The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-09-03
CLEMENT RALLY AT BARRE.

Vermont's Granite City was the
Mecca towards which every loyal
| Clementite of Washington county turn
ed his footsteps Tuesday night. There
were pilgrims, too, from without the
| pale-from hamlets as near by as Will
| JAMESTOWN, and as far away as Rye
gate. A fair estimate would place
| the crowd at about 10000,
| 1t was nine o'clock and after, before
the great torch-light procession with
| it's four bands had completed it's
I mrach and the speech making had be-
! gun S. Hollister Jackson of Barre,
| in introducing the first speaker of the
evening, Hon P.W. Clement, spoke of
linn as man, whom it had taken fifty
years to create A man who is honest
and sincere in his opposition too the
Vermont prohibitory law and who
has the courage to speak out boldly
against it.
Mr.. Clements speech, which fol-
lowed, was in substance;
For more than thirty years there
had been no question, in any mind,
| that tie man who was nominated at
the State Republican convention for
the office of Governor, would not be
elected at the fall election of the same
year. On April %, 1902, something
| happened to change this belief-a new
candidate on new platform appealed
to the voters of the State and the most
wonderful campaign ever held in YER
mont was begun. Up to this year the
questions discussed in conventions and
forming the party platforms were al
ways questions of national impor-
(tnce, never of State. This year, the
decided stand taken by the speaker on
the license question had compelled the
Republican State convention to incor-
porate in its platform plank favoring
referendum.
After reviewing the accusations
against Gen. Mccullough, which have
been so often repeated as to require
I no renewal, the speaker asked, shall
public office be given to the man who
shall bid the most for it ~ and declar-
ed that man should glory in the
name of bolter'' if to bolt means to
refuse to submit to the machine. -
Orange county, in its Republican con-
vention, bolted the party platform and
declared itself in favor of prohibition.
McCulloughs campaign, alone, has
cost more than all the campaigns in
Vermont during the past hundrep
years.
Twenty years ago the State debt, not
including the cost of the General
Assembly, was 1921, 000 last year it
q M$650, 900. What has the Ring
done with the large amount of money
that has passed through its hands? If
the State had high license law, there
would be no need of State tax. The
revneue received from the sale of
licenses would pay all State debts.
The Local-Option party of Vermont
stands for three leading principles
the repeal of the present prohibitory
law; the reform of the primaries,
and the reduction of the State ex-
penses.
The Rev. Sam Small of Georgia,
who created such sensation at Brat
tleboro, Monday night, was the nexy
speaker. The opening remarks of the
Rev. Sam were as follows: cit is
duty, which | owe to you and to myv
self, to appear here this evening. In
view of the publication in today's
press of what happened to me at
Brattleboro, Monday night, | wish to
say that for several days I've been
fighting off a severe illness. / had
made the "trip from Putney to Brattle-
boro and feeling rather ill a friend
suggested stimulant | took more
than could bear, hence my misfor-
tune.
He next asserted that he hadn't the
least doubt but what the opposition
press would make use of the Brattle-
boro episode for campaign purposes.
1t was too much to expect that they
would accord charity to an unfortu-
nate man, when to do so would be to
rob theselves of charges against their
rivals He held that no party should
suffer or be reviled because one of
its advocates had been unfortunate.
A long denunciation of the Vermont
prohibitory law followed. Statistics
were given to show that Vermont has,
allowing for the difference in popula-
ton, three saloon keepers to every
one that Georgia has; and this, al
though Georgia is local option
State, while Vermont is prohibitory
one.
In regard to the question of State
expenses, the speaker did not attempt
to say anything, as he thought Mr..
| Clement in his speech had exhausted
| that subject; but in reference in
| State politics, he made few remarks.
AS the hour was a late one, James
Mackay, president of the Barre Local
| Option Club, announced that there
would be no more speaking done so
with three rousing cheers for Glenn
ent, the meeting adjourned. The
pyrotechnic display which followed