The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-11
PROHIBIT |ON|STS
ALONE ARE GOOD
THEY CLAIM
Republicans and Democrats are
Both Attacked
PARTY CONVENTION OPENS
Temporary Chairman Assalls Taft,
Roosevelt and Democrats IN a
WhirIwnd Of Denunciation

Atlantic City, July IA sensa-
/ tional attack upon President Ia1t'
Theodore Roosevelt and the republl-
can and democratic parties in gener-
al marked the beginning at Atlantic
City, N. j., yesterday of the llth ma
tional prohibition convention. Ciln-
ton n. Howard of Rochester, n. Y,
temporary chairman of the con
vention, made speech which bristl-
ed with denunciation of the boss rid
den, liquor controlled old parties" He
declared nothing in the way OF real
reform was to be gained from either
of them, or from third party domi-
mated by Col. Roosevelt.
| mo other president since the
foundation of this government" de-
clared Mr.. Howard, has surrendered
more abjectly to the liquor interest OF
this nation than has William Howard
Taft His record is too recent, IA
miliar and odoriferous to require re-
view in this intelligent presence. Mr.
Howard said it would be criminal
waste of time to- argue that the liq-
uor traffic could be stamped out
through the republican party by its
silent platform, its present and UNI
worthy leadership, its long consistent
liquor record and its present monop-
oly-nurtured candidate who obtained
his nomination at the hands of a
convention which Theodore Roosevelt
declares represents nothing but sue
cessful political fraud perpetuated in
the interest of political and financial
privilege, and who more than any Of
his predecessors has become the wet
nurse of the saloon.
"And what better results can be eX-
pected from the democratic party?
Not only as little, but less than moth
ing at all Exactly the same infiu.
ences that poisoned the republican
party at Chicago were in control at
Baltimore. 1t may be said in truth
that the splendid Woodrow Wilson
was not Mr. Murphy's choice; but the
campaign banner, decorated with his
picture, was flung to the breeze in
front of Tammany hall, one half hour
after his nomination, on the order OF
Charlie Murphy by long distance tel
ephone, and the candidate has sent
his regrets that a prior engagement
prevented his presence at the Tam
many Fourth of July.
The temporary chairman said that
while Governor Wilson was known
as a good man" the prohibitionists
are not here to elect a good man but
to kill the liquor traffic. Mckinley
and Harrison were good men in the
White House." he said, but they
went out of the office with the coun-
try more saturated with rum than
when they went in"
After severely crticizing the demo
cratic House of Representatives for
its failure to enact legislation prohib-
iting the shipment of liquor into pro-
hibition territory in the South, Chair.
man Howard turned his guns upon
Col. Roosevelt How about the pro.
missed progressive Roosevelt party,
he asked I'VE already have two
whisky parties and do not need an
other. From the standpoint of the
prohibitionists by his record, public
utterances and confessed personal
habits, he is the least desirable of
them all
Posing as the Thou shalt not
steal candidate because his partisans
were not preferred over President
Tafts in the convention, he braZenly
boasts he stole the isthmus of Pana.
ma from Colombia and let Congress
debate about il afterwards. If the
Chicago convention played the same
trick they got the cue from him. His
title to the Panama strip was as good
as the stolen Taft credentials in the
hands OF bOss-made delegates and nc
better Stealing is stealing, Mr.,
Roosevelt. When you taught that
the end justified the means you gave
every thief a passport to heaven
Mr.. Howard referred by name TO
the various bosses at the two old par.
ty conventions, concluding with this
sally. And 10 think of Billy Finn.
the vice protector and promoter OF
Pittsburg. and Timothy Woodruff of
Brooklyn, Incorporating as Roosevelt
'progressives.' What hope is there
for reform i'm America at such un.
clean hands7 Absolutely none" The
speaker predicted that the prohibit.
ion party was certain OF ultimate sue
cess and informally declaring the con
yention ready to transact business
urged that "all things be done decent.
ly and in order"
The 18th national prohibition con.
ventiOn got under way at Atlantic
City. n. J.. yesterday. but at three
sessions progressed little beyond the
prelimiBaSies Of organization. There
we're Developments enough, however,
to indicate a strong undercurrent Of
insurgency" in the party and 10
forecast a fight by some Of the dele
gates for a more progressive and az
gressive attitude in the coming cam
paign- In the hope Of overthrowing
a part Of the existing order OF things,
IL is said. a fight will be made on
the floor for the election Of a nation
al chairman by the convention and
not by the national committee. There
will probably be many changes in the