Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-12-15

LIQUOR and Crime.

The authorities Of the Protestant House Of
Refuge Of Montreal have some new stores to
rent, but have persisiently refused to rent
them to any one who sells liquor. \ CORES
pondent Of the Witness reioicss A. this
follows:
How costly tra nc Is this liquor business that we
ailO ing Every one IS taxed 20 Keep 10 up and
all 70 enrich the dealer. We license Tor small
consideration. TO make plupe.5; and Afterwards
supp5ft them How much longer are We going
70 sui ir this stt-e Of things In Bennington,
VI, the jail filed with inmates, is now, under
the EruhIbitory Law, empty and the door tied with
d rope. LIT US NJ. Editlr. have Pr0hibitory
Law here, and won't there be JOY instead ofs0rros
Let US try IT,
This is very good, but candor compels Us to
state that while the Pr0hbitory Law msF &C
count for the occasional emptiness Of Vermont
iai, decent enforcement Of the Law would
speedily 6ll them all Not with drunksris, to be
s1ie, but with drunksrd-makers, and there is
where the pinch comes We occasionally punish
the poor victims the same IS they 90 in Men
treal, but We have little more o0ursge TO enforce
our law on the rich AMI powerful than the Can
adams have 10 enact one The late Gov. Wash
burn, speaking Of the usury laws said in suit
stance that law generally disregarded Is worse
than no law st ali. We submit that so far as
enforcing the PrOhi5i;Ory Law on the resi- oien-
ders Is concerned. it Is practically a nullity in
nearly or quite all the large towns in Vermont.
The Sheriff Of this county )and 81. Adams is
quite as temperate as Beuuingt0u) informs Us
thAt fully one-thirl Of his 0..isl duties grow cut
Of the effects Of run. To this adj the services
Of the police, and remember that il is only the
very worst cases that fall into the hands Of either,
and what DO you nov think about our paradise
We are not speaking sg1inst the prohibitory
law, for We know that in many places it hss
. - 81 o.
compliment 20 Vermont We wish to say that the
owners Of those Montreal stores have adopted
o1e Of the most effective measures for the sup
preston Of the -rafhc thst Was ever tried We
have found in Vermont that rent is the grestest
bug-bear Ia the path Of the law. Hotel keepers
say land many times truly that they can't keep
open without bar Landlords Of blocks enjoy
lat incomes and 80 ciose their eyes when they get
home from church lest they may see something
about their possessions that goes counter % their
professions. When some tenant gets into the
limtos fox selling liquor, they go diligently At
work 10 break down public senuuent-the sup
port o.. isw-0r else shield the wretch by attach
mems or come other expsijents which will cause
delay AMI result in triumph. This Is all done
indirectly, Of course, decenty and under s cloak,
butit is done. and d0ne 60 much thst 1t is about
al prosecuting o.5csr's official lie is worth TO
better, and the liquors We have are poison CON-
pArel with those ia Montreal Verify, in this
respect more than any other We have ever seen,
the love Of money is the roo. Of all evil, and IN
I'll some way can be devised for taking away the
profit Of rum selling. We despair under any Law
whatever, Of Public Sentiments ever coming 10
the rescue.
There IS TOO mlch truth in the Mssss1ysr's
picture Il tits IU true. the case is a mel4n-
choly one. If the law is practically
nullity - in the large towns. then the large
towns have no Law on the subject. For it is TO
be remembered, BY both friends snd foes Of the
so-ea!lei " Prohibi,ory law" that tha, is the
only liquor Law We have in this Stste. Those
who strive 20 make 1t practically nuility sre
in reality striving to take from the community
all the protection il has in the shape Of repressive
legislation. Yet none but the most utterly be
sot,ei are ready to 20 for absolutely unrestricted
trsfhe 10 liquor No respectable citizen desires
TO see every grocery grog-shop. Is in the Five
Points Of New York, or an open bar 10 every
thirty souls. IS in the lowest purlieus Of Lon
don. Way not. Because al admit thst
drunkenness j. the most fruitful source Of
misery. paupesisn ant crime. Therefore the
respectable opponents Of Sc prohibitory '' legis-
laiion commonly wish to see it replaced by a
stringent license law' Bat that question Is lot
an open one in Vermont The people Of the State
have 60 ofiaa dec.-rel by their legislators, that
the only license law they viii have is Re exist
ing very stringent license law, which iicenses
Just one man in each town to sell liquor for all
naeiful and lawful purposes, that no one any
longer expects to see the law materially changed.
The law is wholesome one. IS We believe-but
st sny rl,e II will stand, sni those who strive to
b-esk it down, in any community, VIII 30 well
to reflect that they are breaking down the only
protection against the greatest source of rauper-
ism and crime. We trust the towns IN which /.
the law is " practically nuility" are few.
There need no; be any