The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-09
DISCUSSION ON CURRENT
TOPICS.
The Liquor Question in Wassa-
chusetts.


The Massachusetts legislature have under
consideration two or three amendments to
the present prohibitory lawl in that state,
and some of them point toward the enact
ment of limited license law. The sub
iect is receiving considerable attention at
the hands of the lawmakers of the old
commonwealth, which calls forth varying
opinions in debate. As this subject Is a
current topic of discussion everywhere.
we give portion of the debate on We'd
ncsday last.
The senate had under consideration
the report of the committee on the liquor
law on so much of the governors message
as relates to that subject. \ majority Of
the committee have reported that further
legislation upon the subject was inexpcdi-
ent and the minority had presented two re-
ports accompanied by bills looking toward
a limited license system Mr.. Stone had
proposed on Tuesday several amendments
to one of the hills to require inn-holders.
groccrs. brewers and distilcrs to enter the
names of parties purchasing from them,
with the date and quantity purchased.
These were lost by decisive votes.
1t will be seen that the views expressed
are wildly at variance.
Mr.. johnson of Worcester opposed the
bill offered as substitute by Mr.. Merrill
of Norfolk. He said liquor selling was an
unmitiraicd evil and should be suppressed
ne If there was none sold, there would not
he none drank The sale ought to he re-
strained and we have now a law which
nrobibits the sale bv making il illegal. The
minority of the committee acknowledge
the sale ia he nm evil and they now seek Ia
maize n meal public evil. respectable by
licenses. which is the most illogical position
anyone can take. 1t was true that the
present law was not fully enforced in Bos-
ton. hut other laws are not. and yet COM
Dlaint is not made of them. lie believed
that in the small country towns the pro-
hihitorv law was rs well executed AS any
law on the statute book, and in histown It
wos better executed than any other. 1t
was now the same old story of calling for
license when the prohbltory law begins
70 bc enforced. and this led him to believe
that in many of the cities the present law
woe wcll enforced Tie commented
sevoro,v ON thc BOSTON nolicr for
,o, nyocrt;,r tbe nrohihiiorv law
auI so;d # thnv did thcir Unity If
,"n,,,d ~, tho bn.t cxecrtnd in fine criminal
l;st Root"n in thie way ,yns rnntnminat-
In, ,ba n,nrols of the other neonlc of the
CGmmonwenlth # The present legislature
,ossod . licnnen law The strongest nossiblc
nrrol,;l;,nr,. Incjelntn,n would hr sent ia the
| Gtoto Un,iso newt veor n tho rcnnlp we're
do,orr,inej Thc Hi hcfnre thd senote
Io,roi;,od o,o,v,hir~ fine nrnhihitorv law
or,nnsod I, Was nm imnosi,ion ON the moor
man as If nrevcntpd his Getting lo,lor nm
ioss no ro, If ne he does nndcr the nreseni
io,v Iicenen is fren ,nm and ALWAYS has
boom and II il MI n sham, 70 soy a license
,n,,. ,,.;ii Lo ovocrtnd Tin n,ovieion al
i@,,,;rc ~ towns +, rotif, PROCEEDINGS IF thc
lorisl5inro heforc thev take effect he
,homght was nil WRONG. rs all legislation
should he Uniform.
A. stove of ,jo C,uc dist,ic, soid he
WINS not clear on some noin,s which Mr..
Worr;ll ,,esterdav had undertol;cn Ia ey-
Main and he oskoI for fnrthcr eynlona.
lion of nor,io,s Of thc iii
Mr.. Merrill of Norfolk replicl with the
exnlanation asked and claimed that The
cytremc nrohibitory and linuor men now
Joined hands for the passage Of law ia
REGULATE the sale of LIQUOR in the interest
of temperance. The bill before the Senate
was not in the interest of the liouot traffic,
and he claimed that its provisions were So
strict that this made it Objectionable to
many persons. If tie right to sell liquor
to their guests was given to hotel keepers
they would do all in their power to see that
the law was not violated but when you
saw he shall not sell. when YOU know he
has got to do it to keep his hotel. it is all
never 50 prevalent in the commonwealth,
and under the present prohibitory law there
are over Z. 900 liquor shops in Boston. 1t
has rot to be admitted that neoplc would
drink liouor and would get drunk and i,
was mere sentiment which protected thi.
lou, ro,hip,r morn notbinr las Tho hil'