The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-06-05
THE PEOPLE OF VERMONT ARE
NOT ALL A SET OF CROOKS

THE PEOPLE OF VERMONT ARE
NOT ALL A SET OF CROOK!
The Republican party In Vermont j
sleeping over seething volcano. II i
not pleasant thing to feel impelled 4
say this. We have the old Fashioned
idea, however, that the time is no
past when the public press Is bul
vark Of clean politics, good govern
ment and human progress and devel
opment.
We have just seen how the )at1
Kaiser Of Germany depended in large
degree upon the substituting or thu
suppressing Of q free press to enthral
peoples and dominate the world for his
own selfish ambition. So in lesser de-
gree but none the less insidiously
srheming politicians combining with
selfish interests depend upon sup
plant press for the success Of their
propaganda. Publicity Is the hope
and safety Of q free and real democ-
racy.
In like manner scheming individuals
use party organizations to promote
their personal aims and ambitions.
So long as they can lull the members
Of the party as whole into state
Of s0mnolence or passivity, they can
go on and the members Of the party
are no better or no worse conscienti-
ously or morally than before. If,
however, the day arrives when the
party as body knows that its organ
hation is being used for unwholesome
purposes and TO the danger Of the
commonwealth, then if 1t has the
spirit Of public morality, il bestirs
itself TO secure relief of the incubus.
IL Il still continues passive, il invites
the charge that il is made up of a set
Of crooks.
We as q whole do not enjoy the dis
tinction Of being forced into this atti-
tude before the whole world. We have
had manifold evidences, both oral and
written, that this protest reflects sent
iment in the Republican party in YER
mont to-day. For half a decade or
more the members Of the party as
whole have been trying TO get some
where and to institute new order OF
things, but they feel they are not get
ting anywhere.
They believed in various progressive
measures for which Theodore Roose-
velt stood in 1912, but their intense
loyalty. kept majority Of them true
70 the Republican party. In 1916 they
thought they were taking real step
forward, but while they had a splen-
did State administration in many
ways, they soon found that underneath
A. IN kn
core. Think Of governor Of Yer
mont in . position where he did not
dare 60 contrary to the wishes Of 2
feemer deputy who could disclose his
lnancial shortcomings! Picture the
0osal cbtuseness and calloused con-
oeionce Of . man, knowing these things
aad keeping silent, and yet thinking
~ could use his knowledge Of guilt
70 force himself upon the Republican
party Of Vermont and use its mschin-
en- and members Is Q whole - its
candidate for State auditor! Paint .
9yoVp Of officials knowing these things
- still he1itating to cut out the
Ds1itical cancer for fear II will hurt
~ party, and you have . political
pnnorama, that sweeps through ct
Ioas4 one administration and FAR into
~ present administration
Apparently the idea was that II one
nan could Be- convicted and he could
~ pfevented from telling any more |
than Vas positively necessary 70 con-
ut him, further investigation could
- STAYED on and the rest Of the gang |
Weuld Be safe. And - former Bank |
Ce0missioner Williams WAS tried with |
. great 6ourish Of trumpets. But the |
poople d Vermont saw through the |
WHoIe rama They wanted 70 know |!
~ What Nr. williams MA prevented
hem falling. They wanted to know
w ~ ceuld Be convicted Of letting |
09Aee men commit crimes and still |
49, men remain untried and there
IN presumably innocent
All this becomes the more astound-
~ vhen Il II known that II Vas Com
nIaejener williams Who took the in
ifie4ive b. writing N ofSeial letter 10
A11nfney- Ceneral Herbert G. Barber
- nedfyihg him u the discovery Of
e. shegtaGe in CSsham's accounts.
H public - tsid that other men