Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-02-19
workings of the Prohibitory Law


An communication with the above
title. and signed " License appears
in the Times of Wednesday morning.
1t admits that for the first few
years after the prohibitory law was enacted,
"a less quantity of liquor was sold, and there
was less intoxication than before But
gradually a change came on. 1t says
The town agents became more liberal. and
the quantity sold increased and intoxication fol
lowed, until now, in this place, the annual sales
amount TO So, 900, at an average profit OF 50
per cent. Occasionally the ultras fare up. lee
ture the agent, and for a season he hauls in his
horns and 'corks ups but when the watch is
called of their guard, the oorks are again drawn
and pop goes the liquor again"
We do not know about the figures given:
but that there has been large increase of
sales, and laxness on the part Of Town
Agents, here and elsewhere, which ought
not TO have been, is beyond all doubt. We
suppose by ''ultras' the writer means those
who wish to have the law administered strict
" and fairly, according to Its plain purport
The natural remedy for all this delinquency
Is obvious enough, ri=: to elect officers, from
the commissioner down, who will be earnest.
faithful and watchful, and let all the lovers
of good order and sobriety in the community
insist upon it mot once in year-but at
all times) that the law be regarded as it
ought to be, and that wilful infractions of it
shall be punished. If this were done. intern
perance, with the host of private and public
woes in Its train, would no longer increase;
but rapidly diminish.
The opinion of the article to which we re-
fer, as to the best way of maintaining a town
agency'-that is, by paying salary, say
Of Sl00 TO some one who would connect the
agency with his other business and be re-
stucted to selling at mere cost of liquor and
charges-may or may not be sound. We do
not need to discuss that question. But the
oddity of the thing is that while the writer
says that would result in a great diminu-
ton Of sales would test the law and on gbt
to satisfy all concerned, especially the
law abiding citizens he adds "this course
Of executing the law 10 the letter would be
most likely to cause its repeal and IL
cense law To be enacted in its stead" Can
any mortal see how that should follow-un-
less 1t be the case that those who wish TO sell |
liquor to make money and those who wish to
buy liquor to drink, out-number those who |
wish to have both the sale and the use re- |
stricted
The argument of the article in the Times
Is Of piece with the conduct of those who
propose to get up an opposition ticket for
County Commissioner, and for Town Officers
IN this town, just to show, as they say, that
they are in favor of license system, and
eager to have the prohibitory law repealed,
though they profess to expect their candidates,
if elected, to be faithful in carrying out the
provisions of the lava. it now is. Both are
absurd
1t is possible that few real friends of
temperance, from some confusion of mind.
will be caught in such snare but the great
'ody of the community will not be- 1t will
De understood, clearly enough, that the &C
i've ones in this movement will be those who
AVE been steady violators of the law as far
s they dared; those who are anxious for a
license system because they hope under it to
make money by the sale of liquor to all who
an be qllured to buy; those, old and young,
Tho are already on the high road to ruin and a
0 not wish any obstacles to be put in their /
7ays' and those thoughtless ones. mostly /
Dung, who wish to enjoy the hilarity which t
tends the frequenters of the bar and the \
'cial gat herring around the bottle-as giddy b
les like to hover around the fame by which a
ley are sure in the end to be DESTROYED. h