Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-06-22


sents to society, help from any quarter is
welcome. IT, too, instead OF deductions
drawn 10y priOri reasoning from we'll
settled principles, which, to he sure, are
valuable, AID comes in the more tangible
form Of results derived from actual trial,
faithfully carried on Ivy competent expert
mentors aud honestly reported, it is dOub-
~ welcome. IL is tins sort Of aid which is
now offered for our consideration, and
which though comparatively Insignificant
in quantity is OF q character to make IL eX
ceedingly helpful to us in determining the
proper method OF dealing with the sale OF
intoxicating liquors.
In the germ here presented we hope there
may he found the promise and potency
of Il complete. plan for the social handling
OF the temperance question.
Brattleboru's method-lor ii is of this
beautiful Vermont village that we write
is the very practical one of attempting no
more than can be accomplished. The au-
thorities of the village do not aim at max
ing 1t temperance village specially. They
say that with the temperance question As
such they as officers have nothing 10 do
any more, Tor instance, than they have with
religion or education. They claim, how
ever, that so far as tho habit of intemper-
ance interleres with the good order OF their
village they have great deal to do with it.
Ii is their business, they hold, to preserve
order, and when "drink' disiutbs order,
they will disturb drink" So far. then,
there is a warfare between the village au-
thOrities and the liquor. sellers; but the
former maintain that the board OF bailif1s
j. not n temperance society they therefore
decline to use the extreme power of the
law, believing that in this way they obtain
better results Than in any other. The Iacls
seem to bear them out In their course, for
they have made the busiling village Of
Brattleboro the quetest village in all New
England. Their method of securing this
result is as follows:
Under the law every case Of drunken
ness is capable Of producing four distinct
prosecutions one against the drunken
man and three against the seller. The three
against the seller are-hrst, prosecution
Tor the act of selling the liquor; second,
one for the keeping it with intent 10 sell (;
and. third, one for the search and seizure
and contiscation OF liquor II found. Ii Is
the last two prosecutions which the Brat
tlehoro authorities decline to lung, but
which are brought everywhere else where
the enforcement Of the law is attempted.
To detail particular case, that the prac-
teal working OF this plan may be more
clearly seen: a. j. found in the streets in
toXicated, and because Of such intoXication
a disturber of the peace. lie Is arrested
and sent to the lock-up. When sober
enough Ia he examined he j. brought be
fore a magistrate and fined five dollars ana
costs. In default of payment, he i COM
mtted TO the county jail, and stands COM
United until the fine Is paid. During his
! examination, he is compelled, under the
! law, 10 disclose where he obtained bis liz
| uor. The law is imperative on this point;
! the magistrate must inquire and the ac-
cused must tell where he procured it, The
! liquor. seller is then arrested, and II The OIL
| Tense is proved, he j. fined ten dollars and
! costs 1t frequently happens where the
! case il an aggravated one, that more Than
! one Oflense is charged against the seller IN
! the same prosecution. In such case the
! fine may he for several oflenses-tcn dol
/ lars Tor each-according to the rulings of
] the magistrate and the pleasure OF the pros
! ecuting officers. At these trials for The
| sale of liquor-and here is another feature
| of the Brattleboru plan-One or more OF the
/ village haiifls are present, not as prose-
cutting officers, but IN the interest OF law
! and order. No statute cOmpe.s their at
! tendance, 10 custom even; but sense oil
| the responsibilities of their position iucltes
! them to see to II, that the law Is eilectually
! put in force, so far as IL Is necessary to pre-
serve the peace. Public opinion requires
this of them. The offender, too, is more
| sensibly confronted with the majesty Of
| the law in the presence OF an Official OF this
| character than he is by constable, grand
Juror, or village policeman. Inc elect OF
| such attendance by the bailitls is very
| marked. Here the prosecution ends; the
| two further cases in which the seller may
| he involved are not brought, and he knows
| that they will not he. Consequently he
pays his fine aud keeps on selling a be-
fore, but he is very careful 10 whom he
| sells. lie keeps AN orderly house, well
knowing that il he II caught again the pen
atty will be heavier. Furthermore, he is
well aware that what has been done TO him
has not been done out OF any spirit Of re-
venge, nor from what he Is very likely 10
look upon as spirit of iauaiiclsn. Ii has
not been done by the temperance people, a.
a "a n
perhaps have been most active IN punish
ing him have not unfIequeutly, 1t may be,
hob-nobbed with him at his own bar. 30
lie knows very well that what has been
done has been done 10y society, represented
by the officers OF the body polite o! which
he is a member; and that public opinion
has compelled these officers TO do II for The
preservation Of that society. lie lakes q
common sense view OF the case, and while
he feels that be has been severely deal
with, he knows that he has not been un'
justly dealt with. The logic OF the whole
proceeding is very clear TO his mind. ii,
therefore submits with a good grace, anC
tries To do better in the future.
1t i altogether likely tudt were the
sentiment Of lie community in favor OF the
fall prosecution of the law so as TO drive
| him out of business entirely, be would hC
equally philosophical and submit 10 the in
evilable just as gracefully; hui SO lolg a
/ he knows that il is not, be war; against The
cXreme penalties. Herein consists the gist
OF the Bratleboro plan. 1t works up to The
requirements OF public sentiment and thel'
il stops. Ii can only go farther 10y the de
mand OF public sentiment for an advance
1t is such nicely adjusted system too, tina
1t can follow iusl a. fast as public sentlmen
leads. The friends OF temperance have the
matter entirely in their own hands under
such system. They have only u educate
the public mp 10 total prohibition, ana un
der the Bratleboro system this tiuai resul
is accomplished. ID only falls short OF to
tai prohibition. because such prohibition
is not demanded by the community. Tha
being the case, the liquor-seler, when hi
finds the probibilionisls going beyond tht
demands of public seulimenI,-or what hi
believes 1t TO be, which amounts 10 The
same thing with him, and bringing aeains
, him the two remaining prosecutions which
are possible under The law, is in a totally
different frame OF mind from that OF ih,
seller convicted under the Braltlehoro Ilan
He considers these men his natural enc
+ mics, and also the enemies OF society itself
and, therefore, when they begin "A warlar
upon him, all his cOmbaliveness is aroused
Z He resorts to all the methods known to The
, law to thwart his perseculors-fur such he
deems them. He hides his liquors frou
them, plays tricks on them with coloret
water and ill-smelling and ill-taslin!
liquids, gets them into trap-, where the,
fall into cellar ways and pitfalls has
dozen different aliases under which he car
ries on his illegal traffic, so that the writ
in the case are, ten TO one, made out agains
the wrong party and if actually caught a
last in the meshes of the law, cnts its man
/ fold Gordon knots by deliberate lynn
and downright perjury. In such an event
no and his cloud of witnesses will lie tn
I case through to the end, as unconcernedl,
as they would lake cigar. They think
, no sin TO use any means 10 crcumven
. such hypocriies and public enemies as the,
conceive the prohibilouists TO be, "Figh
the devil with fire" is their motto, and lhel
, act up to it, They invent upprobrous cpl