The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-27
COUNTY POLITICS
MADE HEADL|NER
At MANCHESTER
sout state
Main Feature sidet seps''
Contest for Sheriff
SPEAKERS SCORE GARDNER
Meeting Originally Arranged for
Presentation Of j. K. Kenne-
dy's Anti-Volstead Platform

Manchester, Oct 27-Seyeral speak
ers from this county took part in the
democratic rally held at Manchester
last evening in addition to James r.
Kennedy, candidate for congress on
an anti.Vostead act platform, and a
direct drive for the vote Of the women
was made by Mrs. Jerome +. Downing,
the congressional candidates towns
woman
The campaign in Bennington county
also featured in an attack upon Sher-
iff Perry B. Gardner of Bennington,
who has been accused by some OF the
city newspapers of i'll using his wife
and against whom case for breach
OF the peace is already pending in
Bennington municipal court
Patrick H. Thompson Of Arlington,
democratic candidate for sheriff, was
one of the speakers and denied the
report which he said had been spread
by Bennington county republicans that
he intended to resign if elected
IF am elected sheriff, he said,
81 shall serve the people of Bennington
county to the best of my ability. !
never was in but one political con
te5t and then beat Mr.. Batchelder
for town representative. Now I'm
going to beat this fellow
Charles A. Maurer, who was recent
ly made the democratic candidate for
states attorney, sad: Il may not be
the next states attorney but Patrick
Thompson will be the next sheriff.
But II lightning should strike and |
am elected, Dpromise you that when
complaints come to me you will get
action"
Fred c. Martin advocated a highway
commission and also a plan to place
the patrol under the direction OF the
state instead of individual towns. He
also advocated cooperative ware
houses for farmers In ach county,
placing the rural schools back on the
former basis and opposed compelling
the women to pay poll tax.
Louis f. Martin presided at the
meeting and introduced Mr.. Kennedy,
who spoke as follows:
You no doubt have noticed that my
opponent, the Hon Frederick G. Fleet
wood in his address at Bennington
last Saturday addressed his gathering
as Fellow Republicans. And you
are no doubt aware that his nameu
appears on the congressional ballot
as the prohibition candidate, the same
as it does as the Rpublican candidate.
| wonder why he does not address
his audience as Fellow Prohibitions
ists. Is he ashamed of the company
he has fallen into. or does he find
himself a stranger in strange com
He tells you that he is for law
pany?
He tells you that he is for"law
and order" In heavens name where
do we find a good American citizen
who does not stand for law and order!
Bit let us sce II he states the truth.
He is for the continuance Of the Vol
stead law just as II was written. He
tells YOU that II II was modified so that
II can be inforced-and the present
law has not been. and Iclaim cannot
be inforced that this would be null
iiication OF the Constitution. Don't
you believe ii. Laws are amended
constantly to meet the wishes Of pub
lie opinion. the public opinion not
back of the Volstead law. II II were
you would see inforcement easily
accomplished, and, too, not at an ex
lense of millions annually to be paid
by the taxpayers,
Let us see II this same Mr.. Fleet
wood believes In law and order in his
own town. have IL on Wquestiona
bic authority that he defends, as
lawyer, the bootlegger and the run
runner. 1t is related that his prinoipa
business. since the enactment OF tn
Nolstead law, is to act as the attorne!
for the vioators of the law in his owl
country.
Besides what the Nolstead has done
for intemperance let us see what |
has accomplished in other ways.
First 1t has practically eliminate,
all the revenue to the Government
that came TO II under the old Inter
nal Revenue law. Therefore, a al
economic measure, 1t has proved II
self failure Let US see what tn
Government has lost IN revenue iron
taxes on beverages since 1917 In tina
year the tax amounted to S2S4 100000
In 1918 the revenue was $4,000
900. and in 1919. S4S3 100000, tota
in the three years of $L2lO,000, ,OOC
IN the last three years preceding tn
Nolstead Act. The revenue on alec
hclic beverages In 1927 amounted t
only SS2,000.000. And there are n
indications that the sum will b
larger than this so long as the Vo
stead Act remains In force. The t
tai loss In revenue for the last thrc
years amounts to Ss06, 100000. q
S3O2 6.66e,67 per year This SUI
represents direct annual loss to tn
National Government. An equal
large sum was lost to the state
counties and other political sub.divi
ions of our county OF course. ther
are other losses attributable TO tn
Nolstead Act. In 1918 the brcwcri,