The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-01-05
VERMONT POLITICS
STILL INACTIVE
Correspondent Reviews the
MentiOnees for Different
Places
STONE IN LEAD
FOR GOVERNORSHIP
Rabbit, Gibson and Emery Also Men
toned - Three Possible Candidates
for Lieutenant Governor Proctor
and Smith for Delegates.

MONTPELIER, Jan. Though
there have been some premonitory
symptoms and the usual hints and sug-
gestions, Vermont politics has not
reached the stage to be expected at
this time in presidential year, says
correspondent of the Boston Sunday
Herald
There are several suggested and pro.
speetive candidates for governor, but
none has yet made formal announce
ment.
Mason S. Stone, the present lieuten-
ant governor, was the first to be sug-
gestcd for the honor and is today the
most prominent, if not the most prom
Using candidate 1t had been general
~ understood for year that he would
enter the race, and his unannounced
candidacy appeared to be making good
progress until few months ago.
When the American Legion held its
state Meeting in Burlington letter
was read which Gov 2. w Clement
had written, containing slurring ref
erenecs to returned soldiers seeking
jobs. This caused great resentment
As Clement was not supposed to be IA
vorable to Stone it may be that the
letter caused no injury to the latter :
prospects, but there arose demand
! FOR q soldier candidate. Stone had
worn the uniform doing y. NJ. c. A.
| work in France, but the boys want
] ed 4 real soldier. He has not yet an
nounced himself
Mason Serene Stone probably knows
| more men and women in Vermont than
any other man. This acquaintance re.
! suits from his travels about the state
/ during his long term Of service as state
| superintendent of education and makes
\ him a formidable candidate in the pri-
maTles. He might not have so good
! a prospect if the old convention meth
/ Cd were in force, for some corporation,
and certain politicians do not like him
/ He was born and educated in Yer
mont and has devoted his life TO teach
| ing-as high school and academy prin
| cipal, superintendent of schools In IN,
Easthampton district in Massachusetts
superintendent of education in Yer,
mont, lS92l900; superintendent o
schools i'll Manila, 7. l.. l90i-l903; su
perintendent of education in Vernon
again, l905-l9l5; and commissioner o
education for one year after the ofic
was changed.
Such opposition as may dcveloT
aside from that based on other friend
ships, viii be largely from corpora
items and their political friends. IN
from those other politicians who thin
that Stone has fed at the publ
trough long enough Neither his abil
ity or his qualifications are cnes
toned. For many years the lieuteI
ant govenorship was looked upon as
stepping stone to the higher Office. bu
Carroll s. Page now United States ser
!. ator, broke up the succession by Dc
feating Urban A. Woodbury. III 1895
Woodbury. became governor in 1872
! but since that time only George I
Prouty and DR. John A. Mead hay
/ TINS been promoted
d Fred II. Rabbit of Bellows Falls ha
been looked upon as a candidate sine
Z his term in the senate of 1912. |
:. 19It the nomination went as a ma
ter of course to the "other side of Il
}. mountain. In 1916 it was usele.
/ 70 oppose Horace Graham, and in I9l
the nomination again went TO the We
= side Now appears to be Rabbit 5 OF
:. portunity. He is a paper manufa
!, turer, and has other large business il
;erests that may cause him to hesitat
d but there Is strong feeling among h
{ friends that he should announce h
) candidacy.
Babbitt is the antithesis of Sson
I, He is essentially a business man. al
y tcmperamentally undiplomatic vet
has way Of getting things that
K goes after. He came to the house f,
n his first term little known in public a
H. fairs or in politics, but quickly tos
4 leading position. He followed til
= with a term in the senate in l9l