Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-08-18
BOTH FEET ON
PROHIBITION PLATFORM.
Mayor Thayer Issues Another Letter,
but Doesn't Think Prohibition is Al
ways Good Thing.


Norwich, Conn.,, Aug. II. 1910.
To the Prohibition Party in Connect
cut:
AS an aspirant for senatorial hon
ors, the writer is beating every bush
for votes; and with his ear close to
the ground has read your platform
adopted at the Meriden convention. 1t
is a peach. Your declaration that the
liquor traff1c is the most abundant
source of crime, pauperism, insanity
ing of this traffic is sin against God
and a crime against man, is uhdoubt-
eddy correct.
In passing, 1t may be well to in
quire where are the county commits
.sioners-those great men who do the
licensing and are said to use their
licensing power to control the liquor
vote in the interest of the Grand Old
Party of High Moral Ideas-where, 1
ask, are they to get off? Every moth
erss son of them will be found work.
ing for senatorial candidates who have
never to my knowledge been found on
the water wagon. / note that you in
woke every moral, social and economic
influence to assist you in the abolition
and determination OF the greatest curse
of human society and most potent
hindrance of the progress of humanity
and the kingdom of God on earth.
Now, I am dealer in just these infiu-
ences, to a certain extent, and in my
own way, and here 1 am at your service
for the progress of humanity. What
an opportunity the senate offers to
promote Gods kingdom here below
To my way of thinking, however,
We are trying to prohibit too much
or, to state it another way, we are
trying to govern too much. Only a day
or two since % good citizens out of
our twenty and odd thousand petition
ed the writer to prohibit the exhibition
of so-callsd moving pictures of the
black and white prize fight at Reno;
drink, whereas, were | going into the
prohibiting business. / would prohibit
the bribing of legislators by candi-
dates for the United States senate and
their political agents.
Is prohibition by force the cure for
these evils? 1 think not. A statute
against bribery exists today. The
way to stop the bribing of legislators
chimes is to swat the aspirants who
are so utterly dead to morals and to
the theory of our government and in
situations as to consent to bribery or
accepts the fruit of bribery. The way
to stop the sale of strong drink is to
stop the demand for it. The way to
get rid of prize fights and pictures of
fighters is through education. Sena-
but the first cost. like the first cost of
an auto, is not the worst of it Tho
after expenses are enormous For in
stance how much do you think it will
cost the people to investigate Lori
mer; how much for the whitewash
how much for grand juries to indict
and petit juries to convict the So
called democrats who voted him into
senatorship? And consider the waste
of time involved in these investiga-
lions, these indictments. these convic-
tions-ahi and the months of incarce-
ration of the bribersl
Right at this point paragraph five
of your platform appears pertinent:
LAS party we stand for the election
of U. s. senators by a direct vote of
the people, I'll jump on to that plat
upon it until ashes" But pending a
change in the constitution rendering
thus possible why not adopt a pro-
gramme somewhat approaching di-
rect vote? Something that will let the
people have a word to say about cam
didates.
We shall never arrive by prohibit
ing things in this land of the free and
the home of the brave. But when
the free see what dumfools they are
and stop drinking black rum the de-
mand for intoxicants will cease. the
saloon will close its doors. and the
briber will be no more when society
demands honest men for the senate.
And as for prize fighters, pending the
coming of the millennium, just a sug-
gestion: Why not keep Johnson on his
muscle at the states expense and
breaking into the millionaires' club
just turn him loose with the State
Pugilist. with Instructions to the latter
to make planked steak out of the
senator's face. II Mr.. Dignity then
cared to walk down the center aisle of
the senate chamber and take the oath
of office, the Hartford Courant would
have a ready made text from which to
sermoniZe on senatorial dignity
You see, it is this way: Every self
nominated senatorial candidate (and
there are three of us to date) has to
go some this year. and we need the
prohibition vote Why couldn't you
liver the dry votes, say, to the legis-
lative candidates who pledge them
selves to vote for the dryest of the
three senatorial candidates? If you
could sort of make this the rule, the
writer would see himself one step
nearer the senate chamber at Wash
ington. and then for neck and neck
scrap with Gentleman George down the
home stretch.
NV friends. you have a good plat
form. l, don't agree with your state
police notions. That cog in the re-
publican machine is 3 big a farce as
the pending senatorial circus. But
your fourth plank for "a juet and sim
pie primary election law that shall en-
able the people to indicate their pref
erence for candidates. for legislative
Office without political bias or party
dictation'' is just what / am contend
ing for. That is democratic. Also "the
recall in order that such officers may
be returned to private life when they
are unfaithful to their trust" What
lot Of empty seats there would be in
the Illinois legislature after a Lori
merriam election. If the people had the
power to recall And how about Hart
ford In 1912
Your suffragette piank-but,. as Kip
ling would say. that's another story.
Have you seen anything OF Lorimer2
Ho, for the senate,