Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-08-15
LOCAL OPTION.
As Presented by Rev. Sam lSma u
of Georgia..

An audience that filled both hall and
gallery gathered at the opera house
Tue sday evening to listen to a campaign
speech by Rev. Sam Small, the dis
tinguished southern orator and prohi-
bitionist.
Excellent music was furnished by the
Middlebury orchestra while the audience
was being seated.
The speaker was formally introduced
by DR.. K. H. Martin in few we'll
chosen words.
Rev. Sam Small is man of pleasing
voice and presence. He at once pro-
ceeded to put himself in touch with his
audience by introducing himself and
telling of the many pleasant visits he
had made to Vermont, and praising the
state and its inhabitants. His messmate
during the Spanish-American war was
a son of Gov. Barstow of Shelburne, and
he elOquently referred to that war and
its effects in breaking the letters that
had bound the fair island of Cuba in
worse than slavery to Spain for three
hundred years and better still had re-
united the North and the South under
one flag into a nation with one purpose,
and one people.
He then paid his respects to the editor
of the ST. Johnsbury Republican for the
comments that he made upon certain
paragraphs taken from his lecture there
in 1888. He said he stood by each and
every statement then made, and wished
now to fully confirm and reiterate each
and every one.
He spoke then In behalf of prohibition
and said he was here tonight to speak
for prohibition that would prohibit. He
said he was the deadly foe to the liquor
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today had he not been defeated by the
liquor interests of his state. He had al
ways fought the liquor traffic and al
ways should, go long as God gave him
breath to speak If he could have his
way he would Danish every drop of
liquor from the world. He said high
license. pure and simple, was the worst
system the devil had ever concOcted to
deceive man and sent him down to hell.
1t was even worse than so-called "PrO-
hibtion" in Vermont.
He came here fresh from the stump in
Georgia where the same issue had been
/ settled in the contest for governor that
was being waged now in Vermont. For
II years Georgia had had local option
prohibition and under it 1l9 out of the
l37 counties had absolute prohibition,
not sham, fraud, farce If the
people wanted prohibition they had it,
and if they voted prohibition they
elected officers who were in sympathy
with prohibition and who would enforce
prohibition, absolute and complete. The
same vote that sustained prohibition stood
behind the officers and made them do their
duty, In the Is counties where the people
want high license they have it and take
the bitter consequences, but the rest of
the state does not suffer with them as
here in Vermont. Public opinion must
stand behind a law to secure its enforce
ment, and where public opinion is not In
favor of law, under our form of govern
ment; no other state or people can force
an obnoxious law on a community and
secure its enforcement; this is contrary to
the spirit of republican form of govern
ment where the people of each unit,
(the town in Vermont; the county in
Georgia) govern themselves and elect the
officers who shall enforce and execute
the laws. He showed up the weak points
OF the present so-called prohbitory sys
TEN in this state, without gloves.
His denunciation of the officials who
made money by the non-enforcement of
the law here in Vermont was very severe.
He said that after fifty years of prohi-
bition, so-called, in Vermont, the internal
| lcNtuut ItCOTus at washington suOWtu
that we had one liquor seller to every $50
inhabitants, while in Georgia there was
only one to every 100 inhabitants, show
ing concluslvely that local option con-
trolled the liquor traffic far better than
the Vermont system.
But. you say, the possession of a liquor
license is not proof of selling.
Why not?
Does man pay S25 to Uncle Sam to
have his name enrolled in the official list
of liquor sellers? Is the term "liquor
dealer one that man would wear on
his coat as badge of honor? Never I!
1t is bought to use and Is used
Uncle Sam has no difficulty In enforc-
Ing his liquor laws because the officers
are paid salaries by the Federal govern
ment and are not elected by the people.
The liquor dealers know that Uncle
Sam will enforce his laws without fear
and favor, something no state can do
unless public opinion is behind the laws.
His lecture was interspersed with many
good stories well told. He closed with
an eloquent appeal in behalf of Clement
and Local Option.