Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-17
Mr.. Clements Pronunc,amento.

perfect right to be a candidate for gov
has a single merit-that Of courage 1t
takes a bold man to push into the guber-
rat orial field at this time, IN the State Of
Vermont, and a holder to base his candi-
dacy upon the single issue of opposition
to the established policy Of our State in
regard to the liquor traffic. MIR. Clement
violently attacks the Vermont statute, re-
hearsing the Wild statements often seen in
the columns OF the organs Of the liquor
trade and heard In the talk of the drum
mers for liquor houses. How wild these
statements are may be seen from an ex-
animation Of some CT them.
Mr.. Clement says that the advocates of
the original rrohibitory law expected that
it would bring on the millennium. They had
no such expectation. What they expected
was that the law would greatly reduce the
consumption Of intcyicants, ard largely
lessen the amount Of intemIerance, paup-
ell ism and crime. This expectation was
largely realized. Sheriff Bowman of Chit
tenden county advertised empty rooms to
let in the Jail snd the diminution CT intoxi-
caticn. and decrease of crimes and mis-
demeanors resulting from drunkenness was
so marked all over the State that 1t amply
indicated the wisdom of the law, and es-
tabiished 1t firmly on the statute book.
Mr.. Clement says without qualification
that the law ''nakes it crime to deal in
alcohol in its various forms.' This is not
SO I he law provides fer Places and agents
TO- deal IN alcohol in its various forms, for
certain specified purposes. He says "the
rest of the civilized world says that alco-
hol nay be properly dealt in between man
and man. If this means that in all the
worlG outside of Vermont any man is per-
nitted to sell liquor to eny other man. it
Is crazy assertion. In most all civilized
Communities the liquor traffic is restricted
in some less. in others more in n number
up to the point of very stringent restric-
ticn which is called prohibition though
strictly speaking it is not that, since all
such laws provide for the sale of alcoholic
liquors for purposes which the comnuni-
ties consider to be needful and proper.
Vermont Is not the only prohibition State;
nor ere the other such States or the many
counties which prohibit, in States which
have no State prohibitory statutes. all and
altogether unciv.lized.
How does Mr. Clement know that there
is more aduterated intoxicating liquor
sold in Vermont than in any other State
in proportion to popula ton? Have the
adulterators Of liquor supplied him the
statistics of their business throughout The
Union? or course he does not and cannot
he asserts it to be.
| No mere can Mr.. Clement make good
his assertion that there is moro opium
choral and kindred drugs consumed IN
Vermont, per capita, than in any other
State in the UniCn He has DOUBTLESS
seen the statistics collected by Dr. Grinnell
in regard to the sales of such drugs. rs
reported by druggists in some seventy
towns in Vermont But he ouGht also to
know that the deductions drawn fr IN
these figures were by no means accepted
by many intelligent persons. The Journal
of the American Medical Association. for
instance commenting on an article based
oil the figures in question, said: This Is
a fair sample of mitch Of the rnoGern
alaimist literature upon medical questions
There may be, though we seriously doubt
it. very large number of habitual mod
crate users Of narcotics in Vermont; but
it certainly would not take a very large
number of real confirmed opium fiends tc
use up the amount alleged to be consume
in that State" Vermont is not inhabitet
by opium fiends.
Mr.. Clement says the law causes a feel
ing of disgust to "every nan who care:
for the honor of our state" That is tc
say that among the majority Of tie peopl,
Of Vermont, who have kept and keep, an
will keep the law upon the statute books
not one cares fer the honor of the state!
1t is needless to follow through Mr.. Glenn
) ent's letter. As a whole 1t is a gross Sian
der of the people of Vermont What tn.
} chances of success are fer man wht
commences his canvass by issuing wha
amounts to n false and malicious state
ment to the effect that the courts of hi
State are corrupt: its officers black mail
I ers: its legislators fools. and most of il,
people either sodden with bad whiskey
stupcfled with opium, or idiots pure an,
simple all alike careless Of the publ,
| good and callous to the honor of theil
l State we leave 1t to others to say.