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

the closing of all the saloons and hotel bars
on Sundays and on any other occasion
when in the judgment OF the village au-
thorities they should be closed. Al the
Soldiers Reunion held here in the sum
mer of 1875, the places where liquors we're
kept for sale were closed at six O'Clock
every evening, by order Of the bailifts.
There was no exception TO this rule, no SELL
er daring to defy this authority which he
well knew was the authority OF public
opinion. II is not TO he supposed, however,
that there was, on that account, total ces-
saiiOn Of liquor-dt mixing during those eve
ninps OF soldierly reunion.
But there was no such Wholesale rum
drinking at BratlleborO as the writer was
witness OF on another occasion OF like char
acter, and for this the Brsttleboro method
should have credit On the occasion al
luded to, one liquor-seller stated that dur
ing one evening from O'Clock L, NJ, till
about 2 A. NJ, his sales amounted TO over
three hundred dollars, and in that time he
sold only six gallons Of liquors; the rest
was water, to the sale of which on temper
ance grounds there could be no objection.
The device of the good people of GOthen-
burg in Sweden for the restriction OF the
liquor traffic is worthy of notice here.
Full details Of it will be found In the Lon
don Quarterly Review" for October, 1875.
1t seems that the evils Of the indiscriminate
sale Of Intoxicating liquors were felt there
to such a degree that the better class of cit
liens took up the matter with determine
ton 10 stop such sale. They accordingly
formed n company, consisting OF the wealth
lest and worthiest Of the town. for the nur-
pose of controlling the safe Of liquors. This
company, under the laws OF Sweden
which must be peculiar to allow such a
Transaction purchased all the liquors need
ed for consumption in the town. They al
lowed none but their own employees or per
sons authorized by the company 70 sell
a IN NaF
procured Of the company. A further CON
ditiOn-the most important and singular
proceeding in the whole movement-they
allowed no person selling liquor 10 profit
by the sale. This is the key TO the entire
procedure they take away from The seller
his greatest incentive 10 sell. All he can
hope to profit by the sale is from the in
creased trade IN other branches OF the BUSH
ness. An hotel-k eeper who j. allowed to
dispense liquors in Gothenburg expects by
this to draw custom 10 his house, although
he can make no profit on the liquors his
customers may drink while they are his
guests. The effect of this management was
found to be good the number of drinking
places was largely reduced, which u al
ways a gain 10 the cause Of temperance
50 the Quarterly holds, whether brought
about 10y license or prohibition, by the
Gotheuhurg, or tit may be added by the
BrattleborO method. In the case OF a re-
duclion by the usual attempts at prohibit
ton it may be questioned whether this
gain is not at least partially Offset by the
substitution Of stronger drinks for ale aud
beer and cider, which latter are rendered
hazardous to keep by their greater bulk. Ii
is a fact that the sales of these lighter bev-
erages diminish where the prohibitiOniSts
are active. In Braitleboro they are freely
sold. though the sellers are careful to avoid
causing drunkenness by their sale, aud for
obvious reasons.
Another gain, the "Quarieriy'' asserts, is
effected by the Gothenburg method. ahd
;he same is true of the Brattieboro method
the character of the liquor sellers is i'm
proved or, 10 put ii differently, the worst
sort OF vendors quit the business. Under
the Gothenburg method they are not sup
piled with liquors by the company. and nm
der the BrattleborO method the determined
character Of the movement prevents their
continuation In the business. GROCERY
of the lowest class, with its constant brawls
and fights does not now exist in Brattle-
boro. The strict prohbitionist will Of
course not admit this TO be a gain; be looks
upon all liquor selling alike, and will adj
NIT of no degree in its criminaliiy. In fact,
If anything, he thinks the respectable
rum seller" q little worse than the other
kind. on account of the higher position in
the social scale which the former holds (;
but the civilized world generally will agree
with the Quarterly" that there is a real
gain to society when. from any cause, the
lowest class Of liquor sellers are forced TO
close their shops.