Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-09-23
THE PROHIBITION QUESTION.

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was designed to do, and is therefore a
dead letter. They do not realize that all
human laws are more or less defective
and are evaded or defied. We have laws
for the punishment of all crimes, but they
do not prevent the preparation OF those
crimes to greater or less extent.
The thief, the periurer, the counterfeit
er and the forger we send to prison, and
the murderer pays the penalty with his
life; but still these crimes are constantly
being committed and will be to the end
of time. Yet no sane man will advocate
the doing away with the penalty because
the laws are powerless to prevent the
crimes.
In the case of the violation of the pro-
hibitory liquor law, there are two motives
which work together to compass that
violation the seller for the profit he de-
rives from such sale and the buyer to
crafty brutal and depraved appetite.
AS way out of the difficulty there are
those who advocate the making of the
sale of Intoxicating liquors legal by i'm
posing heavy license fee upon the SELL
er, the money raised in this way going to
reimburse the municipalities for the eX-
ira expense incurred by such mupicipall-
ties in their government on account of
such legaized sale. The advocates of
high license profess to be friends of tenn
perance and to believe that the cause will
be promoted by such license, but | can
give them very little credit for honesty,
and surely none for common sense.
For the past three years | have resided
where this high license system has been
in force and know something about It,.
| know of nothing more demoralizing to a
community. Drunkenness is on every
It'd f1., - Il
generation is perfectly appalling. God
grant that our beloved state may never
be wheedled into trying the experiment
of high license or any other license, but
stick to the principle of prohibition,
making it Just as efficient as possible.
Massachusetts has Il local option law,
that is she allows the towns and cities to
determine by popular vote whether Ii
censes shall be granted for the sale of
liquors within their respective borders or
not. If they vote license, then commits
sioners are appointed whose duties are to
grant licenses in number proportional 70
the population of the place, as directed
by the state law. and fix the amount of
the license fees. This city of Fall River
has a population of about 100000 and is
the largest cotton manufacturing place
in the United States. 1t votes license and
has for long term of years. The state
law allows a license to be granted for
each 1000 inhabitants, giving it about 100
rum shops. Whether there are so many
or not, am not able to say, but | do
know they are very plenty all through
the city. No license is granted for less
than $500 a year and from that to $500.
A big revenue, the advocates of high IL
cense will say, for the city; but let us see
if it is for the best interest of a communi-
ty TO raise its revenue in that way. An
innholder, in other words hotel keeper.
pays license of S2500 year, about 81
per day, week in and week out, leaving
out the matter of rent, as his bar is in his
hotel and not subject to extra charge for
rent. The common saloon keeper, who
can keep his saloon open only week days
till IL O'Clock at night, pays license of
$500 year, and as his saloon is rented
especially for use as a saloon we must
add 70 his expense account an item of
rent, which is not less than $500, making
his whole outlay for license and rent
S2l00, or about 81 per day in his case.
We will suppose the cost of his liquors
and the Incidental expenses of selling the
same to amount to as much more. being
Sl4 day in the case of each license, and
if there are 100 licenses. Sl400 dav fol
80 weeks, or one year. Then there is the
item of profit to the seller. | think nc
one would be satisfied with less thar
$500 year. Very likely all do not get
that much. but doubtless as many over
run that sum as fall short, so that think
} $500 a fair average, making $4,000
which the holders of the 100 licenses
must get out of the business in addition
to paving for their stock. licenses. etc
This added TO the $436, 500 makes a CRANE
: total of S4S6,S to be got out of the husi
! ness by the rum sellers in a year. Here
is nearly half a million dollars which i!
worse than wasted. This money comes
in large proportion from wage-earners
people who have to depend upon thei
, daily wages for the support of themselves
and their families. Instead of using hi
wages for the comfort and happiness o
his wife and children, he squanders then
In drinking and carousing in these run
, shops, leaving those who should be hi
loved ones at home to suffer for the nee
essaries of life. Sometimes when tn
. wife can stand it no longer she goes Il
= the court and gets out warrant for he
, husbands arrest for non-support. Tn
court will order him to pay certain sun
a week for the use of his family. If h
e fails to do do it without good eXcus
e he goes to Jail Such a case resulted
sadly few dys ago. A warrant was is
sued, but the fellow hid away from tn,
: officers for some time. They finally 10
: Gated him one dark night. He ran ant
e the officers after him. lie stumbled ant
they all fell in heap. In the scrape on
of the officers revolver was accidental,
t discharged. killing another officer.
G The husband is by no means Away
d the only drunkard in the family. Many
. very many, wives are Just as intemperat
as their husbands. The children of sue
70 families are surely to be pitied. Wit
f such an inheritance, such surrounding
q aud example. more than likely they Wi
follow in the footsteps Of their parent
! and become a curse 70 the world.
= With an outlay of near a half millio
f dollars in this one city for intoXicatin
o liquors, their use must be and is popular
do not mean to say that everybody
Z Incorporate. There are thousands q
s staunch temperance people who deplOT