The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-11-02
A
NATIONAL QUESTION
Candidacy of Rollin S. Childs for Sen.
ator Causes Some Observations by
Wilmington Man.
Editor of The Reformer:

Editor of The Reformer:
The candidacy of Rolln S. Childs for
senator as an ayowed opponenttof The
Sheppard ameHdnerH bTiiigs home ts
the voters of Windham county this inn.
portant issue. 1t is very desirable that
the matter should be clearly understood
| As the epidemic of influenza has pre-
vented the holding of political rallies
for the education of the voters, discus
sion in the newspapers is the more APP
lpropriate,
Some men are exaggerating the infe-
licities OF state prohibition and holding
them up. as an argument against national
prohibition Therefore it is timely TO
point out the great difference between
statutory prohibition by states and ma
tional prohibition by the constitution.
1t was impossible to handle the sub
lect of slavery under state laws, because
slaves ran away and their masters
crossedFthe state line to recover their
property The far seeing Lincoln said:
This nation cannot long endure half
slave and half free. 1t will become all
one thing or all the other" 1t is impos-
sible to handle the liquor traffic satisfac-
torily under state laws. The nation can
not always be half wet and half dry.
The principal reason why the voters of
Vermont rejected the Perry bill was the
fact that so much liquor is shipped into
the state by express. Interstate com
merce acts, against the state law. But
men who have been lukewarm on the
subject of state prohibition, or even
hostile to it, are ready to join enthusi-
astieally in, movement for national
prohibition.
A notable example is Frank Howe of
Bennington. His position has been mis-.
understood, and he has been accused OF
stopping over" He has been an active
worker in the Local Option league. pre-
sumably because he honastly believed
that under the conditions which prevailed
local option was better than state prohi-
bition. But on the subject of national
prohibition he says: Now comes the
new question of stopping the manufae-
ture of alcohol for beverage purposes in
the whole United States and the only
way to reach the whole country is by
constitutional amendment
The war is teaching us that the wav to
do big things in the United States is for
the people of the whole country to act
together. The man who talks about
home and community rule in these DAYS
Is mossback and Stacker President
Wilson has drifted far away from his
former Jeffersonian ideals of state SOW
ereignty, and has led the people towards
a natonalism which the Federalists of
John Adams's day never dreamed of
We have, come to realize that the
liquor traffic is the greatest handicap to
the man power of our nation. State laws
are inadequate to deal with this mon
strous iniquity. Like every great ques-
ton. it has become national question.
Ere long it will require international ae-
ton
Some say that the Sheppard amend
ment should be referred to the people.
In way it viii. be referrssdu the voters
of Windham county next Tuesday, mas
much as Mr.. Daniels is pledged to vote
for it, while Mr.. Childs, with commend
able frankness, stands up against it.
WILLIAM COTTON CLARK.