Wichita eagle., 1890-02-19
REsUBM1ss1oN IN VERMONT.
The Editor of the Leading Republican
Paper in the State Writes that
Thirty-eight Years Trial
Shows Prohibition
q Failure

AS Is well klOWu tueTe mas D6eu
great disturbance in Vermont lately ovel
the question of resubmission. The Kan
sas Republican Resubmission club ad
dressed letter to the Vermont club,
which was referred to the editor of TIE
Rutland Herald to answer. The Herald
is not only the leading daily Republican
paper of Vermont but probably the oldest
paper of New England, having been es-
tablished in 1894. The reply is herewith
published in full at the suggestion of the
officers of the Republican Resubmission
club:
RUTLAND, Vt, February II, 1890.
Dearsir: One year ago the Herald be-
gan the first open and determined fight
against prohibition ever undertaken in
| Vermont since the law vas enacted,
thirty-eight years ago; and it has kept il
up without interruption day after day,
until now we haye a very strong support
of the most progressive, broad minded,
| responsible temperance Republicans,
| with more than fair chance. as 1 be-
lieve, of repeating the law at the next
session of the legislature, in October.
During all these years, and especially
during the last ten, there has been la
tent opposition to the law, but without
leadership, although the Democrats have
always opposed it i'll their platforms, but
never really fought it.
During the last five years the opposi-
ton has grown rapidly, and at most the
people have simply acquiesced In the
law. which has been the established pol
icy of the Republican party. Year after
year the prohibitionists have come be-
fore the legislature with excuses for the
inefhciency of their law, and demand
ing further amendment to render it
more effective; and the legislature,
adopting cowardly policy of trucking
to them, has given them all they asked,
even going so far at the last session as
to pass an amendment giving to
all officers the right, without war
rant, to seize and search all
persons upon the public highways,
together with their vehicles, baggage,
handbags, etc. Of course this couldn't
stand in the supreme court, and no one
has yet dared to attempt such seizure
and search.
These amendments have been passed
year after year by the votes of many
would adjourn to the nearest bar, prob
ably on the principle of the late Senator
Luke Poland, who, when in the state
legislature, said that he voted Tor his
constituents and drank for Poland"
A large portion of the editors and con-
trolling men CT the state press are users
of alcoholic beverages-which we con-
tend is no wrong in itself, the excessive
use or abuse being the wrong or evil;
but, while this has long been the situa-
ton, it has been regarded as party heresy
and treason to oppose prohibition, and
no Republican newspaper IN the state has
dared do so until the Herald led. Now,
however, some of them are coming into
line slowly, and others have climbed up
on the fence until they can see how the
cat will jump.
There is but one other really influen-
tial daily in the state besides the Herald.
It has never been characterized by con-
dor, honesty or independence when such
a course would necessitate the slightest
deviation from party policy and the IN
variable endorsement Of every act Of the
party and its leaders; and it is controlled
by one has long held profitable official
positions, and is, of course, for prohibi-
ton.
It's policy, and that of every other pro
hibition organ, many of which are con-
trolled by otfice-holders and politicians,
is to euade the real issue, deny that
there is any interest in our movement,
deny that we have any sincerity or
honesty of purpose, and bury every OPP
ponent of prohibition under a load Of
mud labeled ''rImmy," while our move
ment is falsely said to be inspired and
backed by the rum power" The ma
iority of the clergyman in the state
adopt precisely the same policy, and
claim that ell christians must be Oh the
prohibition side and that the issue be-
tween prohibition and high license and
local option is moral one, instead of
simply a question of eXpedlency, a
question of the adoption of one of two
methods of police regulation under civil
government to secure the greatest prac-
ticable restriction. regulation and con-
troll of business that Is not wrong per
Sc, but that is injurious 10 the commu-
nifty when Improperly conducted.
During the year that the Herald has
been fighting the present law and advo-
eating high license and local option, il
has published a series of exposures of
the workings of the law that constitute
the most terrible and damning indict-
ments even presented against law on
the statute books of Vermont, giving
names and figures, and, al
though it constantly ch a l.
lenged all persons and newspapers
to answer, deny or disapprove one state
ment it has made, up TO this moment no
man or newspaper has even attempted or
pretended to do SO. Such a fearless
course On the part of the leading Repub-
lican newspaper III the state, of course,
has aroused storm of abuse, threats,
and almost persecution: but the higher
thesto rm rose the more fearless and ag-
gressive became the Herald's course,
until the storm has dwindled to only
cloud of dust stirred up by dishonest
prohibition newspapers anu trucking
politicians to blind the peoples eyes.
Regarding the exposures the Herald
has made and the charges it has pre-
sented, [ have time at this moment only
to say that they include every form of
despotic invasion of rights,
fraud, perjury, official corruption, hy-
pocrisy, and degregahon OF courts that
could be brought into existence by the
most inquisitive law that ever was de-
vised in New England. The letter of
your resubmission club to the Leaven-
worth club, printed copy of which you
enclosed TO us. fully covers the situation
here, as we'll as in Kansas, and well sets
forth the workings Of our law, except
that. of course, 1t is all intensified by an
existence OF thirty-eight, instead of eight
years, as yours has had.
The people are thoroughly aroused all
over the state, and especially on the
western side. and our ranks are growing