Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-10-26
w. G. T. u. COLUMN.
Motto: "God and Home and Native Land :"
GOV. WOODBURY ON THE
PROHIBTTARY Law.

Gov. Woodbury. in his message to
the Legislature spoke very sensloiy
from observation and a close study,
and his suggestions are very wise
ones:
ssThe past two years have witness
ed vigorous attacks upon the prohl-
tory law. These attacks come large
~ from advocates of high license
system, but it must be admitted that
some friends of temperance believe
unless the law can be better enforc-
ed in some of the larger towns 1t
ought to be modified or displayed by
one that can be enforced. 1t is only
just to the friends of the present law,
who, believe, comprise very large
proportion ofthe people of the state
that are raised against it in the belief
that in SO doing you may be able to
correct the evils that now exist, and
thus promote the cause of temper
ance.
sit is charged that the law is not
impartially enforced by the officers
whose duty it is to enforce it. 1t is
said that certain influential parties in
many towns are let alone, and only
the weaker dealers in intoXicants are
disturbed, and that in a few small
towns open saloons are run with the
full knowledge of the states attor-
neys. 1t is charged that the Selling
officers are satisfied to seize only
enough liquor to prove the guilt of
respondents instead of Selling all
they might easily find, that the pro-
scouting officers do not prosecute
vigorously and constantly, that
judges of the municipal courts and
justices of the peace impose only the
minimum, or nearly the minimum
fine, so that respondents will not be
so much discouraged as to go out of
the business and thus cease to be con-
tributors to the support of said Off
Gals by the payments of frequent bills
of costs. 1t is charged that the main
business of many of the druggists, is
the sale of liquors unlawfully.
Gin considering the faults of the
present law it must be borne in mind
that all sumptuary laws are unsatis-
factory. All attempts to control the
sale of spirituous liquors have been
attended with almost insuperabIe diff
ficulties in states that have the Ii
cense system. These states have tried
one kind of license system and then
one that is perfect. There is no Ii
cense system in force in the United
States that would, think, be prefer
able to our present law, with such
prove necessary.
ssThat the law has been of great
value in restricting the sale of liquors
during the A years that it has been
in force no reasonable person will
deny. There should be no hesitation
in modifying the present law if you
believe it will lessen the drinking of
Intoxicating liquor. The law given
Moses on Mount Sinai was modified
when the new dispensation came. 1t
is pertinent to inquire why the law is
not better enforced. There are sew
eral reasons among which may be
mentioned want of interest of the
people, especially the business men,
in it's enforcement. Not that they do
not want the law enforced and the
liquor traffic stopped, but they are
busy with their own affairs and think
they have no duties in connection
with it,
stIt is claimed by some prosecuting
officers, and there is some ground for
the claim, that they enforce the law
as rigidly as public sentiment will sus
tain them. think, however, that in
most cases they mistake the real pub
lie sentiment, as I do not believe there
is any community in Vermont in
which an officer will not be sustained
in enforcing the law impartially and
with frmness and good judgment.
No community will sustain an officer
who allows an open saloon on a main
street to run undisturbed and prose
cutes some man for furnishing his
comrades liquor from his bottle. Ev
cry officer whose duty it is to enforce
the law and sustain order knows be-
fore he accepts the Office many dis
agreeable duties he will have to per-
form, and unless he is willing to ac-
cept the responsibility he has no right
to accept the office.
81 will make, however, a few sug-
gestions of changes, viz: That the
judges of the municipal courts be paid
salaries instead of fees. This will be,