Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-11-08
Law and the Liquor Traffic.

| there is no subject tnaJ gives tue law
makers and the observation-disclosures so
much trouble as that of how best TO
deal with the traffic in intoxicating
liquors. No state or country has set
tied this question to the full satisfac-
ton of practically all its people, as 9th
or matters OF similar concern are flnal-
| " adjusted. Whether the law is pro
hibition, license, local option, or Till
man dispensary, there is always com
plant and continual efforts are being
put forth to bring about some change.
| 1t is the purpose Of this article to show
wherein the difficulty lies in framing
and enforcing excise or prohibitory
laws.
Three different classes Of people are
purchasers of intoxicating liquor. Let
lis study that a moment.
First, is the person who requires 1t
for some necessary purposes medi-
cine. or for some mechanical or ehemi-
cal purpose. Nothing else will answer.
The would-be buyer is known to be
strictly temperate and reliable. He
should be supplied. There is no rea-
son under the sun why he should not.
Liquors have their legitimate and nee
essary uses, as all will admit What
ever the law. then, there must be some
means by which the citizen can pro-
cure intoxicating liquors for these pur-
poses. No law would stand for a
month which denied this manifest
right. Ifliquor had no other use than
these necessary ones, it would be sold
as freely and openly as witch hazel or
benzine. of course. The absolutely nee
essary uses ofintoxicants are so limited
as to require no restrictions in supply
ING them.
But having permitted the sale OF liz
uor as all laws must, in a greater or
less degree, we find our troubles have
but begun. Besides those who require
liquor for necessary uses are two other
classes, the first of which are the mod
crate drinkers. These undeniably con-
stitute very large per cent OF the
whole liquor-using public. The great
majority of them are respectable peo-
| pie who will continue TO be respectable
to the end of their days. Statesmen,
leaders, sterling citizens there are
among them-kind husbands, indul-
gent fathers, steady workers-the
bone and sinew of the land. Drink
ing-the limited way they drink-does
not help them, OF course, but it does
not apparently hurt them. They will
live on in prosperity and happiness
and the world will be the better, not
the worse for their having lived. Per-
haps it is only a glass of beer occasion
ally at the end of hot summer days
work. Perhaps a bottle of mild wine
at the family board. Whatever 1t is,
this man wants it. He is certain that
he win not make bad use of il and he
chafes under any law which says that
he can't have it. What warrant has
:he law, he argues, to prescribe what
he shall not have to drink so long as
no one is injured? lie has no patience
with such restraint, and other things
being equal he will live where the law
is such that persons like him can pro-
cure the stimulant they want at times.
Such men are often desirable citizens,
and anything which tends to drive
them away should be avoided, unless
there are many compensatiOns from
other quarters. Another thing about
this class is that prohibitory laws in
variably strike them hardest. The
Iconfrmed drinker will manage gener-
ally to get liquor somehow, but the
casual drinker will not 90 to the same
extremes. lie will not order it in
A AAAAAlAlNe VI HttAAbAAiAA oVOAAN-@NAc
or low dives to crafty his desires.
/ This is doubtless of benefit to him in
many cases for it saves him money and
guards him in some degree from ac-
quiring the habit of excessive drink
ing, but he feels the influence Of what
seems to him to be unnecessary and
unjust prescription, and he rebels
against it,
What to do with this large and in
fluential class of moderate drinkers is
problem that has so far tested all
systems 1t is well enough TO say that
nobody should drink anything intoxi-
eating ever, except as a medicine. and
] sparingly then, because there is nc
benefit, but great danger to all and ruin
to many in it. That is the truth and il
cannot be said too often or too urgent