Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-08-13
$4,000 SUIT !!
Governor Woodbury. Sues the Rut-
land Herald.

land Herald.
In a recent issue of the Rutland Her
aid Governor Woodbury. was character
lied as a rum seller, and as a result, the
Governor Saturday brought suit for $5O,-
900 against the Herald. Tho writ is re-
turnable at the April term of the Chit
tendon County Court.
The Herald has been for years a rabid
opponent of the present prohibitory
laws of the State, and much of its ener
gy has been devoted to attacks upon the
law. Governor Woodbury. recently re-
refused to pardon B. G.. Howe of st.
Johnsbury, who was sentenced to sixty
days in the House of Correction and to
pay u fine of 5000. Mr.. Howe is a
wealthy and popular citizen of his town,
and a request for his pardon was signed
by nearly every prominent st. Johns
bury citizen, but the Governor declined
to interfere with the courts sentence.
This episode was eagerly seized by the
Herald as the basis for renewed and
savage attacks upon the law. 1t at
tempted to show that the st. JOhnSbury
petition was proof that the law is un-
popular, that the people do not want it
enforced The Herald states, in recent
issue:
But if the law were actually enforced
for a single week members of the legis-
1,t Il
ting to Montpelier to repeal or modify it,
in response TO call from the governor,
given because of universal and impera-
tive demand. Why should this happen?
Because half the prominent citizens of the
State would be in prison. Nearly every
man i'll the State of any means is rum
seller, more or less directly, and a very
large proportion of them are guilty un-
der our law.
Gov. Woodbury. himself owns the Van
Ness House at Burlington and has owned
it long time. We believe that he also
owns the building across the street,
which contains drug store. Nobody
thinks the worse of him for that-of
course not-and all over the State men
highly esteemed and universally trusted
have similar interests.
The Herald declared that liquor was
and has for years been freely served at
the Van Ness, and that the drug store
referred to is and has been notorious for
its freedom in liquor selling. The
statement in regard to the hotel was
challenged. The Herald sent three gen
tlemen to the Van Ness, who, without
difficulty, had liquor brought them in
their rooms by the bell boys.
The Herald then continued its attacks,
and in its issue of the 7th. inst, said in
part, under the caption of "Governor
Woodbury. as a Rumseller":
1t is perfectly true. as the Herald un-
Ierstands, that the Van Ness house has
no bar, and for long time has been
without one. it is also true that there is
no law against keeping bar. The law
is against selling rum. And the Van
Ness house has sold rum straight along.
Apart from the bar it has sold it precise
ly as hotels all over the world sell it,:
sent it to guests at their rooms and
served it to them at the public tables.
1t has done this straight along, day after
day, and days and nights and Sundays
it will be noted that one of the purchases
referred to above was made on Sunday
and week after week and year after
year. There has, to be sure, been some
hocus pOcus and beating the devil around
the stump in the business. but nothing
has interfered with the regular and
| prompt service of rum to guests in the
| Van Ness house, as guests of hotels are
served everywhere. Because of the pc
culiar law of the State not every man
to the fact cares 20 make statement in
public, but mountains of evidence can
be procured if it is wanted Hundreds
of men are in a position to swear to the
| fact. 1t is matter of common notority.
There is not a single man connected
with the Free Press who does not know
| all about it.
Mr.. Woodbury., if we are rightly in
| formed, was never the active man OF de-
tails in running the Van Ness house, as
there has always been partner or sal
aried manager to take that work,
but he has all along been the sub
stantial landlord back of everything as
we'll as the owner of the building. 1t is
hardly necessary to say that the sale OF
| liquor by his agents and employees is
selling by him. That is true in reason.
ana Jne statute SpeClnCallY makes 1t true
in law. The law also makes the owner
of the building in which liquor is sold
as liable as a seller,
Across the street from the Van Ness
house is Lyman Il Halls drug store, in a
building owned by Gov. Woodbury.
The Herald understands that it is al
times in effect IA wide open saloon, while
at other times liquor selling is stopped
there, by which it is understood that the
/ selling to strangers is stopped. 1t is q
notorious rum hole. Burlington people
now say that 1.-THE Van Ness house bar
is in there" meaning that the hotel gets
its liquor there.
We had no disposition to criticise Gov
Woodbury. simply because of any liquor
selling he had been concerned in, but il
trying to show some of the weaknesses
of the prohibitory law we incidentally re
ferred to his case. We were led to make
the reference especially by the curious
parallel that appeared between his case
and that of Mr.. Howe of st. Johnsbury
Let us suggest few points,
Mr.. Howe was man of large means
Il L.. \