Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-08-01
CLEMENT COMES AGAIN.
CHAMPION OF HIGH LICENSE ADDRESSES
A LARGE AUDIENCE.


Arraignment of Political Methods in Yer
mont and Also Touches Upon State Expenses
S. H. Jackson of Barre Exposes the Weak
nesses Of the Present Prohibitory Law ant
Urges People of Vermont to Vote for Tru,
Temperance Bill.
Hon. Percival W. Clement made his
second appearance before Brattle
boro audience last evening as the
champion of local option high license
measure for Vermont. He was greet
ed by large gathering composed of all
factions, his remarks were listened tc
with marked attention and several
times were loudly applauded. The dis
cussion Of the prohibitory law was left
to S. Hollister Jackson of Barre, who
spoke briefly previous to Mr.. Clement,
the latter devoting most of his time to
other issues including corruption in
state politics and state expenses. At
ter several selections by the First Reg
iment band the crowd which had gath
cred adjourned to the Auditorium.
The stage was occupied by the speak
ers and also f. H. Button of Middle
bury, f. W. Blodgett, FL. Z. Bond and
G. O. Robbins. Mr. Blodgett intro
duced Mr.. Jackson, who is an attorney
in Barre.
Mr.. Jackson's speech was a severe
yet fair arraignment of the prohibitory
law. In opening he related the mir
acle of Jesus turning the water into
wine and said that had he done such a
thing in Vermont he would have been
guilty under the prohibitory law. Mr..
jackson then gave a short history of
when it was framed 30 years ago the
Legislators forgot to put in the words
patent medicines. He took up num-
Der of provisions in the law including
that which gives a sheriff the right to
search person without a warrant and
devoted some time to the question of
intent in breaking the law. Accord
ing to the supreme court of the state a
man can be criminal without crimi
nal intent by breaking the prohibitory
law. Mr. Jackson compared this inter
probation to a law passed in a southern
state which declared man guilty if he
fired gun whether it was loaded or
not. In closing the speaker urged the
voters to consider whether they want a
true temperance measure or one that
does not control the liquor traffic at all
Mr.. Clement said, in part
Political campaigns in Vermont
have in the past been operated on lines
differing from those which govern in
other states. Elections have merely
confirmed the action of nominating
and any Republican as
pirant for such office who has been for
tunate enough to obtain nomination
has rested quietly in the full knowl
edge of sure election in September.
"On the DIST day of April, when the
iccuse- local option campaign was
opened at Bethel, the political situa-
ion was apparently what it had been
.- wears, only with different actors in
aroma WhnD the gauntlet of license
NILS rtrnlr down before the two can
if5afes they were both beWldrred, and
, we- many days before either candi-
iaye thought a reply necessary or mus
cred up the courage TO give it.
after the campaign was we'll under
way and the issue was squarely drawn
he old line candidates seemed still to
eel that the situation was the same
hat it had been in past years and that
be people would not be aroused to a
of the paramount issue.
3ut they received rude awakening
nd after caucuses in one or two of
he larger towns and several of the
mailer ones had declared for license
he opposition candidates undertook to
ecure by bribery the election of del
gates in many towns where they saw
hey could not win by honest methods.
these charges have been well substan
lated and never denied.
INSTANTLY the issue changed and the |
uestion of license as against prohibi-
ion dwindled into insigniticance as
with the all absorbing issue, |
which, in a country governed by the |
eople, is paramount to every other is
ue which ever was or can be raised
he issue of honest elections as against |
he purchase of votes by money
1.-The time to eradicate corruption is
,hen it is discovered. The way to cure
/ is to hammer the head of the corrup /
ionist. Allegiance to party is honor
BILE, but it is not to party that we owe
he highest allegiance. 1t is to the
tate and to the nation and to our
elves, to that honor which lies deep in
lt VI hphtcb
"The men who cast their lot with a
arty for. whatever there is in it for
hem, the men who through unscrupu
ous methods have temporarily OBJ
aimed control of its affairs. are quick
D cry treason to party when any loyal
artisan calls attention to their politi-
al crimes.
"They call me renegade, faithless
ian. With what have / broken faith
lot with the principles of the grand old
republican party of the past, nor with
he methods of ascertaining the senti
lent of the people which have pre-
allied since the state was born. L
reak away from the nominee who has
btained his nomination by bribery.
Then has party allegiance been car
led to a point where it demands that
Republican should support the nom
nee of the convention who obtains his
by fraud?
"When the license delegation tried
, get the attention of the chairman of
ne Montpelier convention the McCul-
ugh leaders knew for what purpose
nd it was on that account that they
ere driven from the hall | am going
, read to you now a speech which we
led to bring before the convention.
Mr.. Clement then read for the first
me a speech which was to have been
in the Republican convention
= S. J. Beatty, delegate from Bur
ngton, who was offered 500 to cast
is second vote for Nc Cullough.
Following is the letter:
On Tuesday afternoon. the I7th instant, 1 was /,
He'd up at my residence by telephone by a
who said he wished to come over and
e me. Twenty minutes later was visited by |
reputable merchant of Burlington, who asked