St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-04-30
HON. PERCIVAL w. CLEMENT
Visits 81. JOhnsbnry and DenOunces lhe
PrOhibitOry Law

val w. Clement of Rutland, candidate for
governor on the local optiUn-high license
issue, is now a bit of local history. He
came over the St. J. & L. c. road in his
private car, reaching St. Johnsbury at
noon Monday. On that evening he adj
dressed an audience of about 600 people
in Music Hall on Local Option High
License VS.. Prohibition. A colored quar-
tette from New York which joined the
campaigning party two days previous,
and the St. Jobnsbury Band, added zest
to the occasion.
Mr. Clement was introduced by Hon.
Alexander Dunnett, a firm adherent to
the prOhibitory law, who stated that,
| inasmuch as it was conceded that the
! liquor traffic must be regulated in some
manner, and that the only question is
how shall it be regulated, it was only
fair that the people should hear all sides
OF the matter discussed.
The address was severe arrangement
of the prohlbitory law and the manner
of its enforcement in Vermont. The work
ing of the law in Rutland and Rutland
| COUNTY was liC NlllGl lSAL III NuA us
course, and the publicity given to the
official methods OF handling a statute
of the commonwealth in the city and
county OF Rutland could hardly be taken
as judicious advertising, to say the least
Mr.. Clement urged a change in the pre-
sent Vermont liquor law on the ground
that it did not regu' ate the sale of liquor
as well as it could be done under local
option-high license; that it corrupts
public officials and the courts of the
state; that it is detrimental to
| The business interests OF the common.
wealth, fosters intemperance rather than
| prevents it, and, as enforced, it intcts
| punishment on the poor men while the
rich are never prosecuted under it. One
! of the main argumc IS against prOhlb-
ton was the long Imprisonment possible
under the law, and Mr.. Cement discuss
ed this point at length, notwjthstand-
ing the fact that this feature Of the law
was changed years ago, and that three
wears is now the limit for Imprisonment
under the law. Mr. Clement admitted
| that fact, but nevertheless continued to
wage war on part of the statute that
has been dead Tor years. The fee system
came in for a generous share Of condemn
alton, but irasmuch as this former dan
| gerOuS element in the statute has been so
tar eliminated that danger from it is re
duCed to a minimum, the argument was
practically without weight to those con
versant with the question.
The gray-bearded arguments Of Yer
mont high license advocates for genera.
ton were woven into the fabric of the
address, 100000 hotel located on
the west shore of Lake ChampIain might
have been built at Burlington but for the
prohbitory law. A 100000 hotel
would have been erected on one of the
islands Of Grand Isle county but for the
same law. license law encourages the
consumption of beer and light wines as
against hard liquors under the present
system. High license would put enough
money into the town treasury to main
tain the highways or support the pau
perS. Under license there would be few
(?) drinking places. including the hotels,
and drug stores would be allowed to sell
for medicinal (O purposes. The traffic
could be better controlled under license,
because illegal selling will be done away
with. The town is unit and should
control in the matter of license, instead
OF the state. If after trial of license it
was apparent that drunkenness was on
the increase, the town could vote prohib-
ition, and thus with public sentiment be-
hind it, it would be successful, for with
out favorable public opinion police regul
atlons cannot be enforced. High license
would put more money into the treasury,
but not more blood money.
The speaker said that the political ma
chine in power at Montpelier will never
consent to the repeal OF the prohibtory
law If it can be prevented. There has
been no issue in the Vermont governor
ship contest except personal ones for 40
years, and this campaign is made, not
on the personality OF the candidate but
on an issue.
Mr.. Clement scored the town agencies
the anti-saloon league, and especially
Superintendent Morrow; the spotter sys-
tenn which he charged directly to the
league and ended with an appeal to all
believers in high license local option, to
join in the crusade for the repeal Of the
prohibltory law. The speaker paid his
compliments to the other candidates and
scored Gen. Mccullough for his strad.
ding position on the liquor question
There was but little applause during the
evening and the majority of this was
brought out when the speaker told a
good anecdote to illustrate a point
Mr.. Clement remained in his car most
of the time during his stay here. Yester.
day afternoon he went to Lyndonville.
Dates tor the remainder of the week
are as follows: Hardwick, tonight
MorrisviIle, Thursday; Chester, Friday
Fair Haven, Saturday; Swanton, Mon