St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-02-11
ProhibItionists Caught Mapping.
Mrs. L.. vi. N. stevens on the Vermont
Election.

- with Mrs. L. NJ. n. Stevens on the result
in Vermont which will interest our read
ers not only because she is the presiden
of the National w. c. T. u, but becaus
she and Miss Gordon spent the last weel
of the campaign in Vermont leaving TO
her Maine home on the afternoon OF tn
election after visiting the polling place a
St. Johnsbury.
ut is only temporary victory how
ever. | do not feel that the cause OF pro
} hibltion will suffer much in conse quenc'
Of this vote but on the contrary IN thu
state of Vermont the fight will be renew
ed in another year and the next time the
matter is put before the people it will bt
found, so | am informed, that Vermont
may still be found in the prohibition
column.
"In Vermont this question has aroused
very little interest until last fall. have
been informed that the people OF Yer
mont or at least the larger percentage OF
the best people Of that state have been
well satisfied with prohibition. They
have rested on their oars and all the
work that has been done until within a
short time was done by the enemies OF
the law and the allied liquor forces. Next
week. / am informed there will be a
mass meeting of the people who favor
prohibition held somewhere in Vermont
and at the time ps will be taken to
| keep up the fight. The Prohibitionists
who come from all political parties are
by no means discouraged but understand
better than ever before the strength OF
the enemy they have to fight and the
necessity for united effort and organlza-
ton.
I'VE are of course much disappointed
by the result of the vote in Vermont on
the high license local option law" said
Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens, national presi-
dent OF the W. c. T. u. to press report
er Yesterday" We lett Vermont on Tues.
day morning after a campaign in which
Miss Gordon, the national vice president
at large, and myself did all that we could
to assist the men and women who were
fighting the law and we came away feel
ing that the law would be defeated at
the polls. 1t is, of course, disappoint-
ment to US to find that the YES vote
was eleven hundred more than the vote
against the law but in spite of the TEN
porary set back we are not at all cast
down by the defeat.
THE fact is that Vermont was caught
mapping Her people were well satisfied
with the prohibitory law and did not
anticipate when Mr.. Clement began his
agitation that he would he successful in
accomplishing anything. They felt secure
and took no steps to offset the work
that was being done by him and his adj
herents, aided by the combined liquor
forces of the country. | am convinced
that it was deep laid plan by the liquor
dealers of the country to carry this law
and endeavor to discredit prohibition il
possible and they spared no money or
Efforts to win. On the other hand the
legislature, which submitted this law to
the people OF Vermont was elected favor
able to the referendum OF the question
before the temperance people OF Vermont
knew what was going on. All whom |
have met have wledged that this is
the reason the Clement forces got the
ascendency for the time being and it was
because the Vermont people did not
dWdhCll W tuS pOi VI tuS loouC VI
fully understand what was taking place
that the allied liquor interests were able
to out vote the people who favor pro-
hibition.
ut was the vote in the cities that gave
this law its majority on Tuesday. The
majority tor the law in four cities was
about five thousand and the majority in
the whole states ouly about 100. This,
to my mind, is a significant tact. 1t
shows that the streng h OF the enemies
of prohibition was found in the cities
where there is a larger foreign element
and that the country people are opposed
to the repeal OF PROHIBITION. Had the
vote been taken at any other time of the
year believe the result would have been
different. The larger percentage Of the
vote in the cities was cast because it was
easy for the people there to get to the
polls, but back in the country districts
where the roads are in bad condition it
was hard for the voters to get to the
polling places, and in consequence the
vote against the law was smaller than it
would otherwise have been. The last
vote for governor in Vermont was SO 633
while Tuesdays vote was little more
than 60,000 showing that there were
5000 voters who were not at the polls
to vote upon this law.
"Caledonla county, in which st. Johns.
bury is situated, went against the law
by large vote, and what was told Miss
| Gordon and myself of one town in this
county shows how the country people
| l,el about this matter. In the particular
town to which we refer there are 80 vot.
erS. Halt OF these are republicans and the
Other halt are democrats, but on this
question 70 OF them voted against the
law and II tor it.
II have been talking today with some
OF the men who worked the hardest
against the law in Vermont and they in.
form me that when the legislature meets
the prohibitory law will surely be re-
enacted. The legislature will be con-
tiOlled by the prohibition element in the
state by that time and from now out the
night will be waged in earnest and there
VIII be more work done in the state Than
there has yet been known. The W. c. T.
U OF the state VIII devote itself to this
campaign and will be assisted by the or.
Ranlz ttion everywhere The men wi / be
p more thoroughly organ zed and will I'm.
4 douOttdy carry the state the next time. >
o Miss Gordon here interrupted Mrs
9 Stevens 10 remark:
, "Hou know that no reform movement,
= ever 90 backward, 1t will he true of thi.