The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-03-24
FERGUSON HELPED
LIQUOR INTERESTS
Anti.Saloon Lacquer Deserves
Check From That Side.
HIS ATTACK ON LE0ISLATURE
Answered by the Bennington Banner,
Whose Editor Was Speaker Of the
House-Unfair Insinuations Against
Members Of Temperance Committee.

Ever since the house of representa-
tiyes at Montpelier turned down Gar
ence J. Ferguson. superintendent OF the
anti.saloon league. so hard that ms
teeth must have ratified, The Banner
has been expecting that Ferguson wouio
make violent attack on the house. and
especially on Speaker Howe, who ap
pears to have fallen seriously undei
Ferguson IS dspleasure. the o9tpurs'
came right on schedule time, LOT tht
last number Of the Vermont ISSUE tnt
anti-saloon league paper, apout mar "
the entire paper is devoted TO the ieg.s
lature and the speaker. inns ouap ot;oT
The Banner reprints, and in connecbiol
Herewith we print a letter from Kew
J. Wesley Miller, clergyman VINO was
member of the legislature. but VINO
doesn Il agree with Mr.. Ferguson. -,
There is no use in our arguing VIII
Ferguson, He is so constituted men
tallv that he can see but one side OF
question. Then, too, he has the haplt
common with small and cireumsclipeo
minds, of promptly accusing anyD9a!s
who disagrees with him or pelng AS AS
honest, base, or bribed., Moreover, MI
Miller has shown up the weakness: 0,
Earonson y statements and Mr.. Miller
is an unprejudiced gentleman VI '"'
highest standing. r. ..o+o
There are, however, a few state .
ments made by Mr.. Ferguson relatie y
to The editor Of The Banner as to wmen
we desire to say a word.
First. in referring to the clrcnia'
which he sent out before the speaker
shin election Mr.. Ferguson says: W.
had dared to give his record on tne ga
loon and Sabbath questions. :, none =
which he ever did or ever Will deny:
The fact Is the whole statement is in
correct and misleading. and the on!s
reason we have not said Sc, before 4
because we have been too busy VIII
;m rn There are few half truths
with wrong differences in the allegee
record, but every thinking pelsol
knows that there is nothing more Iais'
than a half truth with twisted lnsih
uation attached. .snooke,
Again Ferguson says; Spea aSi2
Howe did as we prophesied he wouIe
do, He appointed house Temperance
Committee after his own heart. every
member of which was at least loca
ontionist and some of whom were pe
levers in the open saloon ITSELF Ins
statement Is false in whole and IN part
and Ferguson himself proves MS OWL
statement untrue BY pruning III II
own article how the members V9teu
for Speaker Howe is believer N loca
option and opposed to referendum VI
tie LIQUOR question. and the mempea,,
of the committee did not vote tna
way. c,.olo,
A a matter of fact, when speaker
Howe appointed the house temperanc'
committee he did not know how q BIZ
ole one Of them stood on the nau ~
question. They were all strangers =;
him when he went to Montpenes, ahI
he never talked with them or any 9,
them about the liquor traffic or tne.
views thereon until after their, appoint
ment. and not then except with TWO .;
them who came to the, speaker III;
preached the subject OF their own 'o'i
tion. a..roo I'll,
The speaker had for reference ~
biographical sketches furnished lot .n'
leeislative directory and tried sincere
ly TO make up committee OF proau
minded. levelheaded men. above Re
proach. He left off the ministers d L,
iberately, and also those w1om ii. I,
feared might be directly or indirectl,
connected with the liquor traft1c. Nv
were from towns that ordinarily vo.'
license, two from towns which nav
never voted license, two from toMD
which have occasionally voted hcsnSo