The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-08-24
Mr.. CLEMENT AND HIS LICENSE
RIIL OF 1900

BILL OF 1900.
(Brattleboro Phoenix, Aug. 10.)
In his speech in Brattleboro Mr..
Pape, the Democratic candidate
for lieutenant governor, charged
that the Republicans had weaken
ed the local option feature of the
license law by taking away the
appointment of license commits
sioners from the towns and plac-
ing it in the hands of the assist
ant judges. In commenting on
this last week The Phoenix show
ed the inconsistency of that charge
by citing the fact that Mr.. Glenn
ent's license bill, introduced 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 comission-
ers and giving them full power to
issue all the licenses in their re-
spective counties.
In it's 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 Ii
censes." The Herald then goes on
to claim that Mr.. Clement, as
member of the joint committee
having the license bill in charge,
"spoke against giving the assist
ant judges power to issue Ii
censes," and made an argument
against this section just before the
committee reported the bill.
Let us see what the facts are
about this license bill of 1900. The
bill known as Mr.. Clements bill
and it was fathered and intro
duced by him in the Senate. For
a month before it was finally in
trOduced a room at the Pavilion
was used and was well known as
the headquarters for the prepare
ton 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 com
of excise for said
county and the county clerk shall
be clerk of said board. Whenever
any town in this state shall have
voted yes under the provisions of
section one of this act, said COM
may grant licenses for I
the sale of intoxicating liquors r.
such towns as hereinafter<G
vided," etc, etc.
This of itself proveS
AIDS assertion falseA
bill containing this
OWL
ed by
Now let us see w
record says, and if then
thing in it to change or
Mr.. Clements position -
From Senate Journal, 1900.
Page 115-Thursday, November 1, 1s
By Mr.. Clement.
S. sc. An act to regulate the sale of
liquors.
To the joint standing committee on
Page 270-Tuesday, November 20, 1900.
S. Sc. An act to regulate the sale of
liquors.
Reported adversely to its passage in
and pending third reading,
IN motion of Mr.. Clement the bill was
ordered to lie and be made a special
rider for Thursday forenoon next. at
o o'clock and 80 minutes.
age 294-Thursday, November %, 1900
S. sc. An act to regulate the sale of
liquors.
Was taken up as a special order and
he question Being, shall the bill be read
he third time?
1t was decided in the negative.
Yeas, 10. Nays, H.
Mr. Royce demanded the yeas and
avs They were taken and Mr. Glenn
mt voted yea"
This tells the story, and any
eader who has access to the Sen
tie journal of 1900 can verify the
acts as here printed. The bill
7as known in the legislature of
900 as Mr.. Clements bill. He
uperintended its preparation; he
altered it. and introduced it and
Oted for it, and there is not a
me of evidence to show that he
id not approve all of its prOvi-
ions, the one making the assist
mt judges and county clerks Ii
ense commissioners included.
Does the Herald find here any
hing for The Phoenix to retract
1 its statement of last week?
THE END OF THE WORLD
troubles that robbed f. II. Wolfe,
/ Bear Grove. Ia. of all usefulness,