The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-03-24
wEasTER ANSWERS FERGUSON
Democratic Leader Of House Tells
Few Facts

Few Facts
Fred L. Webster of Swanton, the
Democratic leader of the House OF
Representatives at the recent session
OF the Vermont legislature and one OF
the cleanest and most progressive
yong lawyers of the state, has writ
ton a letter to Clarence ]. Ferguson
and the following is copy of the let
ter:
c. j. Ferguson, Esq, Burlington. Vt,
Sir:-I have copy of the Benning-
ton Evening Banner containing an
article from your anti-saloon league
paper criticising the House of Repre-
sentatives, and particularly abusing
the speaker Frank e. Howe, and the
temperance committee. The charges
made against all, are sufficiently an
swered and refuted by The Banner
and an able communication from the
Rev. J Wesley Miller which | have
read with great pleasure; this makes
it unnecessary for me to take up in
detail the wholesale charges of bri-
berry, corruption, drunkenness and
general unfitness made by you,
against the Legislature in general,
and the speaker and members Of the
temperance committee in particular.
If one quarter OF the charges you
make are true, why don't you, if you
are sincere in this matter, see that
prosecution is instituted against the
bride takers, corruptionists and
drunkards? Why not bring them to
justice Mr.. Ferguson and stop this
insinuation. Having been a member
of this committee which has been so
much reviled by you, l am willing to
leave it to the public to Judge of its
character. The speaker of the House
is an able, honest and progressive
man of good standing in his own COM
munity; in his official capacity he
presided with marked ability over the
| House of representatives. and by his
| intense fairness and honor won the
esteem of all his associates. And
he is the man who is charged by you
with promoting intemperance. with
being a saloonist, dresecraling the
| Sabbath, etc. II is not true that
there were many members OF the
House who used intoxicating liquors
to excess. There may have been
few, but only very few. The trou-
bic is, | believe you have been too
Incorporate in what you have said
and done. Do not denounce as a
crook or a drunkard every person
who disagrees with you. Be as tenn
perate in what you say about other
people as you and your associates are
asking others to become in their
drink habits.
You refer to H. No. 8. This sim
ply restored to second and seventh
class licensees the right TO deliver
goods by common carriers which had
always been the law of this state un-
I'll 1908; it was not a new idea and
is now in force and practice as to all
goods shipped from outside of Yer.
mont.
Your advanced temperance legisla.
ton TO which you refer so frequently
was composed principally of a few
mongrel bills such as H. 1873 extend
ing to women the right to vote upon
all questions relating to sale of liq
uors, one or two county option bills
which of course would mean absolute
prohibition, and the state dispensary
bill, which even extreme prohibition
lists would not vote for. II is not true
that there is a general demand among
the people Of the state for a referen
dun on the liquor laws; there Is some
manufactured sentiment in favor o.
IT, but II is artificial and unreal. Il
you had been not quite so free will
your advice and less dlctatorial II
manner and had made an honest at
tempt to secure the passage of law
looking toward the better and NOR,
careful regulation OF the liquor traf
fic, for that is all we can hope to &C
complish, all good men both in anC
out OF the legislature would be glaC
TO cooperate with you In such an ef
fort, but the most OF us object L
taking our orders entirely from yol
or the anti-saloon league with the ex
pectatlon OF being publicly denounc
ed for not carrying them out.
Respectfully.
+. l.. Webster.
Swanton. VT. March 10. 1911.