The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-09
KENNEDY AGAINST
VOLSTEAD ACT
Democratic Candidate for
Congress to Wage
Campaign
SAYS ENFORCEMENT
is IMPOSSIBLE
Bases Statement on His Experience as
Federal Officer-Will Direct His Guns
in Opposition to the Act-Is for Tenn
perance.
Especial to The Reformer.)
ESSEN JUNCTION. Oct q

Especial to The Reformer.)
ESSEN JUNCTION, Oct. o.
James L. Kennedy, Democratic can
didate for congress in the first district.
gave out the following statement last
evening:
Il have hesitated up to this time about
waging vigorous contest for the cleo
ton of congressman in this district. So
wei entrenched is the OPPOSITION party
that it has seemed to me to be a futile
undertaking, but within the past few
days so many things have happened
that | am frankly convinced that the
voters of the first district prefer me for
their congressman.
with this belief in mind / announce
TO the voters of the district that from
now on my campaign will be conducted
IN such way that it will be known that
a contest is being waged, at least on nv
part. Bear in mind however that in no
way will l diverge from legitimate and
legal methods, but shall conduct the af-
fairs OF my canvas in such way as will
permit of no legitimate criticism.
A1y first, foremost and most emphatic
declaration is that l am opposed to the
Nolstead act, and this ON the ground that
law does not promote or foster temper
ance and that under it wa are growing
up generation of citizens of law vio-
lators and horde of rapidly becoming
millionaire bootleggerS
i am temperance man, not now be-
cause i am a candidate for office, but
have been temperance man always.
one of my duties while filling the Office
of federal prohibition director for Yer
mont was to enforce the Volstead act.
No one can claim that / did not do all
that human strength could do to enforce
that act Not only did | work my staff
of men to the endurance test, but l. my
self. travelled the highways and the by
ways of the state both day andI night to
capture and apprehend the bootleggeF.
Was ! criticised for this action? Yes.
and from whom did it come? First. and
naturally. from the bootlegging frater-
nifty; secondly, and with more bitter
ness than came from the bootlegger, the
Nolstead press said ] was going too far.
even farther than the law demanded.
and asked me TO desist. But | carried
on with the same determination and
desire 10 uphold the law. And it is the
experience that | personally had in my
endeavOr TO enforce the NOlstead law
that now causes me to declare that IT
is impossible of enforcement and that
under il we are losing out rapidly as
n nation of law abiding citizens. the
great majority of whom desire temper
ance. but see no hope in the Nolstead
act.
Now. the question will be asked why
| have SO suddenly decided to make an
active campaign for the office of con-
grcssman. and the voters should know
why. Within the past two weeks | have
received requests from every part of the
district. the greater number coming from
members of the Republican party. urging
me. as most of them EXPRESS 1t, to rep
resent their thought on the Nolstead act.
and that if / will. they Will not only
Continued on Page Eight.)