The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-09-05
CANDIDATE PAYNE
INQUIRIES OF MIR. ROOT
Continued from Page ~

Continued from Page ~
and paid for by ]. Dukas eco Adj
vertising matter appearing on these
brushes is furnished me by j. Dukas
e &c.
We have in the past received some
orders such as you refer to, but when
my attention was called TO this mat.
ter, told Mr.. Dukas / did not care
to accept such orders as 1t was
against my principle to do anything
to further the liquor interests. In re.
gard 10 mirrors, these are sold direct
TO the trade by my own statesmen and
have never been sold to the liquor in
terests.
II the fortune you possess came
from the sale OF tin rum cups and
used this as an argument to hurt your
chances OF being nominated 1t would
be on par with the argument you
are reported as using against me.
II may be fact that your ancestors
we're makers of tin cups OF the kind
and size commonly used to drink rum
from but they might not have known
the purpose TO which they we're to be
put and if | we're so short of argu-
ments as 10 circulate such a report
the public would be justified in judg-
ing me unfit to represent their inter
ests in the next Senate.
The fact is, there are several firms
/ making brushes similar to mine and
/ il may be you have located one OF
these with a rum advertisement. The
real facts as both you and know
them to be are: the Federal Govern.
ment passed an amendment to the
United States constitution, making it
unlawful to make, import or sell any
intoxicating beverage. This amend
ment becomes active when 36 states
out of As ratify it in their State Legis
fatures. Fifteen State Legislatures
have voted on 1t and fourteen have
ratified IT, so by the law of averages
A states will ratify this Federal
Amendment and there will be four tC
six states that will vote against 1t
In other words Vermont must either
be in the column of the great MAORI
ty or be forever condemned as one
of the four 10 six states that voted
to continue the course of the liquor
traffic.
have been informed that you ap
pear to be surprised that We as vot
ers, intensely interested to have cor
rect representation in the Senate
should presume to know your view
and to know that you did not propose
to state your position until after cleo
ton.
My dear Mr. Root, do you not know
that this is an issue so important Il
the interests of all our people that
is not susceptible Of being traded of
, or bargained away? AS we'll nigh
one say that he proposed TO trad
some Of the principles for which tn
flower of this United States is bait
ing to the death. No. Mr.. Root 20
are wrong. Any voter will tell 20
the same. You are either for b
against this ratification; and, as yo
have refused to say TO our committe
that you are for, we are compelled t
assume that you are against.
You and both know there Is Fec
eral Ratification Committee, Stat
Ratification committee and a Count
Ratification committee, and at one q
our first meetings Of the County Rat
hcation committee, to which you wer
invited and which you attended; 20
were asked where YOU stood on thi
question, but you refused to tell u
to this point there was no intentio
of any one else running, but 20
forced us to put up a cadidate VIII
would declare himself for the amend
mens
have been in business all my III
and have been a large employer
labor My duties have brought m
into contact with real men and
claim this as one Of my best qualities
tons for this Office, should the peopl
see fit to honor me with II.
again ask you, Mr.. Root, II yo
are elected, will you vote for
against the amendment. or do yC
still maintain It is not the voter
right to know where you stand?
Kindly answer this letter public
that the voters may know your pos
ton.
Yours very truly,
A. s. Payne.