Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-09-07
LICENSE OR PROHIBITION,
How Shall the Liquor Evil Be
Controlled?


PersIstentIy Ignore.
In sermon two weeks ago Rev. j. Ed
ward Wright of Montpelier preached on
"The Failure Of License" this theme ev-
identity having been suggested by the reg
ulation biennial discussion now going on
with regard to the repeal of our prohibito-
ry liquor law. Mr.. Wright showed that III
the matter of its own defence the prohibit
| tory law is at a disadvantage because IL
has been so long on the statute book, and
so long subject of hostile criticism with
out any experience by our people of any
| other law to control the liquor evil which
can be used for purposes of comparison
Laws for checking intemperance, he
said, are not self-enforcing; and when the
enforcement of the restrictive features in
license law is tried in Vermont, If that
day ever comes, then we shall find our
selves face to face with the same old OBJ
stacles that have impeded the enforcement
of prohibitory laws-appetite, greed of
gain, desire Of popularity, lust of office,
week-kneed complacency, the embarrass-
ments of friendship, kinship and pecuni-
airy obligations, and the ike-and we shall
assuredly hear the taunt, "Restrictions do
not restrict" as we now hear that "Prohi-
bition does not prohibit"
The essential part of Mr. Wrighrs SER
mon was that in which he showed how the
very same evasions and the very same de-
linquences of officials occur under high
license as under prohibition. He had evil
IDENTIFY made very careful study of this
subject, for he gave facts drawn from the
experience of many states, showing the
abuses that exist under the license system.
As proof that license does not diminish
the amount of liquor sold he quoted the
statements of leading wholesale liquor
dealers in Omaha, Quincy, ILL.,, and Chi
cago, one of whom says that "Hlgh license
has not hurt our business, but on the con-
trary has been great benef. TO it," An
other advocates a 500 license, as barring
out prohibition, and giving the business a
legal standing. Another says: "In our
opinion high license does not lessen the
consumption Of liquor. In our state we
think 1t bars out prohibition" Another
says: High license gives us a longer
lease, and pacifes a great many who are
unfriendly to the business And still an
other writes, 1--WE cannot see that high
license lessons the consumption of liquor,
and it strengthens the legal standing of
the business"
The Chicago Daily News has recently
said that five years of experience of high
license in Illinois has shown that it in no
way checks the consumption of Intoxicating
liquors nor lessons the evils or crime from
their use. The dives and dens, the barrel
houses and thieves, resorts, are as bad and
as frequent in this city today as they ever
were. Call high license what it is, an easy
way to raise revenue from vice, but let
there be an end of endorsing it as a tenn
perance or reform measure"
Facts were given from the twin cities of
st. Paul and Minneapolis showing that
liquors are sold there without license, are
sold TO minors and intoxicated persons,
are sold openly on Sunday, are sold all
night, that the officials are open to i'm
enforce the law, and that the police wink
at the gross abuses which exist. Investi-
cations made in Omaha and St. Louis
proved similar state Of things to exist
there. Interesting facts were given with
regard to disclosures about the operation
of the much-vaunted Raines law in the
state of New York. For instance, an ex-
animation of the court docket of Onon-
daga county in which the city of Syracuse
lies, Showed that since May, 1896, the
grand jury had found SO indictments for
violations of the excise (the "Raines'')
law, against 40 persons. Only IA of the
40 had been called upon to plead, four of
whom pleaded guilty" One of these
was fined $500 and the sentence was
suspended. Two were entered as dismiss
ed, and no disposition had been made of
the other. OF the whole So only one had
ever been tried, and that had resulted in
acquittal!
In regard to the prevention of Illicit
sales by license Mr.. Wright pointed to the
more than 5000 unlicensed saloons in
Philadelphia under the much-auded Brooks
law, to the 800 "speak- easies" in Pitts
burg in the same year, as stated by the
chief of the department of public safety /;
and to Chicago, where there were in 1890,
in addition to G49l licensed places, POI
persons paying United States revenue
tax as liquor sellers; i. e., in the one city
of Chicago there were held almost twice
as many United States certificates suggest
ing unlicensed, and therefore illegal selling,
as were held in the whole of the prohibit
ton state of Maine.
The lesson drawn from all these facts is
one nearly always overlooked in discussing
the abuses which exist under our prohib-
itory law, and the conditions which 80 Of
ten make one think that the law is farce
and reproach to the cause of common
honesty. In view of such facts, and of the
oft-repeated charge that hypocrisy, and
perjury, and official corruption are rife I'M
der prohibition, Mr.. Wright asked, sis there
exemption from these evils under license?
Is there, under license, no deception, no
hypocrisy, no adulteration of liquor, no
sharp man@uvering to get the better of
the law and the officers of the law, no col