Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-05-10


others, is duty that every man owes to the pub
lie. Our happiness and prosperity depend great
ly on temperance in ourselves and others. The
following remarks are made with view to pro-
mote the cause of Temperance in this State,
where the cause is loosing ground, and needs the
exertions of its friends to turn the attention of the
people 10 it. Persuasion or argument are the
means principally to be used in promoting tenn
perance and has been and can still be used with
the happjest effects but persuasion and reason are
not sufficient to prevent some persons from COM
hitting crimes or doing injury to the public if
such were the case, laws would be unnecessary
society cannot exist without law, though men
have reason. 1t seems to bo settled policy in
our legislation, that we must hive system Of Ii
censing the sale of distilled spirits and if so,
ought not the friends of temperance to make the
best of it in their power to promote the cause
1t is believed that a slight chupge, one which
will not ugitate society ut all, in the mode of as.
scSsng the duty to be paid for selling distilled
spirits, would greatly promote The cause of tenn
perance. 1t is not proposed, by the change, TO
commit this subject TO town meetings acting un-
der their own responsibility, and chequer the state
over with town legislation, causing Incorporate
personal and local strife, and defeating III one
town all, nearly all, that is done IN an adjoining
town. favor OF temperance. Il is not proposed
TO enact total prohibition, however desirable of
the sale of distilled spirits, and thus raise consri
tutlonal or legal questions. No legislation that
will enable the rich like late law in Mussachu-
setls) to get intoxicating drinks cheaper easier
than The poor, is desired. All The change proposed
is, that the retailer he required 10 pay certain sum
on each gallon of distilled spirits which he may
bring into, or have in this state. before he sells
any such spirits. This would he paying for n
license or privilege Of selling liquo; only in pro-
portion 10 the quantity of spirits for sale.
And every innkeepef ought to pay the same du-
ty as the retailer on every gallon of spirits that he
sells, unless the duty has been paid already, or be-
fore the innkeeper purchased it, So that on eve
ny gallon of liquor sold by retailer or inukeeper
certain duty shall be paid by one or the o,her OF
them. How much this duty ought to be, would of
course be for The Legislature TO determine.
The present law of this state directs that the
county court 'slal assess the persons licensed as
retailers or innkeepers in such sums as shall be
equitable according 10 The circumstances aud a.
mount of business Of each and not less than one
dollar, nor more Than thirty dol!ars' Though the
intention of the statute is Equitable, nothing can
be more unequal or inequilabe than the appica
ton or operation of this law in practice. There is
no power TO make the retailer or innkeeper dis
close how much liquor he sells, and the Court is
obliged TO guess how much the retailer or inn
keeper ought TO pay. The result is, that according
to the quantity of liquor sold by one retailer and an
other retailer, or one innlceper and another inn.
keeper, and the duty paid by each for license there
Is an enormous inequality. Some retailers proba
ably pay no, much, any, more than one mill
gallon of the spirits that they sell, while other re-
tailers probably pny from ten to fifteen cents
gallon-one retaer paying one hundred lime.
more on the spirits sold by him Than another re-
taller pays-the most scrupulous man -so.s o,
highest duty There is probably neatly az ssm'
difference between one iunkeeper and another--
This ought net to be so. The present law operates
an inducement to the velder of ardent spirits L
sell all he can TO indemnify himself as he thinks
for, after having taken his license he has to pay n,
more for the year, whether he sells little or much
DJ wv p'SSSHt NioNo VI guessing Oil usscSsticUU
on vendors of distilled spirits, there is no uniform
steady rule, not only in any County, bu, mucI
less in the State There are probably ms man,
fuctuating rules, if rules they may lie called, a
there IRE counties in the Slae and these count
rules vary with every change of Judges of tn
County Court.
1t would seem that certain fixed sum- ihoug
large, cannot operate equitably on the sellers O
distilled spirits; it would make The business
monopoly in the hands ola few large dealers
There is no more difficulty in retailers payin,
the duty the gallon for leave to sell, Than Their
is in the importer paying the duty to the Unite
States on each gallon of spirits imported by him
There may be frauds committed on the revenue
but for all that this is the best way TO collect tn
duty. The retailer and innkeeper can as easi
tell for what spirits they ough, to pay The duty. a
the importer can tell on what he ought to pay tn
duty to the United States. Nothing can be NOR
equitable for the seller or the consumer than tn
duty on The gallon then if a person sells use
much or little, he pays much or little Of the dut
accordingly, and the rule would be uniform
throughout the State.
The details of the law making the propose
change could be easily settled. The County Clerk,
who do most Of the business under the presen
law, land who are under bonds for The faithful
discharge oc their official duties,) could receive
tho duties and give the licenses 10 sell as they no,
do, and be required to make their reports to tn
County Treasurer, and particularly, to the Legis
ature, Of The quantity of spirits for which dutie
have beer paid, or licenses granted to sell. 1h
plan would provide Tor the most importasys.siis
,ica information as to the sale and Use of arder
spirits in this State; il would enable the friends
temperance and tile public TO know, as well q
any plan that can be devised, wha, quantities c
liquors are sold by retailers and nnkeepers. Thi
information would be Of grent importance TO III