The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-08-19
WHY CLEMENT is CANDIDATE.
Continued from Page IL
icer should be made absolutely impossi

Dle.
In former campaigns I have called
your attention to the loose methods Of
accounting pursued by state officers. In
1902 I was permitted an inspection of
the. books of the auditors Office only
after l had procured mandate from
the supreme court directing the auditor
to allow any citizen to examine them.
In 1906 the system of bookkeeping
was changed and a good system adopt,
ed, which has since been followed, but
IN the auditor IS office loose methods of
handling the cash and vouchers still
prevailed, and it is to those methods
that L attribute the public scandal
which confronts u.s.
If l am elected your chief executive.
l shall, if permitted by the legislature.
adopt such methods of accounting and
handling the states money as will pre-
vent such an occurrence in the future
l heartily approve of many changes
IN the management of state business
adopted by Governor Graham, and
should wish to continue them. The Bust
ness of the state should be conducted in
a careful and business-like manner, but
the question of far greater Importance
is that of the proposed ratification of
the Sheppard amendment to the federal
constitution, prohibiting the manufac-
ture and sale of intoxicating liquors.
In 1902 the question of local option,
or prohibition, was presented to you,
and you voted for local option, but the
Anti-Saloon league, which is the active
political organization of the extreme
Prohibitionists, has maintained a large
lobby at every session of the legislature,
and has sought to repeal or change the
local option law, or to emasculate it so
that it would become unpopular.
In 1914 they worked the Perry bill
through the legislature. When that was
presented to you for your approval, you
turned it down by $4,000 majority Sup
ported by unlimited money, the paid
hirelings of the Anti-Saloon league now
propose to have the legislature take
the whole question out of the hands of
the people forever
After having been twice beaten at
the polls, they say in effect: 1.-THE cleo
tors of Vermont are not to be trusted.
We will place this question forever be-
yond their reach
Candidate for Governor c. H Darling
and Candidate for Governor Frank E.
Howe, after having favored the princi-
pie of local option 16 years, after hay
ing made canvass of the state as local
option men, now come forward at the
demand of the Anti-Saloon league with
letters favoring that most vicious con.
stitutional amendment. I will not char.
aeterize that kind of politics. l have
gone down to defeat many times, but
no man ever knew me to change my
principles in order to secure a victory
That, next to the war, is the all i'm
portant question which is before us
/ That is what brings me into the field al
this late date.
Changes in the federal constitution
have been adopted only after the full
est deliberation and freest discussion
and at no time has measure been en-
grated thereon which undertook tC
abridge the personal rights of American
citizens. Upon the constitution is built
all of our legislation and our whole plaI
of government, but the document itself
is n short, plain statement of the in
herent rights of man. George Washing
! ton, in his farewell address. cautioned
us to beware of factions and partie;
who proposed changes therein. He said
! The basis of our political system!
/ is the right of the people to make anC
/ to alter their constitutions of govern
ment; but the constitution which at any
time exists, till changed by an explicit
and authentic act of the whole people
is saeredly obligatory upon all. !.
g Towards the preservation of you
government and the permanenev o
your present happy state, it is requisite
not only that you steadily discounte
nance irregular oppositions to its &c
knowledged authority, but also that yol
resist with care the spirit of innovation
upon its principles, however speciou
the pretexts. One method of assault ma.
be to effect, in the forms of the con
stitution, alterations which will impai
the energy of the system, and thu
to undermine what cannot be directl,
ioverthrown. In all the changes t
which you may be invited, remembe
that time and habit are at least a
necessary to fix the true character o
governments as of other human institu
tions; that experience is the sures
standard by which to test the rea
tendency of the existing constitution o
a country; that facility in change:
Upon the credit of mere hypothesis an
'opinion, exposes to perpetual change
from the endless variety of hypothesi
and opinion. -.
PERCIVAL w. CLEMENT.