Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-08-10

that the Republican organization in YER
mont ought to be smashed because it is
boss-ruled "machiner
Mr.. Clement and His License Bill Of 1900.
In his speech in Brattleboro Mr.. Pape,
the Democratic candidate for lieutenant
governor, charged that the Republicans
had weakened the local option feature OF
the license law by taking away the ap-
pointment Of license commissioners from
the towns and placing it in the hands of
the assistant judges. In commenting on
this last week The Phoenix showed the
inconsistency of that charge by citing the
fact that Mr.. Clements license bill, intro
duced by him as a member of the Senate
in 1900 contained a provision going much
further in this direction by proposing
to make the assistant Judges and the
county clerk in each county the license
commissioners and giving them fun power
to issue all the licenses in their respective
counties.
In its issue of Tuesday Mr.. Clements
paper, the Rutland Herald. took The
Phoenix to task for this statement and
declared that "Mr. Clement did not favor
in 1900 nor at any other time. the placing
in the hands OF the side judges and
county clerk OF each county the power to
issue licenses" The Herald then goes on
to claim that Mr.. Clement. as a member
of the joint committee having the license
bill in charge, spoke against giving the
assistant judges power TO issue licenses"
and made an argument against this sec
ton just before the committee reported
the bill.
! Let us see what the facts are about
this license bill of 1900. The bill was
known as Mr.. Clements bill and II was
fatiiered and introduced by him in the
Senate. For a month before It was
finally introduced a room at the Pavilion
was used and was well known as the
headquarters for the preparation OF this
bill with Mr.. Clement as sponsor and
moving spirit. The second section OF the
bill, as introduced by Mr. Clement him
self in the Senate read:
THE assistant judges OF the county
court and the county clerk in each county
in this state are hereby constituted
boards of commissioners Of excise for
said county and the county clerk shall be
clerk OF said board Whenever any town
I
under the provisions of section one of
this act said commissioners may grant
licenses for the sale OF Intoxicating
liquors in such towns as hereinafter pro-
vided," etc, etc.
This OF itself proves the Herald's as
sertion false, because the bill containing
this section was Mr. Clements own bill
introduced by him in person.
Now let us see what the official record
says. and II there is anything in it to
change or modify Mr.. Clements posi-
toni
tFgom Senate Journal, 1901
Page 115--Thursday. November l. 1900
BY Mr.. Clement
S. Sc An act TO regulate the sale o.
intoxicating liquors.
To the joint standing committee OF
temperance.
Page 270-Tuesday, November 20. 1900
S. Sc. An act to regulate the sale o
intoxicating liquors.
Reported adversely to its passage II
concurrence, and, pending third reading
on motion OF Mr.. Clement, the bill wal
ordered to lie and be made a specia
order for Thursday forenoon next, at i
O'Clock and 80 minutes.
Page 294-Thursday, November p, 1900
s. Sc. An act to regulate the sale o
intoxicating liquors.
Was taken up as a special order. ant
the question being. shall the bill be rea,
the third time?
, 1t was decided in the negative.
Yeas, IL. Nays, II.
Mr. Royce demanded the yeas and nays
They were taken and Mr.. Clement vote'
yea"
This tells the story, and any reade
who has access to the Senate journal o
1900 can verify the facts as here printed
The bill was known in the Legislature o
1900 as Mr.. Clements bill. He superin
tended its preparation; he fathered II
and introduced it and voted for IT, an,
there is not a line Of evidence to shov
that he did not approve all of its provi
, sions, the one making the assistan
judges and county clerks license com
missioners included.
, Does the Herald find here anythin
for The Phoenix to retract in it's state
; ment of last week?