Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-04-27
TH1RD-PARTY POLITICS.
Conference Of Windhnm County Prohi-
bitionists---Mr. Pennininn's Address

bitionists---Mr. Pennininn'- Address.
An audience Of, possibly, 40 or 30 persons
assembled at the town hall Tuesday after
noon to attend the conference Of Windham
county prohihitionists. Six towns were
represented - BrattlehorO, Putney, Rock
ingham, Townshend, Dummerston and New
fame The meeting was called to order hy
NJ. Davidson, Esq, of Newfane, who spoke
Of the purposes Of the meeting and told
what was done at the state conference held
last winter at Middlebury, where the sum
Of $1,000 was raised as a campaign fund
and Mr. George W. Penniman of Boston
was engaged as state organizer To speak
more fully Of the work IN view, Mr.. DAVID
son introduced Mr. Peuuimtn himself. MIR.
penniman said, in brief, that conferences
similar to this were 10 he held in every
county in the state that prohibition lit5ra-
ture would bc literally distributed, that it
was proposed to publish prohibition paper
in the state during the campaign, the first
issue to be in June, and that ent-meetings
were 10 be leading feature Of the cam
paign The names of several persons who
might be secured at nominal price tu
speak upon the prohibition issue were also
given. Gen. Clinton b. Fisk of New York
was mentioned as the standard bearer Of
the prohibition party in the coming presi-
Dental contest
In the evening Mr. Penniman-who will
be remembered by those who heard his al
dress on the occasion Of the organization OF
the local corps Of Sons If Veterans
forcible and interesting speaker-gave an
address, which was mainly devoted 10 an
swering the question, Why do we need a
third party After referring in a general
way 20 the liquor traffic and the evils Of in
temperance, the speaker came to a discus
sion of the proper remedy therefor. He
did not regard moral suasiOn as an all suiii
cient remedy. Rumselers are not as IA
rule, to be reached by appeals to their bet
ter nature. As long as only moral suasion
is used, they laugh and snap the finger Of
derision but when they are made to feel
that back Of prayers aud pleadings there
are ballots, a sensitive spot in their econo-
my is touched. Nor is license remedy
1t is wrong in theory and great fixture in
practice. Prohibition il the only feasible
and practical method of dealing with this
evil But il is said The temperance ques-
ton should not be carried into politics.
Why not Government Is organized sOCi-
ETY., and politics is the science Of govern
nent. This being 50, 1t follows that any
question affecting society for veal or woe
Is political question and any candid aud
intelligent person can readily see that this
Is aud has long been political issue, for
whose success political party is needed.
There is no question in American politics
today that measures up t. the Importance
Of this one. Questions Of the tariff civil
service reform, the southern question aud
those revolving around the labor issues. will
never be fully settled until the question of
the destiny of the liquor traffic is fully de
termlned. There is no real ISSUE between
the Republican and Democratic parties OF
the nation today, except that Of Office The
Republicans are out, and want - get in
while the Democrats, after long fasting.
have been at the table for four years and
want to stay there The tariff question is
being discussed vigorously by both parties 4:
yet neither party is united in favor of the
one theory or in opposition to the other.
The Republican New York Tribune says the
country must have protection while the
Chicago Tribune, equally strong in Repub-
hcanlsm, declares protection to he robbery
Upon the temperance question neither par
", as national organization, is worthy of
support. The Democrats have been oppus-
ed to temperance and prohibition from the
hrst and since 1872 as II national PARTY
the Republicans are on record AS opposed t.
temperance and Sunday laws ia the call
b elect delegates to the national Republi
can convention from Vermont there was not
one word to Indicate the existence Of such
a question As that Of prohibition vet the
members of that party claim it to he the
great prohibition party. Neither Of the
two old parties can take up the prohibition
question without alternating n large number
of saloon Keepers from its ranks aud this
they are not willing u do, since neither
wishes 10 commit political suicide. The
prohibition party, the speaker said, is the
only growing party it is on the winning
side 1t hasn't saloon keeper or Il sympa.
thiler with the liquor traffic in its ranks.
The prohibtionstS do not hang their oppo-
nents IN eiligy, do not destroy their legiti-
mate business, do not ruin their regulations
10y slander The speaker declared the nc
ton of leading Republicans ia 1891. after
the election, as outrageous and unworthy
the name Of true citizens and patriotic Am
orleans, saying that bulldozing in Vermont
Is as bad as bulldozing in Mississippi Re
terrmg to the fact that pruhibitionists are
frequently called "cranks," the speaker adj
united the aptness of the title. adding
,Cranks turn things; We intend to turn
the two old parties upside down, and then
they will be right side up"
Mr.. Pennimans address occupied about
an hour and half, and wae many times
interrupted with enthusiastic applause.