The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-05-21
THE BEER CAMPAIGN. ~

The extremity to which the Rum
Prohibitionists have been reduced has
new illustration every day. Roor.
backs, Morey letter tricks, all the de-
vices of a lost cause follow in quick
succession, the last having always
some mark of deeper infamy. Look
out for these devices of the enemy as
the end of the canvass approaches.
The latest is the ''beer campaign" the
Mccullough people are accused of in
stituting in Burlington. The News of
that city appeared on Friday evening
with circumstantial account of GER
tain alleged "beer clubs" existing in
the parts of the city occupied chiefly
by the population of foreign extrac.
ton, all in the interest of McCul-
lough's canvass. Respecting this re-
port and these "clubs" Hon. G. P.
Smith one of Burlington's best citi-
zens, man of affairs, familiar with
Burlington life and doings, distin.
guished for his candor, force and in
tegrity, writes to the News the ma.
terial parts of whose letter, important
outside of the locality, are subjoined
Now as to the club rooms, which
might perhaps more properly be call
ed headquarters AS you are well
aware, when the canvass was COM
menced the opposition to Gen. McCul-
Tough hired several halls and rooms in
different parts of the city to use as
headquarters, instead of conducting
the canvass from one headquarters as
had been formerly the custom, which
IL seems to me was entirely proper.
1t seemed to the people interested in
the cavass for Gen. Mccullough that
1t would be necessary to pursue the
same course and they did So as I am
reliably Informed, hiring in different
parts OF the city rooms where voters
could congregate as they were in the
habit OF doing at the one headquarters
always established in canvass of the
kind.
l was present at gathering of the
men interested III the management of
Gen. McCullough's canvass here in
Burlington, when the matter of the
different headquarters was discussed
and at that time Mr.. o. M. Barber,
representing Gen. Mccullough, cues.
toned the ACCESSIBILITY of having the
headquarters, stating very emphati.
cally that he wanted it understood
that no liquor or beer or ANYTHING of
the kind should be purchased or used
in any way in connection with the
canvass, as Gen. Mccullough intend
ed to run clean cavass, whatever the
ulTmight be.
L have visited at different times the
headquarters in the north part of the
city, and once the headquarters in the
south part of the city, and have never
seen any signs of liquor or beer being
used III any way and have never
seen anything in the conduct of the
people gathered there different from
that in the regular headquarters al
ways frequented during a CANVASS.
Mr.. Smith refers to certain of the
places enumerated by the News, the
owners or occupants of which are
thrifty and reputable people. So far
as he has been able to see and from
all the information he had been able
to get,
they have been used for legitimate
gatherings, where the canvass has
been discussed by quite a number of
our best citizens, all of whom will
bear me out in the statement that
everything was orderly and proper in
the conduct of the meetings
Mr.. Smith adds;
Now, that there may have been in.