Washington sentinel., 1898-12-17
Liquor i'm Vermont

liquor in proportion to its populac
as 9th !r States do, only it pretend
that it doesn't. In TACT, if one MAJ
trust his own eyes as he goe
through the manufacturing vii
lagos, it drinks more than othe
States anil it takes it straight anC
bad. Prohibition never prohibited
and never will. ItIs a distinct in
jury in this respect: that 1t tend:
to prevent the use of beer and ligh'
wines, which, because they are
light, must be carried in bulk, ano
are therefore liable to be seen and
seized, and substitutes for them
liquors in which the minimum
| 1---t;ss, i-suras The maximum OF
intoxicatIon. Moreover, by limit
ing competition it keeps out OF
State and town boundaries the bet
ter sort OF liquors, and restricts the
supDly to such as are made up OF
alcohol, fusel oil and other poisons.
There is another reason for this
degradation of quality, and it is
that the liquor dealer, who has to
sell surreptitiouslY, knows that he
is liable to be arrested any day,
and he wants to make as much
money as possible in. the time be
fore he has arning to get out, and
more is to be made on vile whisky
than on good liquor. A distinct
injury to the morale Of a village is
the emergence of spies-often as
hard drinkers as any, but led into
dirty work for the sake of fees and
secret profits. Espionage is not
mean where a real reform is the
aim; in war it is noble, but where
the money consultations of the spy
are the sole thought IN obtaining
arrests the instrument Of the law
is a deplorable creature.
One curious result OF attempted
and spasmodic endorsements OF
sumptuarY laws is the rapid sue
cession OF candidates for business
wreckage. This is seen especially
in some Of the villages in prohibi-
ton States where the tavern IS the
traditionary fountain for the allie
Walton OF thirst. The spies will
not let a man run a tavern for more
than a month or two, yet the pat
rons OF the inn will not let him be
without a supply of alcoholic sol
aces. He is between two fires. IF
he does not keep liquor he loses
custom, If he keeps it he loses
everything. So he takes a lease
that is as elastic as a garter, and
does not attempt to run his house
well, for he knows that in little
while he must run away and give
way to the next landlord, who is to
act as a blind for the owner. He
makes no improvements, for he
cannot afford to. He keeps the
same cook and servants, no matter
whether they are good or bad, tor
it is not worth while to install new |
service for the little time he has tc |
stay. Travellers lodge with him |
not more than once, because the
place lacks the order, stability and |
comfort of well managed hotel. |
The owner leaves everything for |
the landlord OF the moment to do, !
and as the owner expects to take
his flight as soon as a drunken man |
has been seen to leave his premises
he does no more than he is COM
PEELED to.
Another evil growth Of prohibi-
ton is hypocrisy. Liquor IS not
from the State. tits in
trusted in small quantities to a So
called town agent, who is allowed
to sell it under certain restraints:
that is, he can sell it as medicine.
He meets a fellow citizen who is
perfectly well, and he knows it.
The citizen says that he has some
trouble with his head, or his feet,
or his works, or his freckles, and
wants gu rt of whislSey to get
well on. Nothing is the matter
with the citizen, but he has to pre-
tend that there is. in order to get
his whiskey. Thus, men who in
old times used to be pillars OF up
and who would not
stoop to lie for less than SIoo,
now falsify gllblY tor seventY-hve
cents worth Of unspeakable liquid
These things are moral
harms at least as great as the ply
sical harm worked in a community
by liquors.
Lastly, the economy OF the
matter is to be considered. Every
prohibition State casts out a vast
sum every year that it could other
wise cover into its treasury, in the