The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-25
W ETOR DRY
License Question the
Burning One.
A HOT CAMPAIGN.
Arguments Pro and Con
viii Fly This Week.

North Brookheld. March 24.-While
office seeking politicians and their
friends are having this week all TO
themselves building their fences and re-
pairing gaps in the walls, next week
win see the no-license advocates in the
field in full force, doing yeoman work
to prevent the town from Topping over
into the license ranks, and that yeoman
work will be needed there is little room
for doubt, for the great falling off in
ths no-licenss majority last year
showed a decided tendency toward a
feeling for license.
It is 18 years since North Brookfield
has been in the license ranks and many
conservative men are Of the opinion
that change is bound TO come soon.
The interest that the two caucus sys-
tenn has aroused this year together with
the excitement brought on by the many
hot contests that are assured, has over
swallowed the license question for the
time, but 1t Is sure to show itself next
week with double force for no-ncense
men are well aware that a hard task
is before them.
The opening gun in the campaign was
fired at st. Joseph's church last night
by Father NcGillicuddy Of Worcester,
and on Monday night FIR. Elliot OF the
Paulist order will deliver an address at
the town hall, FIR. Elliot is considered
the best orator in the order. being rated
even superior to FIR. Doyle, who was
heard here on the same subject a few
years ago.
FIR. Elliots address will open a week
of hard work by the no-license people,
in which there will be no let up until
al . FTHt,z
Nocates of license, on the other hand,
are more quiet about their work and
consequently hard to find. In fact, it
10 doubtful if they will put in much
work anyway, as they never do in
North Brookfeld.
The new naturalization club organ
lied by the French speaking people is
bone of contention with both sides,
as no one can tell whether they will
vote license or not, Some Of the no.
license men fear that the French vote
Will be almost a solid rum vote, but
this is very doubtful and the French
people themselves deny that they will
vote on this question other than as in
diNiduals, and even claim that could
the truth be ascertained, the larger part
Of their votes would be found to run in
the no-icense column.
License people give many reasons
Why the town should go fer license ana
at first sight some of them look good.
First among these is that fully as much
Intoxicating liquor is being sold in
North Bro0kfield now as there would be
under a license regime. Second is the
fact that either Spencer Of T. Brookfeld
is almost certain to have licensed
saloons to take North Brookfeld's good
money, which might as well be left in
town. They argue that with license in
North Brookfell either $4,000 or 1850
h., = ~ 4,,+
treasury and money is what Nortn
Brookfield wants just now.
No-license people say that the Ii
cense saloon is sure to be an attraction
and temptation TO young men who
would not otherwise know tie taste of
liquor and this they consider of a vast
deal more Importance than all the
money the town would get out of IL
CenSe.
The first claim made by the advocates
of license is certainly pretty accurate
one, for there are enough Illicit rum
dives in operation in North BrooklieId
at the present time to get the whole
town drunk. Particularly is this true
in the portion of the town called
Canada, where these places dispense
the vilest of stuff in an open manner
and where three or four such places
flourish on every short street. The
French people, most of whom make
their homes in these places, feel this
keenly and would gladly be rid of them
but claim they are powerless.
One prominent French gentleman
who does not wish his name used in the
matter, talked it over in all its phases
with The Spy reporter last night. He
readily admitted that it is an open Sc
cret that these places are doing g
Klondike business and feels that it is
much on this account that the French
people have not greater influence In
town affairs.
ITO be sure" he said. "they all want
us at election time, when our votes
count as many as any one else's, hui
at other times in the year we are not
given much consideration, and I mus
admit it is our own fault. At least
that is my opinion. Every one know.
there are 'speak-sasies' all ovel
Canada and the question is how L
get them out"
MOI do not consider it an impos.