The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-11-17
Report Of Special Committee on the
Senate License Bill.

bVhhtC ItCtuSt
Following is the report of the special COM
mittee of three senators to whom was re-
ferred the Valentine license bill The re-
port was submitted in the senate this
morning.
We consider the true object of legislation
upon this subject to be to adopt such laws
as will most effectually restrain and prevent
the sale of all intoXicants as beverage.
We find that our present prohibitory law
has been in force for a period of about
thirty-four years. that 1t has constantly been
changed, receiving strengthening additions
and enlargement of application with con-
stantly increasing penalties for its infrac-
ton, until human ingenuity has been al
most exhausted in the effort to make its
provisions effectual to accomplish the fact
of actual prohibition. Every feature of
prohibitory law asked by the most Jealous
advocates of prohbitory legislation has been
freely adopted; and money, effort, teaching
and legislation have been expended with
lavish generosity to secure it's enforcement,
! but Notwithstanding all this we in
formed by our governor in his inaugural
message: THAT the laws of the state on this
subject are in many places openly violated
and tlagrantly disregarded is an open Sc
cret; and that, in some instances, too
numerous to be contemplated without
concern those upon whom has been,
or is, imposed the sworn duty of its
faithful execution, are its violaters and
are blind or indifferent to its violation by
others, is also but too well known" That
this language is fully justified by the facts
no one can justly deny. Painful as the truth
may be, the fact remains that with all efforts
and law expended upon the subject, the
body of our prohibitory legislation is in
practical effect but a local option law, en-
! forced as a prohibitory law where public
sentiment will admit of its being DONE and
resulting in free sales of Intoxicating
| liquors where public sentiment does not pro-
| il = pufprppmppt. and with this moi n nj
truth comes another equally so, which is
that public sentiment sufficient for the en-
forcement of the law exists in but few of
our towns and villages and that in nearly
all of them the sale of liquor is practically
free and unrestricted This experience is
not confined to our state. From Names
most earnest temperance advocate comes
the despairing cry that her prohibtory law
is a failure; and from all states of long ex-
perence in temperance legislation where
the sembance of prohibition now remains,
comes similar testimony; and many have
abandoned prohibition which does not pro-
hibt and adopted stringent laws to restrain
and regulate that which experience shows
cannot be completely destroyed.
In view of these facts the minds of many
of our most earnest temperance people have
become convinced that some radical change
is necessary; Gndeed the evil is such as to
cause the formation of a new political party
which makes this subject the only one for
laws having proved Intellectual, many now
believe that the traffic can be best controlled
by the enactment of some well-guarded law
containing the best known features of self
enforcement whereby the sale of intoXicat-
| ing liquors under careful restrictions NAV
be permitted in towns that desire to adopt
its provisions. This view is shared by all
classes. Business men, employers of labor
temperance advocates and workers of I'M
questionable integrity of purpose; the re-
ligiOus as well as the secular press of the
land; men high in official positions in the
government of our state and nation; men of
great experience in the manner of the en-
forcement of our prohibitory law, like the
| judges of our courts and the Oldest and
wisest of our practcng lawyers; and even
| distinguished members of the clergy often
giving free expression to the thought. Pain
| full as these facts may be to your minds,
your committee can but declare their truth
and report their judgment upon calm re-
Election thereon
We deem this bill in effect local option
law providing fc" prohibition with increased
penalties in towns where the public voice
will so decide, and for carefully regulated
sales of Intoxicating liquors by responsible
persons, under arbitrary rules and close
restrictions where license is demanded by
| the people.
1t is substantially the law that has long
been in force in Nebraska and its main
features have been adopted in some other
Sld'to VI lilt y Num- Ht IN NOlhlHS
of this law where it is in existence has re-
suited in a marked decrease in the sale and
use of ardent spirits.
BY the provisions of the bill this act, if
passed by the legislature, presents to the
consideration of the people of the state the
question whether it will substitute its pro-
visions for our present prohibitory law.
| Some three months are to elapse before the
matter comes before them to be voted upon.
| 1t is measure that will cause great discus
sion in the state by the public press and in
debate of the temperance question in all its
phases and particularly of the merits and
dement's of our present law as well as of
this bill If not adopted by the people the
| benefit of full discussion of the subject
and a turning of the public mind to the tenn
perance question and the needs of the tenn
perance cause will have resulted, from which
great good may result and from which no
harm can come.
In view of all which your committee
report, that in their opinion, for the pur-
poses aforesaid, that the bill ought to pass,
but they further recommend and hereby re-
port bill entitled IAN act to prevent treat
ing in saloons and other public places"
which they think should pass as an aux
ilary of the main bill to come in force
when the main bill becomes a law, if it ever
does. A. h. VALENTINE,
HENRY &. BATES Committee.
JOHN +. DRAPER,
The original bill contains the following
provision, which properly goes with the re-