New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-12
VERMONT POLITICS.

Tho contest for the Republican nomination for
Governor of Vermont of which we gave an ac-
oo,,+ q few DAYS ago has absorbed public at
+ention in that State TO an extraordinary degree
from the outset, but new feature has beeh
added this week. and perhaps the limit mas no'
even vet been reached. The rumor tlat MI
Percival w Clement. president of the Ru'ialu
Railroad was inclined to enter the held WHICH
General Mccullough and Mr.. Fletcher Proctor
had been cheerfully monopolizing since the "h-
axnected retirement of DIR Webb, has been con
firmed in a letter TO some of his hepupii'an
friends bv Mr.. Clement himself. who announces
his readiness 10 be a candidate on local op'lol'
high license platform. Whatever may come OF
il his letter is an uncommonly vigorous anu III
teresting manifesto, as few quotations VIII
show. Referring TO the prohbtory act passed
bv a small popula- majority half a century ago
Mr.. Clement says:
1t encourages the cupidity of officers employed
for its enforcement by liberal allowances from
fires imposed upon its offenders, ana IL enureiS
fails 10 suppress the evils OF lnteinptIaoe -,
rather increases them. and creates others WhlVh
are greater There is more intoxicating liquor,
adulterated and highly injurious sold in vermont
than in any other State in the Union ACCORDING
TO population. 1t is also true that there Is iIoLe
morphine choral. opium and kindred drugs
consumed in State per capita imam III an.
other State in the Union The Whoie erect VI
The 1au, is nernicious and il has retarded the
natural development of our state anu Ie9's d
a curse upon US, in far as IT breeds n! pocrlSs'
perjury and lying, evils even greater imam III
femperance itself Liquors are SOLD py the
towns and we are all made parties TO the trans
action, but there is little or no prohl 10 .a'
town or State The law is drastic in It's pro-
visions and rotten in its execution. ana as d
knowledge of its workings spreads 1eeiins OF
disgust comes over every man who cares Tor the
honor Of our state
To what extent. if at all. the evil consequences
in,
qerated nv Mr.. Clement we have no means OF
knowing: but it is n fact that the assertions
which he thus detantly makes have long been
made informally by many OF his fellow citizens,
who have EXPRESSED grave concern for the future
of the State exposed as they believe 1t Is 10
conditions which tend 10 moral and physical de-
generation What he says about the breeding
of "hypocrfsy, perjury and lying will produce
no immersion of novelty in Vermont, however
stoutly the arraignment may be repelled- MI
Clement himself would seem, from other parts
of his letter, to be convinced that maJorll! Oh
the people are ready to acknowledge the essen
tial trutb of his declarations and would be glad
| to exchange prohibition for a different system
| if the dominant political organization would
| only give them the opportunity lie may DE
| greatly mistaken, but 1t is probable That not
few dissatisfied citizens Of both parties WouId
welcome at the right tlIne u searching lhiuii.
| concerning the spread of those vices which he
specifies as odous fruits of the existing policy
| Nor would such an examination be without IN
terest and value TO other communities in WHICH
some elements of a vast problem are ignoranuy
or dishonesty subordnated.
There is little reason, however, 10 suppose
/ that Vermont is about TO enter upon such
campaign Mr.. Clements letter does not make
| his purposes absolutely clear. but the implca-
ton is that he would not take a nomination
which did not come from his party convention,
and he can scarcely look for q change in the po-
itical situation great enough TO produce that re-
| suit Without accepting the cynical hypothesis
| that he has taken the field merely for the sake
| of diminishing the strength of Mr. Proctor IN
Rutland County, of which they are both resi-
dents. and consequently by division OF forces
| improving the position of General Mccullough
| 1t is natural TO expect that result 10 follow
! Many of the generals supporters may be in
| clined TO believe that the liquor question VIII
| and ought to be submitted TO the people before
! long but few Of them think that IT can be adj
| vantageousy raised al this time by means of
1 beiated and impulsiye candidacy.