The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-06-20
VERMONT POLITICS.
And the Relation of Direct Primary to
Situation.

Situation,
Some people have claimed that the di-
rect primary was responsible for the
nomination of the Hon. P. w. Clement
for the govemorship OF Vermont in 1918
over Darling and Howe, owing to the
participation of Democrats. II Is insist
ed that host of Democrats, instead of
voting for Dir. Mayo or some other mem
Der of their party in the primary, voted
for Clement, arguing that Mayo would
be nominated rs their candidate any
way, and thus helped to make Clement
the candidate of the Republican party,
some of their number also voting for
him in the election against their own
party candidate.
IF this was the case, and we are not
undertaking to throw the slightest doubt
upon that assumption, then there may
be a certain element Of political justice
in it az regards the case of Clement VS..
the former Republican organization.
Those on the inside know that in 1902
Republicans helped the Democrats nom
mate candidate for governor. Part of
the story is told by the Bennington
Banner as follows;
"The death Of the Hon. Felix w. Me-
Cettrick formerly of st. Adams, re-
moves an old-time Vermont Democrat
who was more than match for most of
his opponents in hot argument. 1t was
Felix McGettrick who stopped the Hon.
P. w. Clement from being governor in
1902. Mr.. McGettrick that year was
nominated for governor by the Demo-
Gratis and after the Republican split and
Clements bolt the Clement Democrats
and Clement Republicans undertook to
get Mr. McGettrick to retire but he
didn't see it that way aud told them so in
language that is said to have been forci-
Bile and picturesque. Mr.. McGettrick
was a veteran Of the Civil war and a
warm-h hearted genial man who never
lacked friends"
As a matter of fact the state conven-
ton which nominated McGettrick for
the governorship in 1902 was more or
less of personally conducted affair with
Mccullough Republicans behind the
scenes pulling the strings. A large part
of the Democratic leaders saw an oppor-
tunity to throw frebrand into the Re-
publican camp by helping to beat the
IIN6DuDlthH IndEHAElt Win SiEIucubg anu
sought to unite their party en- masse
with the Clement Republicans. If this
had been accomplished, Clement unques-
tionabIy would have been elected
General Mccullough had beaten DIR. w.
Seward Webb to withdrawal in the pre-
liminary scoring, and after a test count
ing of noses in the state convention
Fletcher d. Proctor withdrew in favor
of Mccullough. When the final ballot
showed a majority for Mccullough over
Clement, the latter's followers walked
lout of the convention and nominated
him on an independent ticket A host of
Democrats endorsed Clement, but Nc
Gettrck with the aid of Mccullough Re-
publican influences secured the nomina-
ton of the Democratic state convention.
As result of the splitting of the
Democratic vote Clement failed to get
the full strength he otherwise would
have had but Mccullough also failed to
gain majority at the polls, and the
election was thrown into the legislature,
thus completing a record of continuous
campaign performances without a paral-
lei in Vermont, or probably any other
state.
Later on Mr.. McGettrick really wanted
the nomination of the state Democratic
convention, but at the instance of Col
Smalley, the Democratic leader, who then
IoGpoaed McGettrick's nomination, wicked
Republicans advocated his selection as
his party's standard bearer to point
where the Democrats became suspicious
Of him, and he fell outside of the breast
works.
Direct primaries may be wicked" but
they have nothing on that score on the
old state convention with its unlimited
possibilities of trading SLATE making
and personally conducted delegates
Burlington Free Press