The Monte Vista journal., 1916-10-14


made Colorado dry, and the women
! of Colorado are going to keep it dry
| These same gentlemen who arc so
anxious to claim the credit for max
ing the state dry are also anxious
to make it appear that the Demo-
cratic party is peculiarly against
prohibition. Now, the fact of the
matter is that two-thirds the
states of this Union where prohibi-
| tion has bncn adopted ere SO strong
| ly Democratic that tLcy do not even
| nominate a Republican ticket.
The prohibition question is not a
party question:; it is not party
question in the nation-it is a ques-
| tion Democrats and Republicans
alike differ upon, but so far as the
Democratic party's record is con-
cerned in the nation, it is just a lit
tie better then that of our opponents
and here in Colorado we stand un-
qualifedly for the enforcement of
the law, and as a guarantee of our
good faith, we have placed on our
ticket for the position of governor
man who, almost thirty years ago,
when a candidate for district attor-
ncy in the Pueblo district, at time
when the liquor interests were al
most all-powerful, had the courage
to announce his position on this
liquor question. In other words, the
Democratic party has placed at the
head of it's ticket, julius G. Gunter,
man who has not only advocated
but has lived prohibition.
This suffrage issue is in some re-
spects, very amusing one l would
not mention it tonight if it were not
for the fact that on nv way here, I
passed some large placards calling on
the women of Colorado to vote
against the Democratic candidate for
Congressman on the ground that the
Democratic party was opposed to
woman suffrage.
Last fall, it was my privilege to
spend three weeks in the state of
New York at the invitation of the
National Woman's Suffrage associa-
ton, speaking for the suffrage am
endmcnt in that state. Until I saw
this placard, 1 never believed that
anyone doubted my stand on the
question. But so far as the Demo-
cratic party is concerned, the charge
is quite as misleading IS it was when
directed against the individual.
The Democratic party is not op-
posed to woman's suffrage. The
Democratic party and the Republican
party in this campaign have adopted
exactly the same position. Both par
ties in the national platforms have
e"lared that woman's suffrage was
a question to be determined by each
state for itself, but each party rec
commended that the states enfran-
chise the women. And the other
day, in the city of Denver, when
Charles S. Fairbanks, candidate for
vice president on the Republican
ticket, visited the city, committee
of women waited on him and begged
him to say one word on behalf of
woman's suffrage, and Mr.. Fair
banks fatty refused, and he did that
because his party was not committed
to the suffrage proposition.
Last summer, President Wilson
announced in an official statement in
the White House that he was about
to go to the state of New Jersey and
cast his vote for the suffrage amend
ment. He was the first president in
the history of this country who voted
FOR woman's suffrage At the same
time Charles Evans Hughes YVES
resident of the state of New York
He was living in Washington. He
had an opportunity to go up to New
York and vote for woman's suffrage,
and he refused to do it.
The Wilson administration in four
years has placed upon the statute
books a constructive Legislative pro-
gram which has not been oqualled
by any other political party in the
history of this country. AS the re-
suit, this nation today is enjoying
such prosperity as it has never ex-
perienced, and is at peace with all
the world. Now, my friends, this
declaration that the nation is enjoy
ing unparalleled prosperity is not
mere figure of speech. There is not
| man in this room who doesn't
tnow it's true. The San Luis valley
was never as well off as it is today
but it isn't poculicr to the San Luis
valley. The state of Colorado was
never as prosperous as 1t is today
The nation was never as prosperous
as it is today, and another amazing
thing Is that never before did such a
large proportion of the prosperity
get down to the man underneath,