Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1920-07-30
AIKEN QUERIES CLEMENT.
Makes Reply to Proclamation and
States Some of the Things He Stands
for and Some He Does Not.

Editor of The Phoenix:-
Governor Clement has sent out what lie
calls proclamation, with the remark
that every candidate should be required
to declare his position without delay on
suffrage. l am perfectly willing to do
SO, Mr.. Clement. l voted for the bill,
and should do so again, for 1 believe there
are thousands of women who are just as
capable of voting as many men who do
vote. You say we were pledged before
hand. 1 cannot answer for Others, but
was not pledged, and do not believe the
others were. You were very willing to
sign the bill to let women vote in town
meeting, provided they paid poll tax
Now if they can vote for moderator, why
not for governor or president?
Mrs. Olzendam says you promised her.
court decided it was legal you would
call special session to act on the mat
;GpBI qua qlIM pIoM moG 4dsH noG sAuH
ter. Did you make that promise? Did
you mean to keep that promise when you
made it? The U. S. supreme court, as
understand, has decided it would be legal.
Not that it makes any particular differ
ence with me either way.
You also say that our old forefathers
on March "a and 25 that if the supreme
who signed the federal constitution in
1891 admitting Vermont into the Union
did not know what they were doing.
Who knows? Perhaps they were drunk!
You say the 10Th and the 18th amend
ments were forced through congress and
the legislatures by powerful and ire
sponsible organization operating through
paid agents and unlimited funds, and
that the 10Th is going the same way.
That is strange. l did not suppose any
one ever did such thing. Did the free
rum men ever do anything like that
Now be honest and tell us, isn't it the
18th amendment that troubles you more
than the 10Th or the constitution?
You say you propose to go and come
as your duty calls you, both within and
without the state. My dear Governor, no
one is going to try to stop you.
/ do believe that important changes in
the government should be referred to the
people, and if the suffrage question was
referred to the people it would go
through with large majority.
Now how do / stand on the liquor
question: | never voted for license in
my life. l do not believe in the open
saloon. There is not a drop of cider or
liquor on my farm. l have no use for it
but if any one else wants glass of cider
or beer or wine and can drink it and
mind his own business it is none of my
business, but if they want to make hogs
of themselves and get full, thel we have
laws to take care of them. The saloon
has gone for good; thank God for that
Now the Agan club came out a few
days ago with double column adver-
tisement and said there might be candi-
dates in the field who believed in 10 per
cent beer. Now, dear Governor suppos-
ing you got all rumsuckers into the
legislature, what could you do? How
much money and how many paid agents
will there be to elect such men? af.sg
The Massachusetts legislature passed
bill to increase the per cent of alcohol
in beer. Governor Coolidge vetoed the
bill and told them that if he signed it
they would not get their beer.
The New York legislature passed one
just the same and Governor Smith signed
it, but the federal constitution and the
Vostead act said no. I do believe in the
people having their rights.
1t made no difference which way Yer.
mont voted on the 18th amendment as
over 40 states had already voted to
ratify before Vermont voted, and it only
needed 80. Now no governor or legisla-
ture or even the president can change it
only congress can change it by amending
the Volstead act and you know that, but
promises of more drink will buy some
votes.
l have not meant to be offensive to
anyone. 1 would like to have all the
candidates declare how they feel. Il
have one vote for some of them. One
has come out with the slogan, 'Less gov
eminent in business and more business
in government" That is mighty good :,
and let me add that when one is doing
government business he should attend to
the business of the government and not
be home attending to his own a good
part OF the time, as one vote many times
will either kill or pass bill
AT the last session all those large sal.
airy bills might not have gone through if
the members had all been on their Jobs.
One part of the game is that if you can
lind lot of the members gone whom YOU
know would vote against you then is the
time to bring up your bill and push it
through.
Those old planks about better roads.
better schools, helping the poor working
man, and the high cost of living are so
old no one takes stock in them. Just
ride over some of our roads and find ont
II they are so much better than thew
were when every candidate began to
promise better roads, and the only way
] know to bring down the high cost of
living is to take off your coat and 90 to
work instead of standing around cussing
everybody because you can't get living.
l won't promise you potatoes at so
cents bushel. / won't promise You the
moon is made of cheese and that. if
elected, / will get you a piece. / won't
promise to help put through everything
That comes along. / won't promise to
help put any white elephants onto the
state. ! won't vote to raise nv own
salary or the salary of anyone else if
they are already getting more than they
are worth. / won't be cats paw.
l will promise to be on the Job every
day unless something unavoidable hap.
pens. l will promise to use my best
Judgment in all things.
If You call this a platform, well and
good, it is built of old growth oak that
grew from the little acorn Aiken.
n