The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-02-01
PROHIBITION ABLY
EXPOUNOEO FOR
FAITHFUL FEW
Ex-Governor Patterson Talked
Well to Small Crowd
WANTS NATIONAL PROHIBITION
Says State Prohibition is Not Effec-
tive But is a Necessary Part Of
Program.

Ex-Governor Malcolm r. Patterson
or Tennessee delivered an address in
support OF prohibition in Library hall
Monday evening, the hall being about
one third filled.
Because of the small number pres
ent, and also on account fthe fact
that Gov. Patterson had made the en-
tire trip from Tennessee to Vermont
within the previous "a hours, he did
not deliver his main temperance adj
dress advertised He confined him
self to forty-ininute talk on his per-
sonal experience with prohibition in
Tennessee and other states, particu-
larly in the south.
Rev. P. i. Dow acted as chairman
of the meeting, introducing Gov. Pat
terson. Dr. Madison Swadener q
indiana, Gov. Patterson's travelin
companion on this trip, who W..
scheduled to speak also, could
reach Bennington in time.
The point of Gov Patterson's
ment was that prohibition does pro-
hibit if given TIME enough and that
the national trend OF public senti-
lnent is against liquor interests and
traffic, 1t is true. he stated, that
abuses creep in, blind tigers and ille-
gal saloons and dives open up especi-
ally in the larger cities. But lining
UP the different states, one at time.
against the liquor traffic by giving
them strict prohibitory laws are
steps in a great national uplift to
wean the federal government from be-
ing partner in the traffic by permit
ting its continuance so long as the
government gets its share OF the pro.
fit.
The moral effect of swinging whole
states into line against the traffic TAX
en- from the viewpoint of decade or
a generation, more than counterhal-
ances the momentary evils of temper
ary blind tigers or illegal saloons
which spring up while the good work
is being carried home.
The idea is, that once given suf-
ficient number of states on record as
so that a majority of SEN
timent in the country is against the
traffic, the prosecution of these Illegal
places will be carried ON much as ille-
gal distilling is stamped out in the
moonshine districts of the
south
1t is difficult to get towns TO enforce
a prohibitory law because the inhabi-
tants do not back up their officers
with public sentiment and law with
out public sentiment behind it, is no
law whatever, Let a majority OF the
federal states go dry. SO that The
liquor supporters in .this country are
in the minority, and transgressors OF
the selling law will find themselves in
as serious trouble as the southern
who are shot on sight IL
they attempt to offer resistance when
sught by federal officers.
The speaker maintained this could
not come without a great prohibition
ary movement uniting the entire
The trouble, he stated, in
any such reformatory law, is not in
The law, but in getting it enforced. It
must be enforced by some power
higher than the local petty govern
ment and when it is, violation will be
so serious that the states will have
which really prohibits.
Gov. Patterson was chief executive
Of Tennessee when prohibition
measure came up in that state. He
had always been local option man.
believing the discussion of the ques-
ton once a year kept the issue alive.
The Tennessee legislature passed
law over his Veto Ten.
nessee is not free from the liquor
traffic any more than other states, but
he stated that in the final summing
up of benefits and evils resulting. he
was convinced the results We're III
favor of prohibition, and he now sup
ports prohibition.
The governor is a graphic and flu
ent talker. He goes from here to
Rutland and Burlington where he will
speak in support OF the Perry bill.
which is to be decided by referendum
\