Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-14
PROHIBITION TALKS.
Tt+s POSITIONS Cse PROMINENT r &xR-
MONTERSoN Ttfa TEMPERANCE
QUESTION.
Both Sides of the Case stated--The
Friends ef Prohibition nsks s"Sbe
Clean and CleaP'stats sm enes-some
Worry Interestine and Timely
Reading.

GUS Fermonters op the temperance question,
which we transfer to the columns of the
FREE PRESS. The fact that two out Of
three of the opinions are favorable 70 the
present prohibitory law in this State indi-
Gates the trend Of public opinion. Follow
ing are the letters referred to:
COL. GEORGE W. HooKEa OF BRATTLEBoRu
Col George w Hooker of Brattleboro,
president Of the Vermont State Agricul-
tural society, president of the Vermont
Horsebreedcrs' association, and the moving
spirit in innumerable other associations and
enterprises, has been mentioned as a possi-
BILE candidate for governor ON a high license
platform. To the Herald representative he
expressed his views oa the prohibtary law
and the present agitation in favor of high
license. as follows: Prohibition is the best
law for Vermont, and base my belief on
the almost entire absence Of crime There
is no law better enforcd in Vermont, and 1t
can be enforced everywhere if public senti-
ment so orders. There is not a sane man
in Vermont but who would stop the sale Of
liquor If he could. II license law were
adopted | would like to see it 80 word
ed that the sale OF anything but
absolutely pure liquors would be pun
punishable with heavy fine
FltESlDENI BbNhhAM OF ~ hllNGlON.
have too much confidence in the good
| sense Of the people of Vermont, TO have any
fear thet they will commit the superative
folly of going back to the system of licens-
ing the sale of intoxicating drink What
would high license mean in Burlington,
for instance 1t would mean one or more
establishments in the heart of the city, Of
inviting exterior, of elegant appointments,
| WHARF pvel,v attraction Of atrpOsnhpra fur
nshings, pictures, periodicals, all of the ut
most respectability and good taste, would
| induce the unwary to drop in. and get into
| the habit of dropping in, and SO become
| habitues of the place, and succumb to it'd
seductions, almost without suspecting that
| they had left the society and the habits Of
the decent and viltuous part of the COM
munity. Students, clerks, young men with
out steady occupation, would be exposed to
a temptation which only the strong among
them would be able to resist. Go and stand
few moments in the bar-room Of the
| Parker House or Youngs, in Boston, and
see what license does for young men. Im-
perfectly as the prohbitory law may be en-
| forced in Vermont, young man has now
TO break through strong Gordon of public
sentiment, and push his way into some IL
licit and disreputable den, or secret cup
| board or back shop, before he can get the
forbidden thing. No doubt, the virtue
which has overcome temptation is of n
higher kind than that which has not been
exposed to the trial, but that does not fur
nish any reason for thrustipg into the way
of young men a temptation before which we
know many of them must fall. Virtue will
get exercise enough in this wicked world
without the discipline Of the saloon.
Still worse, if possible would bs the
49,,
man, whose sense OF fatigue and fire.
quent lack of nourishing food mako
him an easy prey to the profTer of stimu-
lants. The mere sight of comfortable,
cheerful. hosptable saloon, when he was on
| his way home with his wages in his pocket,
might bs the last temptation needed to turn
LEVI Il. FULLER OF BRATrLEBoRO.
have been informed by authority, that
consider very high, that in States where
| local option has been tried it has resulted in
introducing liquor into towns and villages
where before il was unknown, TO the injury
OF rural communities. We have no large
/ cities in Vermont TO which the arguments
in favor Of high license apply, and the pres-
ent agitation will only develop its weakness
and utter incapacitv 70 decrease the rum
/ traffic in Vermont, now happily AZ so low
an ebb. do not believe the people of Vsr-
mont will evor consent to thu reintroduc-
tion and license of the liquor traffic. Pro-
hihition docs prohibit, that is where the
shoe pinches
}. j. EsTEY OF BRATrLEBoRo.
Ny opinion as to our present prohibition
| law is the same that have always held,
and, in many instances, have publicly ex-
pressed, that prohibition, poorly prohibit
ing, is better than any license law that could
( be enacted.
have no hesitation in saying that | do
not believe the State of Vermont Will take
backward step in this matter.
EX-Gov. j. l.. BARsrow OF sHELBURNE.
In my Judgment the present high license
agitation in Vermont ought not to succeed.
! If the business Of rum selling is reputable no
( citizen should be debarred from II By ths
imposition Of IA special tax. Ii il is disrep-
utable the State should not countenauce 1t
/ by accepting a portion Of its profits. do
not think that our prohibitory law viii be
repealed at present, but tho number voting
against it will he largely increased when
ever IA systematic effort is made to produce
that result, for large numbers of citizens are
| willing TO try some new scheme, who are
not old enough to know by personal obser-
walton, as older men DO, that the present
law has greatly diminished drunkenness
Temperance men have for years depended
upon the law and have neglected moral
suasion, hence apathy and indifference pre-.
! walls.
The action of the political prohibition
party which in Massachusetts, New York
and other States is in practical alliancs with
either free rum or licsnse, has so disguised
many temperate men that they are willing
to abandon everything that pertains to pro-
hibtion. The alleged partial and dishonest
enforcement Of the present law, leads many
to desire a change. Increasing and UNEQUAL
taxation lead many to favor license for ths
sake OF ,.wenue. The conspicuous failure Of
corsJhu "a prohibition in several States
last yea. nas ,et the tide of public opiueu
against prohibition, voters not diserinAss-
ing between constitutional and isgisiati%e
prohibition.