Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-04-11
p. w. Clement Enters.

Percival w. Clement of Rutland for
mally enters the field this week as
candidate for governor. For some
time past there have been intimations
that this might happen. From the
terms of Mr.. Clements letter 1t is 10
be understood that he appears as
Republican on high license, local OPP
ton platform Since Mr. Clement can
have no hope of election, even II the
Democrats were to adopt his candl-
dacy, the only inference to be drawn
is that the purpose of his move is to
weaken Mr.. Proctor's candidacy by
dividing the vote of Rutland county.
This is the Interpretation put upon his
entry into the field by McCullough's
supporters as well as by Proctor's. on
the issue of prohibition, If definitely
, raised in this campaign, the advan-
tage would be all on Mr.. Proctor's side,
for he is on record in public and in
private as a pronounced advocate OF
prohibition. and this is not true of
Gen. Mccullough.
1t is not easy to see what strength
or influence Mr. Clement can exert in
behalf of high license as governor Of
! the state that he does not now possess
or has not possessed in the past. The
governor has no power to initiate leg
| islation, and he has no final veto
/ power to override the majority will OF
the legislators. Mr.. Clement was a
member of the Senate of 1900. Then
if ever, was his time to make his in
| huence felt in favor of high license.
| But he was very far from eXerting any
such influence.
On the general question it only re-
mains to be said that Mr.. Clements
! assertions about the operation of the
Vermont prohibitory law, about the
quantity of bad rum sold in the state,
and about the excessive use of deadly
! drugs, are purely dogmatie, and not
sustained by proof beyond his own
assertions and the assertions of those
who sympathize with him.
Here is the comment of the st. AL
bans Messenger, a Republican paper
/
! license law
! IF Percival w. Clement is an indie
| pendent candidate for the Republican
nomination for governor on a high IL
cense platform. the first thing men
will say is that he came into the can
/ yass merely to spite Fletcher ID. Proc
| tor The liquor issue did not strike
him as being important enough to run
| against Webb and Mccullough few
weeks ago, but the liquor issue sud
| denly assumes overwhelming conse-
quence when Webb drops out and
| Proctor comes in.
MIR. Clement cannot hope to win.
The effect of his candidacy would sim
! ply be to give a black eye to the legi-
innate cause of reform in the liquor
law. There are thousands of men in
| Vermont who are working toward the
modification of Vermont's liquor law
to do away with the Objectionable fea-
lures of prohibition and substitute the
results of modern experience. All this
they hope to bring about decently and
in order. by the education of public
| sentiment 10 the point of choosing q
| legislature that will make the change.
The canvass for the governorship has
nothing to do with this question under
the present circumstances. Vermont's
governor has no real power OF veto
over legislation, beside. Men who de.
sire a change in the liquor law can
vote for either Proctor or Mccullough
and still vote for their choice of rep.
resentatiye on the liquor issue in the
fall. Unless The Messenger is mis-.
taken, Mr.. Clement would find that the
great majority of sensible men prefer
| this course"