Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-06

~, "VHOuIu MS aCOnOllc STOCK
10 trade may be seized next Gay by the sheriff,
and himself, perhaps, sent to the House of
Correction. These deductions would, we be-
lievc, reduce the number OF "dramshops, "
properly so.cal'ed, to smaller number In
proportion To population than in any other
civilized community of equal numbers with
the possible exception of the State of Maine,
1t all concerns procuring United States IL
censes arc 10 he called dfamshops, then 1t is
to be noted that the number Is much smaller
in Vermont in proportion to population than
In any State which liclnses the sale OF
liquors. Thds In Massachusetts, which has
That is called a rigid license law, e47G rcr.
sons held United States licenses to sell
liquor last year, being one to every 2O2 of tn.
population In Connecticut 1857 persons
purchased United States licenses, being one
TO every 1871 of the population IN Yer
mont, IT, as stated TIC number taking out
United states licenses was 446, the proper
ton was one to IA. In other words more
than three times as many persons were selling
liquor i'll Massachusetts, and four times
as many in Connecticut, in proportion &c
population, us in Vermont AhG could the
amount of liiGors sold where Inc dealer /,
free to advertise his business and sell all h,
can, be compared with the amount sold
where the traffic is under the ban of pro
hibitory law, even enforced no better than il
is in Vermont it would doubtless be found
that each United States license ~ Massachu.
sets, Connecticut, New York or any other
rrohib.tory State represents vastly
greater sale Of liquors.
The number of United States licenses re.
turned for Vermont may have increased, as
stated, within year or tive, vet rot at a
greater rate, We think. than the population
OF the towns ID which the drug stores, hotels
enS saloons so licensed are situated. But
on the whole the number of licenses re-
turned for Vermont shows noticeable de-
crease in the last ten years, the numter
returned for the year 1875, US stated in some
recent statistics, being 6s4. Here appears
to De decrease of over 200, or some IS per
cent In ten years. During the same period
the number of United States licersee tSsl. ii
IN Maine increased Ivy .; IN Massachusetts
by sOof IN Connecticut by 573, in Rhode
Island by 43G. Something, evidently, is
checking the liquor traffic in Vermont to a
extent, and the universal and
stlopg opposition to the law, on The part of
those who consider it to be for their interest
to have more rather than less intoxicating
drinks consumed here, shows clearly that
thet sltrlbuie a good part of the restriction
10 the pruhlhitory law.
Inc numSer of places where liano- ss flld
u Burlington is over s',tc's. The Revenue
'iticers ai0 Fr5iant and they found, not
hfec score, but .t1rty-nine places which
hey required to take out United States
license last year. This is enough and too
much, without over stating the number,
1t is not the TACT that in every village .Aeic
g at least one such place. Many villages
lave no ouch place, and have not had for
twenty years. Ia more than half of the
owns of Vermont the United States Revcn,;e
collector could find, in the veal ending
April II 1893, No one ceiling liquor. There
lre s4V towns in Vermont, and in 1877 of
nese no drug store, hotel or dramshop was
oucd That could be required TO take a
United States license. The statement that
mere Is no cnceamept or attempted con-
'eanant OF such illegal ,refflc as is conducted
IL the State, could hardly be made wiGcl of
The truth. AS a general thing the traffic is
'vervwherc concealed from public view.
No placard, sign, advertisement, or open bar
'ttracts men to drink. The liuutrs kept for
ale in most places lnGtt be kept under lock
md kny, or IN dark rooms or cellars and
wen then seizures are frequent aud fines
and often ruinous to the business,
nj by no means confined to first offences, or
o liquor dealers Of the lowest class. The
ssertion that nc one dreams for a moment
enforcing the law as the laws against bur-
iarly and larceny are enforced" needs very
erlous qualification. In many towns, as we
ave seen, the law is enforced 10 the entire
xclusion OF the traffic. The law against
'rcenyis not always enforced, anywhere,
here are hundreds and perhaps thousands |
umbrellas stolen every year in every
tate. In this State every such theft, if the
ws against larceny were strictly enforced
'ould be punished bya fine of twenty dol.
re, or Imprisonment for three months.
III no one dreams for moment of such
and yet Vermont is law
'ldlng community. In towns not a few,
doubt, the pr Jhibitory law is commonly
lforced only upon the more fragrant
lenders, being practically used only for
&c suppression of acknowledged nuisances.
&c law Is one which enables the citizens Of
~ town to do what they CHI ose as regards
egal traffic in liquor If they choose they
n Danish it. If they do not care to Danish
they can restrict it, if they will, to almost
" extent. In point of fact, in Vermont, as
whole, The law exercises steady. and
opaplY increasing pressure, upon the illegal
allie, and makes it avery risky and disre-
liable business. 70 this extent the law is
, failure.
We are not undertaking to show that there
not fearful amount of drunkenness, pau. {
rlsm, ruin of happy homes aud wrecking q,
promising men and women, by the demon
rum In Vermont Or that there is no need
an arous d public sentiment and more dill
,nt use OF all proper means to rescue the r
ives OF appetite and to guard the morals of G
T youth. The prohibitory law in many !
aces eau be and should b. made far more !