St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-12-05
The Anti-Saloon Law of Vermont.

The friends of civic virtue in Vermont
are facing once more the oft repeated
attempt OF the liquor interests to gain a
better footing in the state. The condi-
tions under which the battle is being
fought are none too we'll understood be.
yond the borders OF the state, as is
shown by an occasional paragraph in
the newspapers. Even in so authorita.
tive treatise as Rowntree and Sher-
wells The Temperance Problem | find
Vermont classed with Maine and New
Hampshire, as though her law duplica-
ted theirs. In point of fact the Vermont
law presents certain features of especial
interest by reason of its contrast with
the laws of those states and it's peculiar
adaptation to the Vermont conditions.
Let me briefly summarize some of it's
more important provisions.
|. No person shall, except as other.
wise specially provided, manufacture,
sell. furnish or give away any intoxica.
ting liquor. ( A person may give away"
liquor in his private family unless
his dwelling becomes place of public re-
sort).
For violation OF this statute the fol-
lowing penalty is provided. For a first
offeuse the offender shall be fined from SIS
to $500, and may be imprisoned not
more than thirty DAYS. For each subse-
quent offense he shall be fined $40 to
5000, and shall also be imprisoned from
one month to one year.
| A common seller or manufacturer shall
be fined, first conviction, 500; second.
5000; third conviction 5000 and i'm
piisonment from four to twelve months.
| A common seller denotes one whose
sales exceed five and are less than ten.
1t his sales exec ed ten he may be fined for
each as a separate offense)
IL. Each town may say whether or
not 1T shall have liquor agent appoint
ed Tor one year by a county commission
er elected biennialy), who may sell
liquor tor medicinal, chemical and me-
chanlcal purposes. He must not be an
lnnkeeper or keeper of any house ofpubic
entertainment. He has definite salary.
He purchases no liquor, that being done
by the selectmen. All excess of profits
above ten per cent. must be paid to the
state.
This agent must keep record of all
sales-what, when, how much, tor what
purpose and to whom-and such record
is open to inspection. A town NAV
abolish an agency at any legally called
meeting warned tor that purpose.
These two articles comprise the essen
tial features of the law. 1t is primarily
directed against the saloon, and second
arily against the improper use OF liquor
by the individual citizen. 1t does not
deny the right of the individual to pro-
cure and use liquor for necessary pur-
poses, but it acts upon the principle that
liquor is too dangerous commodity to
make its sale as matter Of private gain
consort with the good otthe community.
Since 1852 law of this general nature
has been upon the statute books of Yer.
mont. 1t has been frequently amended.
! 1t is doubtless susceptible of further ad.
r vantageous amendment. But it is not
too much to say that it commends itself
2 to the great body OF Vermont citizens as
a wise and practicable law. The forces
threatening its integrity are three
S l. The liquor interests without the
+ state which oppose it as a matter OF
D business. A member of the present lepis.
: lature who himself iavors the so called
: referendum" bill now pending, admitted
to me that all great liquor com.