Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-22
The Liquor Traffic.

lt IS now more than twenty-five years ago
that the legislature of Maine abandoned its
policy Of licensing the liquor traffic and put
it under the ban OF the law The reason
for it was that this traffic was adiudged 10
be hostile 10 every interest of the state and
the people. Upon this point there was and
could be no difference of opinion all intel
ligent men were agreed that drinking
houses aud tipping shops We're an infinite
public and social mischief, and an intolera-
bic public nuisance; and TO this day that
judgment Of the liquor trade remains un-
changed.
But notwithstanding this universal agree
ment upon the inevitable evils of the liquor
traffic, there was then a strong opposition to
the adoption OF the policy Of prohibition.
No man was bold enough to say that this
traffic should be licensed and protected for
its own sake, but the opposition to prohibi-
tion was based upon the assumed fact that
it could not be suppressed by any contri-
vance of law, however ingenious it might be,
and that in consequence the wiser way
would be to place it under stringent regula-
ton.
As the result Of the policy of prohibition
in Maine, the liquor traffic has been reduced
to one-tenth of its former dimensions The
most moderate opinions are agreed upon the
extent Of diminution in the trade, while in
truth it is very much larger as believe.
The traffic is now carried on secretly, and
only by men--and some women-who are
the lowest and vilest Of onr foreign popua-
ton, with the exception of very few per
sons of American origin, who care nothing
for the welfare and happiness of the com
munity. These people live in low neighbor-
hoods, crowded together in groups like so
I fna r4tf
of whiskey or few bottles of beer hidden
in beds or in holes under the floor, or in an
out-shed or in a stable, and sometimes in
unmentionable places. There are very
few hotels where liquor is also sold, with
more or less secrecy. The former places are
haunted by low, vulgar, degraded, drunken
people, mostly foreigners the latter by
mice young men who are just entering
upon the road to ruin, and in this way n
vast amount of misery is perpetuated in the
community, though the liquor traffic is in
fact reduced to small proportions.
Now why is it that this horrible trade has
not been thoroughly extirpated from the
state in all these years of endeavor 1t is
| simply because the law does not deal with
| it as it does with other crimes not hun
| dredth part as heinous as this. The penal
ties of the statute are entirely insufficient to
I
gagged in the trade This traffic is very
profitable and the grog-selers can well af-
ford TO pay an occasional fine-they call it a
license fee-and so keep on violating the
law. But are there not penalties of impris-
onment as well as of fines Yes, there are,
but many OF the administrators OF the law
themselves violate its express commands,
and thus the penalties are reduced to pc
| cuniary fines, which can never suppress this
\ traffic.
| Mr.. Senator Morrill,, in a speech in the
/ United States Senate, denounced the liquor
traffic as the gigantic crime of crimes"
and am confident that the public opinion
of this state is fully up to that view of it.
/ Where is the man who will deny that this
/ dreadful crime nilicts more mischief upon
the state, and more misery upon the people,
than come from all other crimes combined,
! of whatever nature or namef At the same
time we must take into the account that at
least nine-tenths Of all other crimes are the
horrible progeny of this one. Why, then,
should our law in dealing with this tremen-
dous evil 60 on higgling aud hagglng about
a few dollars, more or less, in fines, and a
few DAYS, more or less, of jail aud leaving
the whole TO be reduced to a nullity by
county attorneys and municipal Judges who
may chance to sympathize with this dread
ful crimep The people of Maine have willed
that the liquor trade shall be suppressed
then let US have provisions of law that will
respond fully TO that just demand.
There is not now in this state any organ
lied opposition to prohibition sharp, strin-
gent, severe, except the Irish Liquor League
OF Portland, Pat McGlinohey, president.
And whatever unfriendliness there may be
in the state comes only from the pretended
opinion that the Maine Law is imperative.
But on the day when the legislature shall
give us an enactment which shall place the
liquor traffic in its appropriate plaee-its
Just position in the scale Of crmes-on that
day all opposition OF whatever kind to pro
4 hibtion viii cease.
e The slave trade was once, and that not
q very long ago, a very respectable business
, extensively carried on from many American
ports but now it is piracy by the law, though
: the misery caused by it to mankind wa'
I never thonsandth part so great as that
7 coming from the liquor trade" the gigan
tic crime of crimes" Then let us have q
law with so much fine a large sum, and 81
much Jail or state prison, a long term, witt
no discretion TO abolish or diminish or post
pone in prosecuting officers, justices o.
judges, and we shall soon see the end o
that deyilish trade-THE GIGANTIC CRIMl
or CRIMES.