all these years Of active deal
ing with the public we have never
heard a rumor of questionable bust
ness methods, of sharp practices, Of
monopoly on his part. and that is
more than can be said of either of
the other aspirants for the position.
Gov. Gates accepted the appoint
ment of highway commissioner of
Vermont before the system of state
aid was perfected and before the
state really had any control over the
construction Of highways in the state.
The state had committed itself to the
doctrine of state aid but had not
worked out any practical system OF
granting it or of securing efficient
road construction. Commissioner
Gates developed a system of state
aid, of state control of raising state
revenues and secured from the Yer
mont legislatures larger appropria-
tons Of money for road work than
all the other road men of the states
history. In his development of a
system of construction of highways and
of financing the great undertaking as
he went along Mr.. Gates has accom-
plished a larger constructive under
taking than either of his competitors
can honestly claim.
Mr.. Gates for nearly two years has
been governor of the state of Yer
mont. Each Of his competitors for
the senatorship has had the honor to
serve the state two years as governor.
We submit Gov. Gates record as gov
ernor for comparison with the record
Of either of the other candidates ana
claim no more efficient, constructive
and honorable accomplishments can
be claimed for them than for Mr.
Gates. In the untangling of the SUI
preme court tangle that Gov. Fletcher
perpetrated upon the people Gov.
Gates showed himself greatly su-
perior to his predecessor and a man
of safe judgment and real effective
ness. During the legislature he stood
for and signed as much honest and
beneficial legislation touching the
states educational work. the incor-
poration and regulation of corpora
tons. taxation, granting of compensa-
ton to employees as any governor that
has occupied the governors chair.
Again Messrs. Page, Fletcher and
Gates each went before the people as
a candidate for the governorship.
Mr.. Page conducted one of the bitter
est fights in the history of the state
in his first contest for that place. 1t
is generally understood that the gov
ernorship Of Vermont cost him a
large amount Of money but he finally
got it. Mr.. Fletcher. for years was
known to be DESTROYS OF securing the
governorship OF Vermont. He trim
med and truckled for a popularity
that would win for him that honor.
He, too, is supposed to have very
largely paid the expenses Of one Of
the most vigorous campaigns of re-
cent years and then failed to be elect
ed by a popular vote.