Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-03-04
TFor the Free Press.1
THE LICENSE QUESTION.


THE LICENSE QUESTION.
-Gessrs. Editors Of the Frsss Press:
wish to present in your columns few re-
marks on the comparative merit of the license
system, and our law prohibiting the traffic in
intoxicating drinks as beverage. At the very
threshold of the subject stands the question, is
such a traffic morally right or morally iri 0Hg +,
| If morally ,crorg, then it viii follow that the
| Legislature. in 1852, did a wise and virtuous
act in repudiating the license system and ma
king the rsffc in intoxicating drinks as a bey-
erage, penal offence We DO not judge Of the
moral character of an act, so much by consider
ing it in the abstract, as we do by looking at
the consequences which How from it. 1.-THE
fruit is good, we pronounce the tree good. If
bad, We pronounce the tree bad The moral
quality of our acts viii be determined accord
ing to the fruit, which they bring forth. But
if We Try this traffic in intoxicating drinks as a
beverage by its fruits what are they 1t
brings forth all that is awful in human calam-
ity, AN that is loathsome and denlorahe in
crime in this world and all that is terrible in
the world to come. Ii in fact. holds the great
master key to the gates Of hell and the cham
bers Of death. 1t Is the Prime Minister Of nine
tenths Of ali our domestic misery; and has
prorel the chief disturber Of al oUr civil.
moral, religious, and political relations and it
has 90 good to plead in offset 70 all this TIRE
mendous aggregate Of evil It is entirely inc1m
patible with the promotion of the temperance
cause violates the first principles of political
economy Injuries health deranges the intel
lect: and corrupts the moral atmosphere If
such results flow from the traffic, land who
can gainsly it > is not the uafi; morally
rrosg' Ani would it not be moral irro-g
in the Legislature to license che traffic As
much SO as to license gambling.
Buttisslil the tway to restrain aud prevent
this tremendous amount Of 10. flowing from the
sale of intoxicating drinks. is well-rsguIatei I'
cense system. Butthis system ofcurng.or rather
Of glarIing against the evils of iutemperaucs.
has been faithfully tried. For more than two
hundred years this traffic has been sanctioned To-
this country by law. under the forms of what
was cailei well regulated license system. The
earliest Colonial and Provincial legislation r--
cognired and adopted the licensing provisions
Of the mother country and after cur sepaa-
ton from the mother country. the same sy stem
Of legislation was continued by the State gov
ernments In this state. il WIS continued up 20
1852 During the period of the license system.
men Of the frst r.epectloil,y were engaged u
this traffic under the sanctions of tine inv ami
it was flvorite notion IN the days Of cur fore
fathers that this train. must be committed TO
Trustworthy hands, that the community might
be saved from the tli-htu- effects Of intempel-
ance
The license system WAS adopted. and pr.-
vailed AZ a day when it was considered that
moderate use of ardent spirits was not only pro
per but useful and tntt cau-eq queu,ly the tratae
was legitimate business. though a dangerous
one to the well being Of the body polite aud
hence it was heisgi about with "A system Of
license Laws mltur,I with al, the wisdom
which our torrfitHe- possessed ami which
were changed or altered from time 70 time,
with view that they should better subserye
the humane end for which they were designed.
But what was the practical result ur,i-r trat
system OF ley.siatIon,
Every man who knows amy thing about the
past history Of our own country knows that
drunkenness. with all It's cauc0mit1nt evils. pre-
vailed to au alarming extent ami it was feared
We were destined 90 become nation Of drunk
ards This is uo calorel picture Of what was
the state Of the nation. some forty years ago,
aui this 600, under the effects Of Wen regulated
license system. The nation Al length was
vakei mp aud sounded their alarm bell from
one end ot the Nuiou 20 the other. The tempe
rance reformation then commenced In good earn
ast and efficient Temperance societies were organ
iTed in the various sections Of our country. and
a glorious work was done in reforming inetri-
ates and 10 mitigating the evils Of intempe-
rance. This was done by the power Of " moral
suasiou Not with the aid of the license sys-
TEN BAT ~ spite oft And shall We again re-
turn 20 system, which with all the reforms
that could be engrafted upon it, has worked 50
badly for more than two hundred years In
der the effect Of our own license system. which
WIS supposed 70 he well regulated one, de-
yscI with all the Wis lon Of our forefathers.
drunkenness was making such rapid strides
among us, that in 1921 the legislature thought
4 1t necessary to strike a blow upon &c the common
tpplers." as they were called. And how did
they do this Why, by requiring the seleotmen
Of the town to post up common tipplers in every
store and every tavern in the town. The form
Of the notification Was somewhat characteristic.
/ give it as found in the Statute book.
ITO MI persons, ,rhom it may concern:
Know We that A. B. Of in the county
Of - and State of Vermont, has, in the
opinion Of the undersigned the Selectmen Of said
Of said town. become a common tippier All per-
sons are therefore forbid selling, or giving, or
procuring to be sold or given to said a. B.. any
spurious liquors whatever under the penalty
of the law in such-case provided.
Signed officially by the selectmen.
Dated At
For violation Of the law, suitable penalties
were provided.
This law was entitled "an act more effectually
to prevent intemperance."
The passing Of such an act as late as in 1921,
shows what every one knows. who was then ac-
quainted with the history Of the nation. the Ia
pid strides which intemperanee wss making
among US under the license laws.
But, as has already been said, alters, upon thi
the formation Of Temperance Societies and by q
thnrnurh a-itatinn Of the snhierf much Was ions