The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-03-04
FERGUSON BREAKS
OUT AGAINST
LAWMAKERS
Particularly Accuses Speaker
and Temperance Committee.
CHARGES ARE GROUNDLESS
fereuson's lncapaclty to See Any
Right on Side Of His Opponents
Leads Him Again Astray

The Vermont Issue, Clarence j.
Ferguson's anti-saloon league paper
devotes about half the space OF its
last number TO attacking the last
legislature and Speaker Howe. The
following is from the Issue:
Vermont has long enough masquer-
AIDED under "holier than thou pre-
tense among the states. The fact is
/ there is as much rottenness and cor
ruption to the square inch in the
("Old Green Mountain State" that the
Good Fathers" handed down to us
as in any state in the Union. II the
truth OF the political arena was all
known from the caucus to the legis-
lative halls, Vermont would need to
hang her head as low as New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Missouri,
or Adams County, Ohio Vermont
has splendid history, of which she
is justly proud, nor has all the royal
spirit of her forefathers vanished
They are not all degenerate sons
Of worthy sires," far from that; but
the cohesive power Of public plum
der" has instituted in Vermont such
an organic union of the forces that
in many ways parasite upon the body
polite, body industrial and body soc
ial that the old spirit Of high minded
citizenship is largely submerged or
perhaps more properly speaking has
lost its potency and become discour-
aged.
1t is not unlikely that more Of our
citizens are in measure responsible
for this condition than we would be
willing to admit. In no small degree
indifference and inattention TO the du-
ties Of citizenship are responsible for
the present conditions, and only by
the reversal Of that principle OF ac-
ton, or inaction, can we hope TO
change the situation.
Bad men or men with low ideals OF
life are ever ready in any state TO
grasp the reins OF government and
drive the public steed II those more
capable and worthy become engross-
ed in other enterprises and neglect
public duty. When once the unwor.
thy and groveling are seated In the
saddle they drive as they are driving
in Vermont today and are hard to dis
lodge. Usually the limit OF endurance
by the public has TO be reached be.
fore change comes and perhaps that
Is not yet with us. The ramitications
OF evil tendencies are truly marvellous
and TO deal with them In any ade-
quate fashion would need a book. Sui-
fee 1t to say that such is not the
purpose Of this article but only as the
saloon question Is affected thereby.
In 1910 Vermont started her politl.
cal fires wrong 10 give much promise
OF Improvement in many ways but
particularly in the line Of temperance
One candidate promised a referendum
the others would promise nothing.
One who would promise the temper.
ance people nothing was elected gov.
ernor and very naturally the admins
traton was against any change for
the better In the liquor laws by the
legislature or even giving the people
referendum that they might have
the opportunity OF choosing for them
selves the liquor law under which
they should live. The Referendum
received it's first set back when can
didate Fleetwood was defeated.
But In recognition OF the apparent
general demand for Referendum
the Republican Party Platform gave
the people Of Vermont to understand
and they did understand that a Refer.
endum might be had The following
was the plank in the
Republican Party Platform
'lnasmuch as the present local Cd.
ton law was established by the virtue
OF referendum to the voters OF the
state, We believe that the principle
OF local option should not be aban.
doned without Referendum similar
to that by which the present law was
enacted"
Everybody, friends and foes OF the
Referendum idea understood that
plank to mean what itplainly intended
TO mean what Il plainly intended
should be understood. II Quieted the
fight on the floor OF the convention
IL aroused the hostile press 10 harsh
denunoiations. Only the bennington
County Republican platform. written
by Frank y. Howe, bolted the temper.
ance plank OF the state platform. Why
did they bolt II Referendum was
not the program Some OF the lie.
tense press OF the state although con.
tending there was no occasion for a
Referendum, said III wanted, why
not?"
II The Democratic Party refused tc
aoceed to the request for a Roferen
dun and called the Republican party
'hypocritIcal." Were they rlght2 n
would seem they were. for nearly
every prominent Republican In IN,
administration and legislature wer,
against Referendum The House %
Representatives was fournfths Re
publicans but the Legislature wal
controlled by the Democratic part
platform and absolutely ignored thu
Republican party platform ON the TEN
perance question.
While Il is true that the Senat
might have instituted reforms. IL /
their due to say that the tcniperanc
reforms most desired by the temper
anco people OF the state we're Intro
duced In the House and did not sui
vive that body and therefore the res
status OF the Senate on temperance
| TO this day unknown. The writer ha
confidence In many OF the Senator
y and believes that had the Women
fHfll." H0rniinH ffTnnaa 1891 hoe