Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-14
CRIME RAMPANT.
The Situation in Bennington Shown
up-A Call for Investigation.
BENNINGTON, VI, Aug. 14th, 1894.

1
up-A Call for Investigation.
BENNINGTON, W., Aug. 14th, 1894.
"They make us a reproach to our
neighbors, scorn and derision to them
that are round about us" This was not
more truly spoken by the Psalmist than
it can be repeated to-day in our very
midst:
AS a citizen, native of the town of
Bennington, and alive to its glorious his
tory, 1 deeply feel the disgrace that now
overshadows us. How long shall we
submit to open violation of law, and
how long shall It's officers be allowed to
protect crime for pay? How long shall
rum flow like water, and men reel
through our streets, and gamblers open
ly ply their tricks, with the evident con-
nivance of officers elected or appointed
to enforce the law? bow long shall
confessions of sales by dummies be
taken in place of principals, by agree
ment, thus saving the danger of second
offense, and how long shall it be mat
ter of public notoriety that money
is taken from offenders outside
of the courts? When shall we fully ap-
preciate the fact that methods in vari-
GUS ways are used to shield violaters of
the law, and at the same time collect
| large sums of money, some in the form of
fines, and quiet settlement, some in the
form of blackmail, or hush-money, some
under the thin guise of lawyers retainer,
and all in the interest of the rum seller
and prosecutor? When shall prosecu-
tions be instituted to lessen sales rather
than to reduce them to system of high
license, which largely goes into the
pockets of the prosecutors, and which
sales they nurse, rather than stop and
cut off their revenue? In short, when
shall collision between Violaters of law
and public officers of the law, ceaseP
Rum selling, contrary to law, is
mean business, but a seller is a
saint in comparison to the man who per-
jures himself to protect him, or the
prosecutor who is in collision with him.
The way the prohibitory law is enforced
in Bennington is debauching to the
whole community, and to none so much
as those whose duty is supposed to be
it's enforcement; there seems to be some
thing inherent in it, demoralizing to sell
lers, and especially demoralizing to
acting sheriffs and policemen, States
attorneys, special prosecutors and wit
nesses. We need not be surprised if the
same Generalization should lead to the
protection of horse thieves and bur-
glars.
1 am not advocating the law. High
license with all it's objections, or even
free rum under no law, is preferable to
prohibition, as enforced in Bennington.
Our laws relating to the sale of liquor
should be made possible of enforce
ment, or so changed that in certain
towns at least, high license might be
possible by vote of the people, or else
the whole system repealed, and have
free rum under law, rather than free
rum in spite of law. AS one who has had
experience, and knows we'll the RESPONSE
bilities assumed by thus attacking an
evil greater and more strongly in
tcenched than any other evil in the State
of Vermont, 1 understand fully what is
to follow, and only an imperative sense
of duty, and love of, and pride in Ben
nington, leads me to thus subject myself
to Misrepresentation, and perhaps criti-
cisms, from friends whose opinions re-
spect, and with whom l have worked,
and who honestly take a different view
of the way to eradicate the evil, but it
matters not to me how reform is ac-
complished, if it be accomplished, only
l insist that past experience should be
respected, and that we should not con-
tinue in ways which we know to be fail
ures. am not given to secret or anony-
nous attacks, and shall pass by any
such attacks unnoticed. 1 have general
lied somewhat in the foregoing, but not
for lack of particulars, or unwillingness
to disclose them at the proper time and
place. A. B. VALENTINE.