Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-09-27

of prohibition or license TO them
There is nothing intricate about it.
No man or body of men can assume
that they know more about il than
other men who do not happen to get
elected to the general assembly. 1t Is
a question about which every man has
decided opinions and can give reasons
for the faith that is in him. 1t has
been a live issue for years. alike the
one inexhaustible theme FOR the de-
batting clubs Of school boy and college
DAYS and of the tstore court" of adj
vanced years. If the people are COM
petent TO determine who shall be their
president, whether the nation shall
have protection or free trade, gold or
silver standard, expansion OF retire
ment from the Philippines, are they
not to be entrusted with the settlement
of a question that they have studied
closely and observed all their lives 2
But there is another reason why the
voters of Vermont and not the general
assembly should ultimately determine
what kind OF liquor legislation they
want As is well known, our legis-
lature is not a representative body in
its makeup. All towns and cities,
large and small, have one member
each in the House. The result is that
the small towns, many OF them with
less than a hundred voters, have an
equal voice with the large towns,
perhaps ten times as great. in formu-
lating legislation, This is wrong. but
| it i, a wrong that cannot be remedied
directly. But il is to this legislature
that We must look for statutes. and
one can readily see how it might
happen that the kind Of law that
might satisfy the small towns COM
prising the majority in the House
would not be the law that the people /
of all the towns, large and small, |
would favor. This is VIGOROUSLY the 1
case in liquor legislation. There /,
line OF cleavage between the large and I
small towns that does not exist ordi-
narily in other matters. The small 1
towns have right to their opinion,
but they ought not 10 force law on
the state that there is any reason 10
believe the majority Of all the people
in all the towns does not want.
A popular vote would give US a law 4
unquestionably sustained by public
sentiment.
Some fear !, expressed that. were
the voters to act directly. undue and
improper influences would be brought
to bear the liquor dealers would con-
tribute an enormous fund to buy the
election. etc We have too high a
regard for the honesty of yermonters
to take stock in this argument. Il
would be suicide to the cause OF license 9
10 attempt such thing. Every dollar J
so put forth would be matched by ten
dollars subscribed BY the friends OF !
prohibition. 1t would prove the worst /
Kind Of a boomerang The very best {
hing the liquor dealers could DO
would be to keeps hands off aud the !
'ery worst thing to involve themselves
n any way with It. The question
would be discussed and settled 81 its J.
merits. Instead Of being At disad. 3
the prohibitionists would d
AVE the advantage Every temper |
nee society and almost every pulpit I
would work as never before Tor what y
hey deem to be sacred cause. In I
tead OF losing, they would Gain I
trength as the campaign progressed. o
md if the final decision were adverse
them, il would be the solemn and
ober Judgment Of the people and a. i
uch it should be respected. 5
If the friends OF prohibition under G
tand conditions a. they exist. they
I'LL welcome q referendum. instead 81 4
pposing it. BY taking the latter Il
land, they tacitly admit weakness "
he cause fliccnse has been making :
'ng strides in Vermont within the
asst few years, Instead OF being ~
.most a unit for stringent prohibition ~
he press is divided and probably a A
.aiority ofthe papers advocate license G
lille at present almost an cali for
,ierendum, including those that have Fl,
zen and still are firm in their faith =
lat prohibition is the right solution
hen there l. such a notable chance 70
the press when forty-nlne Demo- "a
ats favorable to license are chosen D.
the House. although only eiob, On On
WINS 90 Democratic on the STATE 50.
'ket; when. on a straight is,ue
wns elect license Republicans in nref.
encet to neutrality-suspicious. when
ch citadelS Of RanuI,Iis....s Z.