The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-26

NORTHFIELD. Vt. March 25.-Ne mont
has a prohibitory law, but with a proviso
that every city and town within the Com
munweslth may decide annually by vote
whether there shall be established town
liquor agency. where liquor shall be dis
pensed on account Of the town, and at the
discretion Of an official to be known as the
town liquor agent. but for purposes. as
the law puts it. of medicine and for use
in the arts and sciences, and for no other
purpose what soever.
Last year NorthielG, town of 5000 peo
pie. voted for a liquor agency, and enc was
established. The report of the liquor agent
at the end of the year showed that the 5000
residents Of the town had spent more than
81 per capita for liquor or SS,446, TO be
exact. There was a net profit TO the town
CT $3.50 The report was posted at the town
hall just before the spring town meeting,
March l, and it caused a good deal of
sensation. Likewise, it caused great deal
of gossip and conjecture concerning the
identity of those who had been the largest
patrons of the agency.
The farmers declared that it was scan
dalous that so much money should have
been spent for liquor but as rule they are
all pretty "forehanded." and the profit OF
$3.50 was great comfort to them. This
kept them from voting down the liquor
agency at this spring town meeting.
The earnest temperance workers set out
TO defeat the agency, and made stirring
campaign from house to house. but there
were others who harbOred a suspicion mat
they might take up with the arts or
Tfan
agency ought to be maintained. So they
turned out at the town meeting and rallied
with them the close -fisted farmers, who
were looking for a reduction in the tax
tate 10 vote for UNFOLDING the agency
The leaders of the absolute prohibition
movement realized the day before the e-ec-
ton that they would be beaten, and so
they drew up new article Tor the voters
to pass upon, and did it so sAil.fully that
the advocates of the agency played into
their hands and voted for what the
straight-out reformers considered 10 be
compromise The substance of the new
question was that the liquor agency should
be continued. and il added that one each
month the liquor agent should publish in
the town weekly the name of each per-
son who had purchased liquor, and the pur-
pose for which il was sold.
Some way. and those advocates who
favored the perpetuation Of the agency
cannot understand yet how it happened, it
never occurred TO them that thsre might
be unpleasant features connected with the
publication of the lists. They simply read,
in many instances, the first part Ct the
question. saw that it declared for the
agency and voted the whole thing.
The first publication was made last
Tuesday, and bafore night half the town
was talking about the other half The list
showed that enc of the oldest deacons
had bought three quarts of whisky during
the month. and the agent had Simply en-
dorsed his purchase in the official report
as having been made on account of sick
ness"
The ministers. the ladies of the w. c.
T b. and the other sure enough reformers
who would not touch drop of liquor even
in sickness regard the publicity features
as a great triumph for the temperance
cause The Boston liquor agents who
circulate through this State are also elated.
They say their sales in Mortified have
doubled and even trebled in the month
that the new rule has been in effect. and
it is a fact that more boxes, devoid of
any inscription giving an inkling OF their
contents. have been received at the local
freight office-mostly from Boston since
the town voted for publicity than were
ever handled there in a similar length of
time