Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-16
FOR A LOCAL OPTION LAW.
p. w. CLEMENT SPEAKS IN ARRAIGN-
MENT OF VERMONT PROHIBITION

Before An Audience Which Fills the Audi
torium to 0verhowing Methods OF Enforc
ing the Law and Workings of the Anti
Saloon League Exposed First Live Issu,
Which Has Figured in Vermont Guber
material Campaign for Over Forty Years.
/ Before an audience which filled the
| Auditorium to overilowing and which
was made up of people from every towr
/ in the southern part of Windham coun.
/ ty Hon, Percival W. Clement of Rut.
/ land, Nermont's high license and local
I option candidate for governor, deliv-
cred an address Tuesday evening in ar
raignment of the prohibitory law as il
works in this state and the methods OF
the Vermont Anti-Saloon league. The
address was not remarkable from an
oratorical standpoint Mr.. Clement
does not claim TO be an orator. But il
was filled with cold, hard facts which
are difficult things to dodge, and they
were presented in straightforward
manner which must have won the re
spect of the most ardent prohibtionist
in the audience Mr.. Clements re
marks were enthusiastically received
and although he spoke for fully two
hours the closest attention was given
him from beginning to end.
Before the lecture the First Regi-
ment band rendered several selections
in front of the Auditorium but it's
music was not needed as IA drawing
card. Before the time for the begin
ming of the lecture nearly every seat
was taken and the whole house was
soon filled, The Royal Ponciana col
ored quartet Of New York, which is
travelling with Mr. Clement kept the
audience in good humor by several Sc
lections Mr.. Clement was introduced
very briefly by +. W. Blodgett chair
man of the board of bailiffs. and with
out any attempt at formal preamble
he began presenting his cause. He said
in part;
"It is the function of government to
control the individual as little as pos
sible, allowing him the greatest free
dom in all directions, and only limit
ing his action where it interferes with
the rights Of others. Prohibition can
he justified only when intemperance
exists in community to such an eX-
tent as 10 become q burden upon so
ciety has a right to protect itself This
is the only theory for its justification.
Such condition of things never has
existed in Vermont, and does not exist
today. Therefore, state prohibition is
not justified. Even if it did exist it
would be necessary in order to JUS
tify so arbitrary a measure. TO show
that prohibition is the proper remedy,
to show that prohibition is good for
~ I'll, t..t
this position, he must first prove
condition precedent to justify the rem
'y which he PROPOSES and ir the sec
ond place, he must snow that his rem
edy has merit
Mr.. Clement explained somewhat in
detail the workings of the law in its
and then showed how
a license local option law would oper-
ate. using as an example the general
provisions of the Massachusetts law.
He undertook to prove that prohibition
does not prohibit in Maine. New Hamp- |
shire, Kansas or North Dakota. the |
other American states where prohibi
ton is the law at the present time,
nsanswer to the claim of other can |
iidateS that the election Of a governor |
who favors license, wouldn't influence |
he reneal of the law, Mr.. Clement |
,aid that "Such an election would in
licate the sentiment of the state in ex-
lctly the same way that the election of
in 1896 indicated the senti-
nent of the country upon the question
# tariff Mckinley could not pass the
aritf bills neither could he pass a law
making gold the standard of value in
he United States 1t required the aC-
ion of the senator's and representa-
ives assembled in Congress to form
hat legislation. Nevertheless. the
light was made upon the election of
he president, and the same rule holds
-ood in Vermont today
He stated that there had been no
ssue in any gubernatorial campaign |,
or more than 40 years, except the per-
oual one. and he says the License
4oCal Option league deserves the
hanks of Vermont for bringing one
i've issue into one campaign. He also
aid that the political machine of Yer
nont Is against any agitation of this
ubiect, fearing lest il may lose con
rol of the Republican organization of {
he state. He denounced the Vermont /
lnti Saloon league for blacklisting :
he legislators of Vermont for voting !
or license and to refer the question to
he people, and said that the only ap
aren't reason for its existence is to act ;
: spoilers and spies, and that prohi
ition is responsible for the murder of ,
n innocent man at White River juno
ion by an armed spotter. i
After urging his hearers to organize /
cense clubs and to be present at eau :
uses which are to be called to vote for '
elegates to the state convention, he 1
losed with an earnest appeal to stand
n 1,rlnr 4 ,rn,l lrnr-r III, r,nn,,t !.