Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-16
THE PROnIBITOnY LAW.
Isl N Dead Letter
BURLINGTON, .May IA, 1884.


lar Science Monthly, an article entitled,
can Experiment in Prohibition" written
by the local editor of the FREE Press AND
TINES. From this article | quote the fol-
; lowing sentences "In the city of Burlington
there are about three score places where
liquor is sold A large
proportion of the mshops are located
upon the principal streets, and there is no
concealment or attempted conccalment of the
illegal traffic conducted within them" "The
law, broadly speakingis not at all enforced"
The sale of liquor il is hardly too much to
say, is almost as free and open as though
there were no such thing as prohibtory
law. can effort to enforce the law IS occas.
siOnally made, but such efforts have invari-
ably proved shDrt-llvcd and in almost every
instance the people have at the earliest
opportunity rejected at the polls
the officers who have attempted to en-
force the law" zone might go farther
and speak OF the perjury and suborna,ion
of perjury, for which The law is, in sense
respOnsble of the disregard and contempt
for all law which the opposition of this la"
tends to foster and encourage, and OF cog.
nate matters which will occur to the reflec-
! i've reader" "The cause of failure of the
| .aw is not far to seek,-lt is obviously that
the law IS not sustained by public sentiment
is that the world can not be dragooned
into virtue" | am not Concerned just now
with the truth or fasity of these extraor-
binary statements, | will only say that ii
they are not more than half true they in
effect charge upon the community a moral
mbeclity and disregard Tor law that are not
hopeful for he future; and they are so
| emphatic a justification of the Law and
Older League, that they leave nothing more
t be said on its behalf But l remember
that in the issue OF the FREE Pass AND
| TINES for May 2l one Of the speakers AT
n late meeting of this Law and
Order League was severely reprimauded
tor Speaking of the moral imbeclty Of the
community with respect to the support Of
| law. OF this | have only TO say tnat The
local editor has far more nearly justified, IN
| the above uttrrances, all that was sad by the
speaker. Bat | remember That in thai same
| issue OF the FRBE PRESS AND TINES it was
declared That there are not three cities OF
Its slzs in the United States If there is one, in
| which the piohlbtury law has been 81 steadily
respec ed and inforced AS in this city"
| Leaving asi IL all personal references it may
perhaps be- worth while to ask how the last
| assertion agrecs with the previously citei
declaration Ut complete failure OF the law
| aud with its re ereuce to "perjIry" aud
'cont mpt for all law" and with its explaua-
ton OF the law in the weakness Of ''pupIlc
sentiment" INoJIERR.
In answer to our cores pondents last ques.
| ton, we have to say, that we are not called
| upon to reconcile the statements Of this pa.
per, with those of any magazine, or maya
zine writer, whoever he may be. 1t is
enough if the FREE Press AND TINES is con-
sistent with itself and we think we may
say, with all truth, that this paper has been
| for over thirty years the constant and con-
sistent supporter of the prohibitory law of
this S,ate-not necessarily exalting it as a
| perfect thing, and not approving everything
| that has been done in its name; but approx
| ing aud supporting it, as on the whole the
most effective leg al method Of REFRESHING the
sale and use of intoxicating drinks, and so
of REFRESHING the pauperism, disorder and
crime, of which rum is the fruitful parent.
As such, We support it to-day, and we ex-
pect t. sustain 1t as long rs we can sustain
any ally of good order, Temperance and mo-
rality.
| We consider truth and fairness to be vr-
| tues, as well as temperance and turning to
| the magazine article alluded to- we find the
sentences above quoted from it to be not al
together fairly quoted, in that they do not,
in the article, apply exclusively and neces-
sariy to this city as they are made to in
| "luquircI's' collocation of them. The pas
sage from Mr. JohnsOn's article in the Pop
ular Science Monthly, from which the sen
fences are taken. is as follows
| In the city Of Burling on there are about three
| score places where liquor Is sold, and in Rutland
st. Adams. aud al. the larger towns, proportional
| number and II every village in the State, IN
| the exception Of few lnCousderab,e hamlets
| there is at east one such place. large proper
non OF the dram-shopS are located upon the prIuc
pal streets, and there is no concealmen or tempt
| ed cOucealment OF the illegal trafnc conduc ell
| within them. As these facts aud figures sufficient
~ Indicate, the law, broadly sueaking, Is not al all
enforced. The sale Of lqlor, II |, 1ard too much
10 say, is almost a. free ami open though there
principal eX option % The general rule consists Of
an occasional sptsmolli att up. 10 enforce the
| law in the larger places and the hning of liquor
dealers on what are termed "dl-c osures.' In the
latter case, person arrested for intox-
| lcatlon is compelled TO disclose" the per-
son Of whom ne procured liquor, and ina
person Is then tried for the Offensc. Such
cases are very common, nut as only the lowest
class OF liquor dealers II concerned in them, gen
orally speaking, aud AZ the prosecution Is invaria-
hIy fora "frs orrnse," no effective purpose is
served IN depressing the liquur-tratnc. In the
| Ia ger towns, 81 elot t. enforce tue law IL occa-
slonally made, but such efforts havs invariably
proved shurt.lived apd IN anpst every instance
The .eupe have, at The EARLIEST opportunity, je
eI al Inc p,'s the officers VINO nave attempted 10
ent"rcc the Jaw. These are the principal exce,-
lions To IN" general rule of non. enforcement OF
enforcing the ,aw ~ The ave- against hu Y AIRY and
larceny are enforced, no onr dreams 'Or mo-
ment. such Is the uhsall-ia tory Jesuit OF Yer.
mrl' thirty years ,xperlrnoe Of the prohlbitoly
qupr law - might 90 stu further, and spt an
81 The pr jury and subprnat On OF pc jury, 10
w'lch he law IL NJ rs re,ppnshl II the d -
regt d aud contempt for all law which Ihe opera
lpn Of this Jaw tends TO foster ana encourage and
Of cog ave matters winch viii orcur to me re1eC-
ave oader nut. perhaps, enough has he IA RI ii
IN showing IN" IA ur" Of the law to accomplish the
oDjrC for which II was enacted.
The CAUSE OF the failure OF the law Ia not far 10
see. Is obviously mat the law II not sustained
ny public sel!lln' nj. IL Is Thar The w"r d ,dn uor
, prom h tor, lass are well meaning men aud women.
Who arr sincerely DESTROYS Of henentng their frl
Iw-human hrlnGs All Advancing Gods Mn. dom
up,h tdrlh; hu not even by these II humanity
suffer Itself 10 he driven To lDficr he,gus Ui
h"ushl and aHlon. Tue people OF Vermont ar
no ain-ulhr IN nus matter; aid there would seem
to be 40 reason why the hibtery system,
failure III moral, Gpd fearing community, sLOulo
b. successful anywhere IN The Ia ted states.
, The statements which "Inqnrcr' con
aidcrs to justify the charge of "mortl imbe-
cilily' against this community, it VIII b,
seen are much more general than might b,
supposed from his communications. Tn il
general inaacuracy, as of other statement. it
the article from which they are taken, ",
s1all consider in another day. Fo
to-day, and 80 far as this cit,
, is lnccrued, we roiilirm our declaration
that there are probably not three cities of III
size in The Uoilrd states, If there is one, il
which tn probihitory law has been 81
T. ste IDLY rtspcc' cd and enforced as in thi
:, city. Tlc las has not prevented drunken
ness, any more luau the Law against stealing
e has preYenlud larceny. -porhaps not M