The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-31
FRANK B. HOWE, Editor and Publisher
FERGUSON lad county optlon.
Per year
Per month

Ferguson and County Option.
Evidently Clarence Ferguson does
not feel exactly satisfied with the way
the House slaughtered his county op-
ton bill for which he has been lobby.
ing around the sJatehouse continuous
ly for over two months. He has writ
ten to the Burlington Free Press a
letter from which the following is an
extract:
The bill was introduced by Asa G
Fuller of Bloomfield, a member of the
joint committee on temperance who
was its able champion all the way. At
times it looked as If the House would
pass the bill and the saloon interests
became alarmed and got busy. They
preferred anything else rather than
county option which they regarded as
and some very excellent
measures have been passed Things
strange and not so strange have come
to pass however. in connection with
the fight for county option The bill
was returned to the House by the
joint committee on temperance with
out recommendation, and It was then
up to the House. December is. the bill
came up for discussion at about 3.45
O'Clock p. m About a dozen members
spoke in its favor and only three or
four against it. About twenty-five of
the seventy petitions Of the voters of
as many towns were presented and
then the speaker protein. (Mr, Bacon
Hartford) succeeded the fourth time
in blocking further discussion and pre-.
sentation of petitions and some good
speeches and about forty-hye town
petitions were thus cut off. AS il was
the time was hot one while II last
ed. The speaker was said to have
gotten dizzy while speeches and pet
itions followed each other with such
astonishing rapidity The real speak
er came to his rescue just as ne was
going over the horrid brink" pulled
him into smooth water again and set
his sails for the home stretch. It
didn't take long then to quench the
fire. Forty members had already
gone home for holiday recess. and
more than forty others were on the
watch to catch the $40 p. m. train.
Mr.. Speaker" found the coveted
opening and snapped the vote. It
was announced as 81 for the bill and
l2l against and the bill was said to
be dead. Those who like a square
DEAF and know how things went at
the time and before, have asked some
questions, which the writer rather not
answer as an expression of opinion
but in the light Of some happenings at
the State House during the term has
his own opinion about why this
undue haste?" What's the rush?"
Why cut out this petition" More
than forty with no decent time TO pre-
sent.) But all those questions put
before the one which seeks TO know
why the real speaker. while prodding
the numerous committees almost daily
about their delinquency and claiming
he was cleaning his desk OF bills every
night, yet held the county option bin
from Friday a. m. the 18th to Friday
p. m, the 18th inst, and brought Il up
at an hour when forty members had
already gone home and many more
watching the clock TO see when they
must go. More than one week on his
desk, he agonizing for work. and the
| bill appears at as bad n time as posi-.
bic for full and free discussion and
consideration. Why? II the bill had
come up when It's supporters and
| known speakers had all been on the
ground, it would have given the com.
bination a merry time. but IL waited q
/ good while and came up at a different
! time Speaker Cannon smothers bills
In committee, that's contemplate too. 20
Note the dirty way in which Fer
gnson characterizes Speaker Cheney's
act in delaying consideration Of the
county option bill as contemplate. It
shows how much decency and consid.
Grafton the anti-saloon league leader
has toward those who try to treat
them In man fashion The truth Of
the matter Is that action on the bin
was delayed at the personal soliclta.
ton OF Fergusons chief helpers on the
Temperance committee Messrs. Full.
Ter Of Bloomfield and Locklin Of Rich.
ford Mr. Fuller was called home by
the Illness 70 his wife and Mr.
Locklin personally requested the
| speaker not 10 take up the
bill Mr.. Locklin explained the
situation to some OF the members Of
the Temperance committee who were
opposed to the bill and they readily
agreed not to take any advantage and
told him they would not call up the
bin until he was ready Speaker Che
ney being a fair and honorable man.
acquiesced IN the arrangement and
left the bill at the foot Of the calen.
dar giving It's friends every opportun.
ity 10 mature their plans.
Finally the calendar became cleared
and both the friends and opponents Of
the bill had ample notice that the bill
would be taken up as soon as Il was
reached which was early in the after
noon session Friday when there were
over 200 members In their seats and
the field was clear for just as long a
debate as either side desired.
The view Of the petition episode Of
fered by MIR, Ferguson Is absurd II
should be remembered that Ferguson
and his friends had had two and a
half months to get these petitions be
fore the legislature and most OF thes,
petitions had been before the Temper
ance committee for weeks. As show
ing how complete the plans of th'