The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-29
PROHIBITION IN VERMONT.
How the Principle Works Where the Law Is
Strongest.
Philadelphia Record.

As the question of uorprohibition win be up
again in the elections for Legislature in this
State the experiments that have been made in
the policy will be of interest alike to its Oppo-
nents and its advocates For about thirty years
the people of Vermont have been legislating on
prohibition, and Mr. Edward johnson, in the
last number of the Popular Science Monthly
sums up the results. Although Vermont and
Maine began these experiments in about the
same time there has been cOnsidera bic difference
in their methods. After putting the prohibitory
law on the statute book the Maine Legisla-
ture, except at rare intervals, has left it
take care of itself But not in Vermont
Since the original prohibitory LIQUOR law of 1853
there has not been a session of the Vermont
Legislature i'll which it has not been subjected TO
amendments for increasing its rigor and for
facilitating its execution. The law authorizes
constables TO make domiciliary visits day and
night without warrant in search OF the contra
band commodity. Prosecuting officers and in
formers receive portion of the fines which are
levied upon delinquents, and in addition to the
money penalty, which may be imposed TO the
amount Of five hundred dollars, the convicted
iquor-seller must undergo imprisonment from
three to six months
Yet as the Draconian severity of the Vermont
liquor law has increased. the greater Is the con-
tempt with which it is treated by the people
While liquor is openly sold in every considerable
town Ill the State there are few precautions and
still fewer convictions to vindicate the offended
statute. 1t appears from the report of the
united states revenue commissioner that IN
1888 there were in Vermont 446 places for which
government licenses were issued for the sale of
liquor, and the number is increasing, while the
population is almost at a standstill Burlington.
alone, has not less than sixty licensed liquor
Saloons to say nothing of the unlicensed places
that are unknown TO the government authorities;
and yet some wards of Philadelphia, containing
larger population than Burlington, are not so
well provided with drinking facilities.
While the liquor seller is made an outlaw by
of re r
more powerful than the prohibitory statutes. 1t
is not considered respectable to oppose prohi-
bltion, and instead of making any efforts to re-
peal the system, politicians think it more wise
to ignore its existence. Few officials are re
elected who make display of too much zeal in
the prosecution of offending liquor-sellers The
result IS that the prohibitionsts have their law,
while the public get their whisky and beer with
little or no molestation. 1t is not considered
necessary to agitate for repeal OF the law, which
would only provoke conflict with its fanatical
advocates, when it is so much more easy to treat
it a nullity.
After long series of experiments running
through generation, it might be supposed that
the Vermont prolIbitionists would at last be
come convinced of the futility of their policy and
consent to the adoption of some more rational
system, like that of high license which exists
in some States. Senator Edmunds, who has had
considerable experience in reforrnatory law
making of various kinds, could draw up high
license law that would prove much more
effective in restraining the liquor traffic in Yer
mont than is the present system of prohibition
OF course, there is such a thing as making
the licenses so unreasonably higha to encourage
the Illicit traffic in liquor and bring little
revenue to the State. But licenses can be
made so high as to diminish the number of liquor
saloons. and thus lessen the scandal and the mis-
chief of the traffic. Such a system, however
would be regarded by the prohibitionists of Yer
mont as a retreat from their high moral ground.
They prefer prohibitory law that does not pro
hibit to such concession to the liquor traffic,
and, to do the people of Vermont justice, they
seem to be highly satisfied with an arrangement
that wears very moral appearance on the out
side and at the same time does not seriously in
terfere with their drinking customs. But that is
no reason why the people of Pennsylvania and
other States should not enact and rigidy enforce
q reasonable system of high license