St. Johnsbury Caledonian

Mr. Haskins and the President.
Do those who persist in criticising
Representative Haskins because of an
alleged conflict with the Administration
realize that they are paying that gentle-
man a genuine compliment? Probably
they do not, but nevertheless such is the
fact for whether the average member of
Congress agrees or disagrees with the
President of the United States generally
makes so little difference that no one
gives it a second thought and much less
comments upon it. There are no other
agencies in the country so well qualified
to separate the wheat from the chaff in
the political granary of the nation as
are the metropolitan newspapers, and
the fact that the great papers generally
discussed the alleged, but entirely mis-
understood, attitude of Mr. Haskins
toward the President, is conspicuous
and conclusive proof that the attitude of
the Vermont Representative is really
worthy of notice. Many New England
Republican members of the House have
disagreed with the administration more
or less during the past four years, but
no particular notice has been taken of
individual instances except in the cases
of Littlefield of Maine, McCall of Massa-
chusetts, and Haskins of Vermont. This
is suggestive, and the suggestion that
should come home to the people of the
second district is, do we appreciate the
fact that we have in Washington a man
who has risen to that position in the
political world where his opinions are
noticed and discussed by the makers of
public opinion for the whole country, or
will our interests be better served by a
representative of the average type, un-
known outside his own district, and
concerning whose opinions no one knows
or cares? The unnoticed and unknown
Congressman predominates at Washing
ton. The second Vermont district has a
virile, able, independent, experienced and
well-known representative there, serving
not only his district and state with
faithfulness and ability, but also the
whole country with that same ability
and attention to duty that has marked
him as far above the average member of
the House in directing the policies and
accomplishments of the dominant party
in that body.

The Central Vermont railway com-
pany rushed into print to assert its posi-
tion in not paying the full amount of its
tax levy, but it has not uttered a word
regarding the article "Railroad Slaugh-
ter Checked," which so fully explained
how it had been brought up short and
quick by the Railroad Commission and
made to obey the mandates of that
board. In this instance it was a case of
must, and in the tax controversy it
doubtless will be another case of must.
With Mr. Prouty as Governor the rail-
roads are certain to find an executive
who believes that they should pay their
just share of taxes. They seem to have
hope in Mr. Stanton as Governor that
this will not be entirely so!

The Republican caucuses that will
select delegates to the state convention
which among other nominations will
name a candidate for the governorship
will be held in the various towns and
cities of the state on Thursday next. An
unprejudiced view of the situation on
what may be said to be the eve of
the caucuses, derived from the most
reliable reports, indicates that the
caucus returns will show that George H.
Prouty will be nominated by a large
majority over the opposing candidacy of
Zed S. Stanton. The influence upon the
race made by the two men of what has
been generally termed the continuance of
progressive policies in the management
of state affairs has apparently decided
between them.

The withdrawal of Joseph T. Stearns
from the secretary of state contest leaves
only two candidates in the field, Guy C.
Bailey of Essex Junction and Walter K.
Farnsworth of Rutland. Mr. Farns-
worth has served the state as assistant
secretary of the senate in 1898 and 1900
and secretary of that body since 1902
and has many enthusiastic supporters
all through the state.

The voter who would move forward
and have the state advance should
attend the caucus of his town to elect
delgates to the state convention and
use his influence for a delegation favor-
able to the nomination of George H.
Prouty for governor.

With Prouty as Governor the chances
are strong that the railroad lobby will
remain away from Montpelier, without
a repetition of the rout given it at the
last session of the legislature.

POLITICAL PRESS COMMENT
Mr. Prouty's Advertising.
Why "cheap" advertising; why "devi-
ous" advertising? Mr. Prouty has not
used any "cheap" advertising, nor has
he been "devious" about it. He has
used the highest priced advertising and
he has issued it as genuine advertising
in all cases where it is paid for as such.
We cannot see why Mr. Prouty should
not adopt that method of stating his
principles and expressing his desire for a
nomination. That mode of appealing to
the public is perfectly proper and legiti-
mate, and has many years of precedent
back of it. Before the days of universal
reading of newspapers such announce-
ments were made by posters on dead
walls and other public places. The use
of political advertising for the exploita-
tion of candidates for office is very com-
mon. The newspapers of this country
have printed hundreds of thousands of
lines. The most recent conspicuous