Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-01-30

The Burlington News wnlch mas
habit of saying what it thinks, has the
following interesting story about the
Committee of Fifteen, and the great
and noble work it is performing IN
devoting its time, money and energy
for the welfare of the people:
The seven gentlemen who met and
issued this proposed petition to the
governor are all well known and hon
orable men in their several walks IN
life. But what is there in their past
record or their present enterprise that
would lead the people of Vermont to
think they have any special call to be
the keepers of the state conscience on
this question, or to outline any policy
for free and independent people, who
love liberty and Justice, to follow!
Have they not heretofore stood solidly
for the infamies of prohibition: When
the law was being used to violate the
constitution and railroad" citizens
to Jail, did they protest or offer to favor
a change in it? When the tools of pro-
hibition were goading our courts, hold
ing club over our prosecuting officers,
and cowing public opinions, did one of
these men call halt to take account
of principles? When a judge of our
highest court cast off his judicial err
mine and took to the pulpit to preach
prohibition, did one of these men
frown upon this prostitution of the jul
dicial Office? When states attorneys
were dependent upon Morrow for their
salaries; when anti-saloon leagues
were running our courts; when spot
tiers were looking into every keyhole;
when paid prohibition spies were shoot
ing down our citizens-did one Of the
men who issued this call, raise fee
BILE voice to protest against it? So far
as we know, not single one.
And when one of the most infamous
of all its provisions-that making the
owner of building liable for nui
sance-was introduced in the legisla-
ture by leading member of the Com
mittee of Fifteen, was there one of
them to cry aloud in protest against
this drastic enactment? Not one.
Things were all going the one way then
and it was smooth sailing. The liberty
of the citizen was of no consequence.
1t made no difference what the "prin
ciples, methods and results of restric
tive legislation in other states" were
at that time. They were not wanted.
Nothing was wanted then but force !;
reason and right were dead.
If this Committee of Fifteen, or its
active minority permitted these wrongs
to go on without one feeble protest for
the death of liberty, what in the name
of goodness has now stirred them up to
propose an inquiry into principles,
methods and results" of liquor legisla
ton, or to consent to formulate any
method of dealing with the traffic in
intoxicants? The infamous features of
the law which Col. Albert Clarke calls
pharmacies, - and exGov Stewart calls
damnable'' and CLEARLY unconstitu
tional" were just as damnable months
and years ago as now. Why, then, this
new found interest in making a change
in the law? Is it because they have
got any new light within or changed
their principles particle: Is it be-
cause they love prohibition any the
less or local option any the more that
they are now willing to inquire into
principles? No. They are prohibit
tionists now, they have been prohibit
tionists in the past and they always
will be prohibitionists. But the voice
is temporarily changed. 1t is Jacob s
voice now, but the hands are still the
hands of Esau.
What then is the real reason for this
revolutionary proposition from these
dyed in the wool prohibitionists! Fear.
They see the storm coming and the old
craft is i'll prepared for it, They have
been shortening sail for six months.
Now they are clearing the decks. All
the loose jetsam has been thrown over
board, and now they propose scraping
off the barnacles in the hope of max
ing the dirty bottom of the old tub
smooth enough to run before the gale.
AS they struggle with the waves and
see the cyclone coming they shout
hack: "Give us chance and see
what we can do for you. We don't
believe in prohibition ourselves. We
have had only fifty years to give you
Just the law you want. We are all
ready now Do let up on your old cy
clone and give us chance"