The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-02-19
GOV. CLEMENT FAVORS
ANTI-"DRYS" CAMPAIGN
Backs Up Rhode Island Executive In
Effort to Upset Prohibition
Anaapdyaepf
Amendment


Providence, Feb. 1S.-The Provi-
dence Journal, under Big heading
Vermont Governor Refuses to Join
Act on to Uphold Prohibition Law
prints the follow ng story:
Gov. Perclval w. Clement OF Ver-
mont, in rep.y to request Of Gov
ernor NJ lliken of Maine that Vermont
join the latter state In opposing Rhode
Islands ght on prohibition, sa d. L
hope Rhode Island will be successful
in her efforts to free the United States
from the operation OF the 18th Amend
ment.'
HE added that IN his opinion the
amendment is opposed by large
majority of the people of the country,
and that unless 1t S declared uncon-
stitutional by the Supreme Court
must inevitably bring trouble TO us
ALL
Governor Milliken has sent letters
to 32 other governors. is his plan
to have Maine and other states be-
come a defendant pointly with the
United States in the su t. of Rhode
Island now pending In the Supreme
Court to have the 18th amendment
declared unconstitut onal. Governor
Milliken said yesterday that masori-
ty of the states VIII ch ratified the
prohibitDry amendment VIII join in
the proposed action to uphold It's con-
stitutionality
The reply of Governor Clement to
Governor NH ken's letter follows;
t-'I was absent from my office yes
terday, and have just received this
morning your telegram of February
10, which accounts for my delay in
replying to your message.
Since 1902, Vermont has voted
against prob bition whenever the
quest on has been before the people or
the state The Anu-Sa,oon League
secured a majority OF the Legislature
1919) for the 18th amendment to the
federal Const futon. but do not feel
warranted TO placing Vermont in op.
position to the action of Rhode Island.
On the other hand, hope that Rhode
Island will be successful N her efforts
to free the United States from the
operation Of the 18th amendment,
which s, l believe opposed by large
major ty of the people of the country,
and, unless declared uncon lti,utional
by the Supreme Court, must inev.tab-
ly br ng trouble to us all
The adoption of the prohibition
amendment is a Serious mistake,
said Governor Clement OF Vermont
at the Algonquin Club, Boston, in a
statement to The Prov dence Journal.
The law was put on the statute books
by as corrupt methods as have ever
been used In leg station In the United
Sate7,' he continued
The whole plan of.the Ant Saloon
League was absolutely wrong They
pledged everybody in secret, and had
not mean to say that they bought
votes of congressman. What they
did was to go to man and tell m
that if he voted for the eighteenth
amendment they would not attack him
in h s home district, but that 4 he did
not, they would attack him. On tn 8
manner, they obtained the support of
lot of weak men, enough of them to
pass the prohibition law
The eighteenth Amendment takes
away personal liberty, and personal
liberty is the keystone of our gov
ernments construction. We should
never curtail t except for the per-
sonal liberty of the whole. We should
not attempt to decide what man
shall eat or drink, or how he shall
live.
Amendments as important as this
should go before the people and be
voted upon by them because 1t is
impossible to enforce law that is
not-wanted by the majority