News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-09-13
Prohibition Must Win

| The only logical conclusion for any
| voter who believes In prohibition, Is to
vote for only party and candidates that
stand for it. Never in the history of our
! party has there been presented SO many
reasons for and such an entire absence of
reason against the voter, who wants pro-
hibirion, registering that desire at the
| ballot box. AS to the other issues and
candidates, we submit there is not suffi-
cent difference to justify failure to give
affirmative voice against the Nations
| greatest enemy. This is especially true,
| when, in addition to standing right upon
the great liquor problem, the prohibition
party has the most real progressive plat
| form upon the other national problems
! facing the people of any OF the political
| parties. We have been well pleased with
many OF the good measures Pres. Wilson
has forced through Congress which were
| in the interests OF the people, reforms
which the republican party has failed to
accomplish, owing to the influence OF the
steel, tobacco, liquor and other trusts,
but We are getting disguised with the
Mexican policy. Imagine one of our
local ministers getting into trouble with
some ignorant, shiftless boy of the street,
and our calling out our entire police force,
keeping them on duty for months, at
hundreds of dollars expense, while some
of our business men and the boys friends
arbltrate their differences. This illus
trates the relations OF the u. S. and
Mexico today.
Among the great political issues facing
the people of the United States and the
entire world, the greatest is the Prohibit
tion of the liquor traffic. We are all
familiar with the Declaration of Indepen-
dence in which the objects and purposes
of government are declared to be that of
securing life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. Our governments, local, state
and national, in dealing with the liquor
problem have forsaken every one of these
principles and instead of securing life,
liberty and happiness, they have Joined
hands with the greatest enemy of them
all. We have placed the lives of our own
citizens upon the auction block until our
manhood is depleted to the extent of
sixty-tive per cent of those who would
serve the country in army and navy are
physically incompetent to serve. In the
light of modern science, .alcohol.is poison
and our present system amounts to the
poisoning of our people by authority of
the government.
Both of the great political parties of our
country are silent in their conventions
regarding the liquor traffic, and thus
acquiesce in it's wrongs and its burdens.
When the war in Europe broke out the
Russian government was receiving the
entire profits of the liquor traffic. She
fostered that trade for the sake of the
revenue; but in the face OF the tremendous
struggle in which she was now engaged,
she called the greatest council in her his
tory, and declared that she needed sober
men more than she needed money and
forewith prohibited the traffic. The un-
disputed social and financial blessings to
that empire resulting from that change,
marks the miracle of the war. France,
Germany and England are rapidly being
forced to the acceptance of the same
great principle. In the face of this how
long will our people pursue our ruinous
policy?
We repeat, only sixty-fve per cent of
our young men can pass the physical ex-
aminations for our army or navy. Must
we pass through what Europe is experien-
cling before our government will go out OF
the liquor business The greatest asset in
any country, in times of war or peace, is
strong young men, both mentally and
physically. Sixty-five men in our town
1--WE have their names) signed pledge cards,
saying they would not vote with any party
that did not stand for the prohibition If