Washington sentinel., 1899-06-17

/
seized by he police, who may fol
this purpose enter and search
without a warrant, any premises
public or private. A centag'
Of all fines imposed and collected
is awarded the iniormer and tht
prosecuting officer. The statute
furthermore contains provision!
for the recovery OF civil damages
from liquor dealers, for imposing
a heavy fine upon one who rent!
premises to be used in the liquoi
traffic and for carrying out the
design OF the law in an eficien
and thorough manner. But the
practical operation Of this severe
and sweeping law--there' 5 the rub
1t is a fact which cannot be con.
troverted or denied that for al
practical purposes the law is ar
absolute dead letter. According
to the returns OF the United States
revenue officers, the Government
tax on the manufacture and sale
OF intoxi eating liquors IN the State
has always amounted to thousands
OF dollars each year; and though
the populations well nigh station
ary, here is a marked increase in
the number OF places where liquor
is sold. In the city of Burlington
there are threescore places where
liquor is sold, and in Rutland, St.
Albans and all the larger towns in
proportional number; and in every
village in the State, with the ex-
ception OF a few inconsiderable
hamlets, there is at least one such
place. A large proportion of the
dramshops are located upon the
principal streets, and there is no
conce alment, or attempted con-
cealment, of the illegal traffic con-
Quoted within them. As these facts
and figures sufficiently indicate,
the law, broadly speaking, is not
at all enforced. The sale ofliquor
is almost as free and open as
though there was no such thing as
a prohibitory law. The principal
exception to the general rule con-
sists Of an occasional spasmodic
attempt to enforce the law in the
larger places, and the fning OF
liquor dealers on what are termed
disclosures" =" In the latter case,
a person arrested for intoxIcation
is compelled to disclose" the per-
son OF whom he procu.C& liq-or,
and that person is then tried for the
offense. Such cases are very COM
mon, but as only the lowest c lass
OF liquor dealers is concerned in
them, generally speaking, and as
the prosecu ton is invariably for a
first offense," no effective pur
pose is served in repressing the
liquor traffic. In the larger towns
an effort to enforce the law is occa-
sionally made. But such efforts
have invariably proved short lived,
and in almost every instance the
people have, at the earliest Oppor-
tunity, rejected at the polls the
officers who have attempted to en-
force the laws. These are the
principal exceptions to the general
rule Of non-euforcement. Of en-
forcing the laws as the laws against
larceny are enforced, no one
dreams for a moment Such is
the unsatisfactory result of Yer.
monts forty years experience oi
the prohibitory liquor laws. One
might go still further. and speak
OF the PERJURY and subornation o.
perjury, for which the law is in q
sense responsible; OF the disregard
and contempt for all law which the
operation Of this law tends to fos-
ter and encourage, and oi cognate
matters which will occur to the re.
fec i've readers; but, perhars
enough has been said in showing
the failure oil the law to accom-.
plish the object for which it wa:
enacted.
The cause oi the failure Of the
law is not far to seek. 1t is obvi
ously that the law is not sustained
by public sentiment. 1t is that th'
world cannot be dragooned intC
virtue. The supporters ofthepro
hibitory laws are we'll meaning
men and women, who are sincerely
desirous of benefitting their fellow
human beings and advancing God
Kingdom upon earth; but not ever
by these will humanity suffer it
self to be driven to loftier height
of thought and action. he peo
pie OF Vermont are not singular II
this matter, and there would seen