The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-01-30
Unmasked.


malign shades of the divinities of evil,
who have made him mad, passionately
aud obstreperously mad. Why should
the gods tease him, and why would
they destroy himp
Fortunately there is little method in
his madness and there is therefore lit
tie harm in his exhibitions of passion,
except to the cause of the free rum
fraternity, if indeed that cause can be
further harmed since the recent wreck
in the General Assembly. In his de-
lirium he frantically strips the mask
from the purpose of those who have
been exploiting "high license" and 'lo-
cal option" and with an abandon of
csndor and degree Of success the OPP
ponents of a change in the system of
liquor regulation might envy, lets in
the light of truth on the conditions in
States in which license is the law, per-
hitting the sale of liquor "as other
merchandise is sold." The Ne,Us says:
CO iul 40 LuO pupllC-abJD OOJ anu
everybody who wants to buy-is con-
cerned the "sale" of liquor in other
States is exactly the same as the sale of
other merchandise. The customer
calls for what he wants, pays for it and
goes his way. The fact that the gov
ernment, for revenue purposes and to
control the traffic in as great measure
as is consistent with libeaty, requires
license from the seller, makes not the
slightest difference with our statement.
The man who wants liquor finds more
places to buy il, and more hours by fifty
per cent in which to buy, than for any
other article of merchandise. And in
doing 30 he finds no more restriction
than in buying tobacco-which also re-
quires lcense-or mineral water. In
all large grocery stores and in many
dry goods department stores in the big
cities liquor is sold exactly as any other
article of merchandise. 1t is ordered
by men and women, bought, paid for
and delivered in the same way-and
with no more restriction on the Gus.
tomer-as silk or sugar or lard.
Such candor and freedom of state
ment need no elucidation. The con-
temporary describes exactly the real
condition of the liquor traffic in license
communities. 1t is all the opponents
of license have clsimed--or rather
more. 1t ends the argument on that
score, and very satisfactorily to the sup
porters of the Vermont system.
There is, however, one little discrep-
ancy here that is worthy of note. The
Ne,os comedies that heigovernment,
for revenue purposes, and to control the
traffic Gin liquor) in as great measure
as is consistent Nth liberty, requires a
license from the seller" etc. Do these
governments require license fee from
the seller for the traffic in bread, tea,
coffee, dry goods, nails, farm tools,
etc., "to control the traffic in those art
icles in as great measure as is con-
sistent with liberty? Does govern
ment forbid the baker to sell bread to @
minor or to furnishing man, or clothing
to the naked? Are restrictions placed
upon the sale of these or any of the
common articles of trade such as even
license laws place upon the sale OF
liquor to minors or to habitual drink
ersP Even the Iloosest. license enact
ments recognize the necessity of plac.
ing restrictions upon the sale of liquors
such as are placed on no other mer.
chandise except their kindreds in
the dangerous and "extra hazardous
classes, -poisons, gunpowder, dyna-
mite, etc. These restrictions are flu
tile, it is true, and license and local
option mean practically the free and
unrestricted sale of liquor, as the Ne,os
effusively comedies, but they are the
recognition of the fact that govern.
ment makes a wide distinction between
the traffic in liquors and the sale oil
other merchandise.
1t is neither desirable nor necessary
to follow the Ne,Ds through all the wind
ings of its "fine frenzy" in its review Of
recent article in the JOURNAL. The
feathers fly in clouds in the sanctum Of
the contemporary and there is muct
frantic squawking--the indisputabl'
evidence of hit bird there. The
neighbor starts out with the declaration
that "the kind of stuff" the JOURNAL
prints "gets short shrift here" ant
proceeds to shrive "to the extent of
mortal column and half.
But this is the smallest of his incon
sistencies. He ought to be ashamed
and probably is, of the old, weak an,
worn out accusation that "the Vernon
law fails to stop drinking or drunken
ness" etc. 1t is sure sign of logica
bankruptcy to take refuge in this stal
charge. The JOURNAL doesn't forge
the circumstances the contemporary re
cites, nor does it forget that the Ver
mont law against any other offense o
crima from nettv larcenv IN murda,