Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-26
w. G. T. u. COLUMN.
PROHIBITION IN WHITE RIVER
JUNCTION.

| III Is asserted on the street by men
who are not even moderate drinkers
that the suppression of the liquor
traffic in this village has Injured it's
business to an appreciate extent. A
druggist cannot fill physicians pre-
| scription for liquor, to be used in
case of illness, without running the
| risk of prosecution There is hardly
any family but what needs for
medicinal purposes more or less
liquor in a year, and keeps little on
hand for some such emergency.
There are people in Hanover, Hart
land and villages in this town who
used to do all their trading here.
Finding that they cannot get here Ii
case of sickness, they drive to West
Lebanon, where the New Hampshire
law is not enforced, whenever they
need anything of that kind, if the
home supply has been used up. Be-
ing in West Lebanon, they make all
their purchases there rather than re-
turn here to do the rest of their trad
ing. In this way, it is contended that
the general business of West Lebanon
is increasing and that of the Junction
is going down. We give the argument
as we hear it stated, without any
comments.''
The above paragraph, it is true, is
only plain statement of facts, with
no comment or argument. 1t is,
nevertheless, significant, and the
friends of temperance would do we'll
not only to read but to ponder it.
In the first place, we learn that
there is one place at least in Vermont
where the prohibitory law is enforced
that this enforcement of the law is
not reported from some back town
where such enforcement has been be-
lieved to be comparatively easy
matter, but from a place where the
conditions are generally supposed to
be such as to render the enforcement
of a prohibitory law peculiarly diff
cult, if not absolutely impossible.
What has been done at White River
Junction can, presumably, be done in
sundry other towns in the State.
In the second place, the friends of
temperance and the supporters of the
present law can, by little investiga-
ton, get valuable hints as to some of
the means by which such an enforce
ment of the law may be brought about.
We are not familiar with all the in
huences which are responsible for the
present happy condition of things in
the railroad village on the Connecti-
cut, but we know that one of the
chief agencies at work is a States
attorney who is literally supplied
with brains, conscience, back bone,
belief that he was appointed to
enforce the laws of the State of
Vermont and a determination to do
his duty without fear Or favor. The
stoppage of the traffic at White River
junction, the closing Of the no tells at
Windsor, threats to do likewise at
Ludlow, and similar occurrences all
over Windsor county show what
official can do even when he has to
work ofttimes single handed.
The moral is that those who want
the law enforced should exert them
selves to secure the choice of the
right men for States attorneys and to
prevent the election of men pro-
fessionally incompetent or morally
unfit.
In the third place, we learn from
the above paragraph that strict pro-
hibition affects injuriously the business
of the village. Good people from
Hanover and Hartland seem to prefer
to buy their groceries and rum at the
same place. No figures are given,
and, of course, could not be, very
we'll.
1t is difficult, however, to see how
the loss can be very serious. Ger
tainly not every trader from Hanover
and Hartland wants to buy rum.
There must be some who 60 to buy
groceries, clothing and other things
with no rum (even for family use in
case of sickness) thrown in, and
these would be attracted rather than
repealed by present conditions.
But assuming real, and, if you
please considerable, loss of trade,
what then? Does it follow that the
laws of the. State must be relaxed?
That traffic must be permitted which
is not only in violation of the law but
which is the worst foe of the peace,
the morals, the happiness and the
good name of the cOmmunitv. that q