News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-05-28
A WARNING to TEMPERANCE Men.

1t would be inconsistent with it's ira
ditions and its past history were it
to speak at this time with any uncer-
tain sound with reference to the dan
gers which threaten the cause of
temperance in Vermont to-day.
Open saloons in the villages of
Vermont would be curse, a men
ace to society generally and es-
pecially to our young men. Such a
proposition ought not to bethought
of for moment.
And yet Mr.. Clement takes the
ground that we have no more right
to legislate as to what man shall
drink than as to what he shall eat or
what he shall wear. The well-recog-
nized legal principle that a man must
so conduct himself as not to injure
or endanger his neighbor is lost sight
Of by Mr.. Clement. The fact that in.
temperance is directly or indirectly
responsible for more than seventy
five per cent. Of all the pauperism
and crime of the country does not
seem to Mr.. Clement to warrant any
prohibitory statutes, and were he to
have his way about the matter, every
vestige of the prohibitory law which
has protected our homes for the last
fifty years would be wiped out at
one. fell swoop.
We have seen the statement made,
and have never seen it denied, that
Mr.. Clement is on record as stating
that rum selling is not wrong and
that he would like to see it sold Just
as flour and shingle nails are sold.
He practically says to the people of
Vermont that if they will elect him
Governor he will use the entire force
and influence at the command of the
executive office to promote his ideas.
Gen. Mccullough tells the people
of Vermont that the principle of pro-
hibition is well grounded in our
state and that he has no wish to
disturb that principle; that if the
friends of temperance wish to pass
any laws to strengthen the present
prohibitory. statutes, he shall APP
prove them.
Mr., Proctor has had an excellent
opportunity to say that he would
veto high license measure, but he
has not said it. To be perfectly
frank about it, is it very material
what he does say, in view of his out
look in this campaign as shown by
returns from caucuses thus far held ?
Up to date, 2O7 delegates have
been elected. OF those 207, Mr..
Proctor has 1 in Caledonia county,
10 in Franklin county, 2 in Lamoille
county, in Chittenden county, 4 in
Orleans county, Is in his own Rut-
land county and 2 in Windham
county-39 in all, or about one in
five of the delegates elected, while
Mccullough has total of 113 and
Clement So. The counties which
were supposed to be strong for Proc
tor-Windham, Rutland and Frank
to show the expected Proctor
strength, and the well-nigh universal
opinion now seems to be that Mr.
Proctor is practically out of the race.
In view of this fact. is there any
other proper course for the friends of
temperance to pursue than to unite
in putting down the Clement dogma
"a dogma which means a yearly
fight with the rum power in every
town to prevent the opening of
saloons in every village in Vermont
a fight with an organized force which
will be supported with money galore
furnished by the wholesale liquor
dealers of the large cities, who expect
to get their money back out of the
profits of the poisons they sell to the
saloon keepers here?
The friends of temperance should
not throw away their votes to-day
by supporting, what seems to be an
candidate, F. D. Proctor,
but should unite in the support of
man who is confessedly able, upright
and pure and who would act in har-
mony with the wishes of the people
of Vermont, as reflected by the SEN
ators and Representatives whom they
shall elect next September. Such a
man is Gen. ]. G. Mccullough.