Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-16
RATTLEBoRo, VT, FRIDAY, MAYl6, 1902.
Clement. His Ideas and Prospects.

day evening, ana III Is not SurprlSln
that the meeting is followed here as i
other places he has visited, by conf
dence that delegation in his favo
will be sent to the state convention
Whether it can be done or not, agains
all the power of the machine, the eff
forts of all the hired men and "olt
ringers of our politics, and the iner
tia of the fact that the point of decis
ion lies away from the true tribunal o
our institutions, the ballot box, ther,
is no basis of intelligent prediction
Prima facie it certainly looks like al
up hill job; and unless the matureC
opinion of our people is far more
strongly against prohibition than ha.
been supposed-unless a good dea
more than two thirds, including Dem
ocrats-are opposed to the present ira
vesty of law and free government, Mr..
Clement will miss success. At least
the time for sneering at his candidacy
has passed, the enthusiasm with which
his tour is greeted, the close and
thoughtful attention he is getting from
voters, is ominous for the timehon-
ored method of auctioning off our gov
ernorship. 1t is betraying no secret of
the cold ringers" to say that they are
scared.
1t looks now like sizable three
cornered fight. Even if Clement can't
win over both the other two, he is not
at all unlikely to hold the balance of
power in the convention. That would
be the most interesting situation our
politics have contained for % years.
Clements position, as representing the
one clear, distinct and unqualified is
sue of principle in the case, would be
one of big advantage. Whether Rev.
Morrow's plan of combining the other
two against him for the sake of prohi-
bition could be made to work. out of
material consisting largely of hired
men, is a suggestive problem. A quite
probable outcome would be pledge
y
question, which would of itself be
defeat for Brer Morrow and his ca
horts, and the severest possible condem-
nation of the last few legislatures that
under the guidance of the politician
plunderers have refused SO plain an
act of right. We say under the guild
81 hn al nJa
est and intelligent prohibitionist who
gives the matter thought can desire
the law to continue unless it has the
support of the majority of the people
on whom it must depend for enforce
ment; or can fail to realize that with
out such support from the people of
the, whole state, much better results
can be reached under local option.
The concomitant of such a pledge,
failing the nomination of Clement,
would most probably be that of Nc
Cullough. The one certain outcome
of it all ought to be an end of the
reign of moral terror and political COW
ardice that has so long enveloped this |
subject.
Mr.. Clements argument was an ad-
mirable one, we'll grounded in funda-
mental principles, well fortified with
statistics, we'll Illustrated and in its
main lines unanswerable. The only |
part fairly criticizable was his denun-
citation of the Anti-Saloon league and
Mr. Morrow. That sort of thing weak
ems any argument-at least unless it
justice for its basis. The fact is that
the league is only seeking to enforce the
law for which we as people are respon-
sible; it can do nothing which we
have not commanded to be done: even
its employment of spoilers is entirely
justifiable on the detective principle,
if liquor selling is really such a crime :
as the law has declared it. Mr.. Nor
rows grabs for constructive fees" in
it must be confessed don't
look first rate: but they are only what r
the law invites and officials generally
practise under it. On the whole there
IS no fair ground to dispute that he is !:
for what he conscientiously
believes to be right. The true ground :
IF attack is the law. and all these
wrongs and abuses are the natural if
lot necessary results of it.
Mr. Clement does well to drive home Y
lis one central argument as made at 4
3rattleboro, that local option is but +,
he expression of the Home Rule prin- .,
.iple in governmental principle that
ONES from old Saxony, that has been
he vitalizing power of our whole civ st
lization, that contains the only sure d.
nd permanent progress i'll moral af- S
ais, that is in the nature of things II
he freest from abuses and corruption. NJ
nd most instinct with vigor and eff F
iency-the principle that is the only W
afe and natural source of the police G.
over in government. 1t is simply be al
ause prohibition as state measure dc
iolates this fundamental principle ar
nat it proves a farce in practise and kI
, overrun with abuses and rascalities. co
Mr.. Clement quoted effectively sev- Ii
-al times from the report of the Sppc-