The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-11-10
VERMONT GovERNoRsHIp
And Other Features of the Next State
Election.

In what some regard as the good
old DAYS" Vermont would have had by
this time fairly adequate idea who its
next governor was to be. With the
change of the date of our state election
from September to November and the
substitution of nominations by the
voters themselves instead Of by slate
making body which made the Septem-
Der election a rubber stamp as a rule,
all this has been changed. 1t is only
about six months from the former
slate making period, and there is con-
siderable uncertainty with reference to
the identity of the next governor.
Up to the present month the names
of Lieutenant Governor Mason S. Stone,
former Senator +. H. Rabbit of Bel
lows Falls, Representative G. J.. Dun
ham of Brattleboro, and former Col
lector of Customs G. S. Emery of New
port were the only names mentioned.
As the time elapsed the opinion seemed
to grow that Lieut.. Gov Stones thor
ough acquaintance throughout the
state would make it difficult for any
other man to beat him. 1t was we'll
known fact that some of the corpora
tions as a rule did not regard him as
man that would truckle to them. They
were constantly on the watch for some
way Of preventing his nomination, and
the present administration in particu-
lar was unfriendly to him.
This was the situation when the
American Legion meeting was held in
Burlington While there was suhstan-
tial ground for the resentment felt by
the young soldiers toward the utter
ance of the present executive relative
TO finding positions for gassed soldiers,
there is feeling that politics lurked
conspicuously in the background. If
Governor Clement has any idea of nam
ing his own successor as governor, or
of going to the Republican national
convention as chairman of the delega-
ton, it was suspected that fact might
have figured somewhat in this connec
ton
When the smoke cleared away, 1t
was found that possible new ticket
had developed, with Judge Il. w. Glib
son Of Brattleboro for governor and
ex Representative Redfeld Proctor Of
Proctor for lieutenant governor. This
complicated the situation in various
ways, especially as to Soldier" tick
ct. Mr.. Stone had done service in the
war in France in connection with the
Y. NJ. c. A. and had the uniform. On
the other hand Senator NJ S. Villas of
Burlington and the Hon. A. w. Foote
of Addison county had supposed the
fight for second place on the state tick
ct lay between themselves. Other fac
tors in the situation are to be found in
the fact that Senator Villas has been
suspected of building his fences 20 sue
coed Congressman Greene at the proper
time, while Mr.. Proctor was thought to
be getting in line to run for the gov
ernorship on the west side two years
later and thus interfering with plans
of Others in that direction. Judge Glib
son on the other hand, it has been sug-
gested, might be getting into line TO
try to succeed Congressman Dale. How
ever, no candidacy has yet been form
ally announced.
Strangely enough, political fence
building for the state ticket as whole
has waited in part on the outcome Of
the trial of Ex-Governor Graham. II
he were found guilty, his practice
might involve still others, and there
has been feeling that strong effort
would be made TO avoid trial which
would bring out disagreeable develop.
ments. If he could be prevailed upon
to reach some agreement with the state
that would prevent the necessity OF
taking testimony, all danger to Others,
political and otherwise, would mani
testify be avoided and the way would
be open for renewal Of political con
tests in the state along the old lines,
If there were to be general showing
up of conditions such as the people az
a whole expected when Governor Glen
ent was elected, it is difficult to say
how the organization might be affected.
In the meantime judging from dis
cussion, the governorship itself seems
to lie between Lieutenant Governor
Stone and Judge Gibson as a soldier
candidate, with Curtis Emery being
advocate in several instances and with
former Representative Fraser Metzger
of Randolph as new possibility and
liable to divide Orange county strength
with Emery in case of a contest. This
seems TO be the situation to-day and
we shall try TO keep our readers in
formed as to any developments Bur
lington Free Press.