The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-11-21
Pungent Logic. Observations on
License and Prohibition,

License ana prohibition.
Editor of Daily Journdl:-I trust
am not crank on The temperance
question. | believe that there are men
who honestly think that local option
and high license, well enforced, would
be better han the prohibitOry law null
and void as it is in some localities
believe that a I an has the legal right
to drink whiskey 80 long 9s he Injuries
no one but himself. l believe that
hotels might be allowed to serve it as
they serve milk, tea or flee. | be-
lieve that drug stores might be allowed
to sell it for me chenical sud medicinal
purposes, as they sell other poisonous
trugs. | believe that the town agency
system is the best license Law that has
been framed as yet l believe that il
the advocate of license law would
| give their lLhuence to The enforcing of
The present law, that the la ter would
answer all the thirsty needs of human
ity.
"But prohibition does not prohibit"
Ii was never intended to prohibit, only
to prevent so far as possible he lille
gal sale and use of liquors. But the
law at present does not do this" True,
where pubic sentiment is in favor of
an open saloon. Would this same sem
timent enforce the prohibitve clauses
of the license law-;he selling on Sun.
days, to minors, ald to drunkards2
Does any man take seriously the propo-
sition o License as temperance meas
urc? 1T is an awful evIl'-so say we
all. "We cannot destroy IT. let US IL
cense it," The State has had small
pox scare. No one died OF the disease.
But suppose a doctor had proposed a
high license or local option to prevent
its spread The same arguments apply
to murder, counterfeiting, theft, and
hydrophobia. Suppose man kept
mad dog that Bit people, or an OK that
pushed with his horls, -wouId a man
propose lie nse TO such dangerous ami
mails? Would society listen to such
logic?
On yes-''Men will steal so long as
there ia anything to steal" Now let
US license stealing to cure if, or at least
to lessen it. Following the logic of
the license advocates, we should have
something like this: First We say to
one man, You may sell liquor; to
another, You may steal" Then we say
to the first man, You must not sell to
minors; you must not sell on Sun
days" We say 10 the thief, you must
not steal from the young; you must
not steal on Sundays" Then we
say to the first man, "You must not
steal from the man you have made
drunkard." This To- c, applied to the
thief: You munt not rob whom you
have made penniless."
Again: "You may cell to a sober
man until you have made him drunk
ard" To follow this reasoning, you
must say to the robber, You may steal
from the rich till you have rendered
him poor" To the liquor seller the
State says, eve will help you to recog-
nize the drunkard by arres ing him for
allowing himself to be made drunk
ard" And TO the thief we likewise
say, "We will help you to identify the
man you haye robbed by arresting him
for allowing himself to be robbed"
Oh, but "We will exonerate the saloon
keeper from all disgrace and penalty il
he will pay US 1000" We must
also tell the thief that we will protect
him if he will give US half the booty.
But, "The people will drink as long
as liquor is made and sold, and it will
always be made and sold,' Perhaps.
Yes, and, people will steal so long as
there is anything to ste and you need
not try to stop them" If you do try it.,
try license and get little revenue out
of i'll Money answers all question and
is sweet anodyne for the conscienceI
But, Liquor selling gives busine to
many people, and makes a great
amount Of business" Especially in the
courts). "And people would not be
hurt by it if they had sense enough to
stop drinking when they had enough"
Logic. Stealing gives employment to a
great mar people-and nobody would
be hurt by it if they had sense enough
to hide their valuaolesl
While man TT mains depraved he will
steal and murder, and sell and drink
that which suoys life and all it's God
given powers, aud for this reason laws
are needed aLd made. Bad men and
bad principles must De fought by every
hberty-loving and sober-miuded citi-
zen. If the license law Will remedy
the evil, then let's have it, quicsl But
it seems to me that such law is cut of
harmony with history, sacred and pro-
fame, aud contrary to reason aud logic;
and then t put forth such law as
temperance measure ia 81 fanny that l
am overwhelmed and can writ e no
|