The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-08-12
SMITH PREDICTS
A DRY VICTORY
Says Ratification Question is
Principal Issue
This Year
RIGHT OF STATES Il
OBSOLETE QUESTION
And Should Not be Raised in Defense of
Discredited Liquor Trafic-Expects
Required SO States Will Ratify the
Amendment Before Next July.

Amendment Before Next July.
BURLINGTON, August, 12.-The
"'wet = and "dry" campaign in Yer
mont is warming up with the Rev.
Clifford H. Smith of this city in COM
mand of the drys and P. w. Clement
of Rutland, the new commandments
chief of the "wets' as head of the
local option league.
Il don't see how we can lose, said
Mr.. Smith head of the state anti
saloon league when interviewed, and
discussed the situation in Vermont
further as follows:
Zone of the state newspapers re-
Gently took me to task severely for as
serting that ratification of the pro-
hibitory constitutional amendment is
the supreme question before the. voters
in the present political campaign. But
there are many indications that other
tpeople agree with me on the subject
Both candidates for the governorshiT
have placed marked emphasis ON this
question in their official announce
ments Candidates fer the Legislature
find that people ask how they stand OF
ratification more than about anything
else.
''The fact is, this is the only ques
ton this year on which there is seri
Gus difference of opinion among on
people We are all in perfect agree
ment as to the necessity of earryn!
the war through to a successful issue
and of economizimg in every possibl
way We all agree that we want ca
pable and honest men as officials, and II
most eases the men who offer them
selves as candidates for office ar
worthy of trust.
I" But the voters differ on the ques
ton of ratification, and whether OF
proving or opposing are very much IN
terested. They want to know and the
have right to know how the men VIII
] would represent them III the. legisla
ture as senators or representative
stand on this question. a eandidat
who insists on remaining unpledge
can have only one reason for takin
this position; he intends to vot
against ratification, but thinks mon
lpeople will vote for him if they do nc
know where he stands.
All talk about putting a war wor
, political ticket in the field is meI
camouhage to cover opposition to rat
fication Men who favor ratificatio
will be Just as ready to act ON a
necessary war matters as any one els
. and the ratification question will n'
. need to hinder the other necessar
business of the legislative session
minute.
: / cit is a strange situation when We
monters at this late day raise IL
r question of state s rights. We speI
: much money and sacrificed many liv'
! more than fifty years ago to make q
l end of that heresy, and now to have
revived here in the North in defense
the utterly discredited liquor traffic
pitiful exhibition of petty provincia
6 | ism.
! ''The plea that the small states mig
| impose their wills on the large ones
| a criticism not of the people VINO fav'
). ratification but of the constitution i
self which the opponents of rattle
. ton profess to hold in such high homo
: And the objection is purely aeadem
in any ease, for there is not the Sigh
: est danger that the amendment viii
}. carried by the vote of the small stat
r against the larger ones. Already sill,
1 great states as Virginia Massach
+ sets, Texas and Maryland have rat
:, fed it and others will follow.
E" Even New York state, the Gibralt
: of the liquor forces is good fghtii
ground. The recent Republican co
ference at Saratoga had for its EXPIRE
purpose to destroy Governor VIII
s man s chances of denomination. al
d commit the party to referendum
! the ratification question. Both pu
poses failed most signally.
: "Well informed observers believe t
: amendment win be ratified by t
e necessary thirty-six states before Ju
0 |, 1919, and the only question for
= NermonterS is whether our state W
be one of them, or not. The Vermo
Anti-Saloon League, representing
large number of people who are
tensely interested in the matter will
what it can to help place Vermont
the honor roll. -