Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-08-12
NO WET SPOTS IN
EMERY PLATFORM
Candidate for Republican Nom
ination for Governor Declares
That Future of Vermont Lies
in Agriculture Rather Than
in Smokestacks

the lana, but our granite, our marble, our
tale and all the things which God AL
mighty has placed In our hills" These
were the words of Curtis 8. Emery of
Newport, candidate for the Republican
nomination for governor, speaking at the
Chamber Of Commerce luncheon before
some s. representative Burlingtonians in
the Hotel Vermont dining room Thursday
noon. Mr.. Emery was introduced by Levi
p. Smith, vice-president of the Chamber
Of Commerce.
Mr.. Emery stressed the agricultural
plank in his platform during his talk.
He said that that Is the matter in
which he is most interested, because he
believes that it is in agriculture, rather
than in smokestacks. that the future of
Vermont lies. Like Frank w. Agan, who
spoke Mt n former luncheon here, Mr..
Emery handed the liquor question in a
frank manner, though declaring that 1t is
not an Issue in this campaign, and taking
an absolutely opposite stand from MT
Agan on the question.
Mr.. Emery also advocated the restora-
tlon OF the country school houses, making
them community confer, and the adop-
tion OF less centralized school system
better roads throughout the State, espe-
caally In the rural districts. and con.
sisten: attempt to people the unoccuped
areas Of the State in order that the land
may be utilized to the fullest extent. Mr.
Emery closed his talk with q discussion
Of campaign expenses.
In opening, Mr.. Emery took up tho state.
ment made by Mr.. Agan at tho frs,
luncheon. in regard to tho liquor question
This is not State issue in this campaign
the issue on which Mr.. Agan is makins
his canvass, said Mr.. Emery but since Il
had been introduced. he felt that hi
should express his stand on the matter
as he wished to be as frank about IL a.
Mr.. Agan had been.
| "Mr. Agan said that he stood on hts two
feet on a wet platform" said Mr.. Emery
III he requires hip boots to stand on his
platform, you can walk on mine in sill
stockings I am absolutely on dry plat
form. I did not include the matter II
the original draft of my platform because
did not consider 1t to be a State ISSUE"
The speaker went On to say that Mr.
, Babbitt had introduced the liquor issue
IN the campaign by stating as one Of the
planks Of his platform "the full and FREE
recognition of the fact that the Sheppard
amendment Is law Of the land" Mr.
Emery said that he read this Statement
over several times in trying to decide
,
finally decided that it was merely a state
rnent of the fact that the Sheppard amend
ment had become a law. and nothing
more. Mr.. Rabbits platform followed
/ with the statement that "the Volstead &C
! Is unnecessarily severe and ought to b.
modified" This souned little moist. ant
, with one end dry and the other a littl'
moist. 1t was hard to tell just where Mr.
Babbitt did stand on this question.
ITO my mind" said Mr.. Emery. "thes
statements were put into Mr.. Babbitt'
platform and designed to appeal to boil
sides on this question. like frankness,
continued the speaker II don't lik
equivocation In this matter This nike
plank Of my friend Rabbit did not entire
ly suit the extremists. so Mr.. Agan en-
tered the field"
In taking up Mr.. HARNESS. platform
Mr.. Emery said: "Mr. Hartness came GU
with a very long platform. but the thin
ne talks about is industrial development
Just lately he has begun to talk abou
agriculture, however"
The speaker went on to say that h
supposed some of Mr.. HARNESS. news
paper advisers had told him that he ough
to say more about agriculture. Mr.. Elmer
thought that Mr.. Hartness never woul
have thought about that himself, becaus
1t was not in his line.
The speaker declared that Mr.. Hartnes
cannot do any more for Vermont in a
Industrial way as governor Of the Stat
than he is doing now. Mr.. Emery think
that the industrial future of Vermont
being we'll taken care of at present an
that the agencies which are at work G
present, including the Chambers of Con-
merce and business interests throughol
the State. will continue to look after tn
without taking the matter to the Stat
House.
"Mr HARNESS. platform is really ont
plank platform" said Mr.. Emery. "H
knew that there ought to be other thing
in the platform and. with the advice {
his friends. they have been put in. but a
that he really talks about is industries"
II am old-fashioned," continued M
Emery. IT was born on a rocky farm
Vermont and I cannot get away fro
the things which were impressed upon n
when I was a boy, the agricultural int
est of Vermont"
The speaker went on to tell Of how a
Of the farms near his home were take
over on mortgages. He declared that
had the greatest sympathy for the ms
In Vermont who is trying to produce foo
stufs. These are the people whom
desires 10 help and to keep in the Sta
and on the land, in order that Vernon
may continue its reputation and its glol
~ food producing State.
I'VE should restore the school hous
that we have taken away" he said. "v
have centralized our school system t
much. We need cooperation betwe,
schools in a district, but not too mu,
GENERALIZATION. We should make the scho
house in every place a community centf
and have a room opening Off from Z
school room where the people of the cor
munity may come together" Mr.. Eme
went on to say that the children In Z
rural communities should not be cart
three or four miles to a town school, ha
Ing to leave home, as many Of them
before daylight In the morning and n
returning until after dark at night.
The future Of Vermont lies In keep
the hillside farms attractive and keepi
them filled with people. according to n
Emery. In order to do this, We must ha
GOOD roads in the State. OF course. we mt
have good trunk lines. but the empha
needs to be placed upon the country roa'
so-called, which extend back from
main highways to these hillside farm
Another way In which the movement
people the unoccuped acres of the Sta
can be aided is through greater sire
upon agricultural education.
"There Is something In farming In "
mont as we'll as in factories declar
the speaker. There are gold mines
our farms II they are handled with
eame skill and ability with which
Hartness has handled his business"
In closing his talk Mr.. Emery said Il
Gonething has developed in this campai
ruS,ic peoDle ought TO know, and that