Washington sentinel., 1900-03-31
IMPORTATION FOR BREWERS
AND OTHERS.
Their Names IN Print.

Their names IN EElhh'
Vermont has a prohibitory law, but
with proviso that every city and town
within the Commonwealth may decide
annually by vote whether there shall
be established town liquor agency
where liquor shall be dispensed on
account of the town, and at the discre-
ton of an official, to he known as the
town liquor agent, but Tor PURPOSES as
the law puts it, of medicine, and Tor
use in the arts and sciences, and for no
other purpose whatsoever"
Last year Northfeld, town OF 5000
people, voted for liquor agency, and
one was established. The report q the
liquor agent at the end of the year
showed that the 1000 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 OF $3.50.
The report was posted at the town hall
Just before the spring town meeting,
March I, and it caused a good deal OF a
sensation. Likewise, it caused a great
deal OF gossip and conjecture concern
ing the identity of those VINO had been
the largest patrons Of the agency,
The farmers declared that it was
scandslOus that so much money should
have been spent for liquor, but as 'ule
they are all pretty "iorehanded," and
profit Of $3.50 was a 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
Suspicion that they might take up with
the arts or sciences OF some sort who
thought the agency ought to be main
tanned. So they turned out at the town
meeting and rallied with the close fsted
farmers, who were looking for a reduc'
ton In the tax rate, to vote for upholdlng
the agency.
The leaders ofth absolute prohibition
movement realized the day before the
election that they would be beaten, and
so they drew up a new article to be
passed upon by the voters, and did it so
skiliully that the advocates Of the agency
played into their hands and voted for
what the straightout reformers thought
to be a compromise. The substance of
the new question was that the liquor
agency should be continued, and 1t
added that once each month the liquor
agent should publish in the town weekly
the name OF each person who had pur-
chased liquor, and the purpose 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 there
might be unpleasant features connected
with the publication of the lists. They
simply read, in many instances, the first
part OF the question, saw that 1t de clared
for the agency, and voted the whole
thing.
The first publication was made last
week. and before night halt the town
was talking about the other half The
list showed that one of the Oldest
deacons had bought three quarts OF
whisky during the month, and the agent
had simply endorsed his purchase in the
official report as having been made on
account of sickness"
The ministers. the ladies' OF the w. c.
T, u, and the other real reformers who
would not touch a 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 the State are also
elated. They say their sales in North
field 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 ins >ription 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.