Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-10-17
AntI-SaIoon League Column.
NoTE.-This Column is controlled
directly by the Vermont Anti-Saloon
league.
Town Liquor Agency.

| -ifSOf agency.
: In the discussion of temperance in ON
state, certain things have been surely and
t we believe, forever eliminated: in
diyidual who today attempts to declar
that more Intoxicating drink is consume,
in the state than ever before. or mora tha,
would be under license law; that oul
prohibitory law is a failure; that temper.
ance sentiment is diminishing and th.
advocates OF license rapidly increasing
manifestsa pitiable ignorance Of the true
condition OF things, and OF the certain
and irresistible trend Of events. Only the
most ignorant and wilful now resort to
such foolish and untruthfuI statements.
These points Of attack abandoned. Others
must be found. A franklin county naner
has found one, and,after no little time and
trouble IN securing its supposed store of
ammunition,has opened with broadside Of
grape, canister and bomb. In grandly dis
played headlines it announces ga Gioan-
Tic Fraud" Smaller fry of lii 9 III, in other
parts OF the state automatically nine mn
Gigantic Fraud. The wall Of one on these
was surely pitiful, when it said. at is
"hen we see people uphold what they
kho" 10 be gigantic frauds that our faith
IN their temperance principles is reduced
to very low ebb." It is however a won
derful coincidence that this editor has
been for many years a druggist. still owns
drug store and If we remember correctIv
mas felt the grasp OF the present law and
is now justly under fear of its power.
liIhe gigantic fraud referred to by the adj
vocates Of license, is the town Iionor
agency, established under the provision of
our prohibitory law. They give the
amount Of liquor sold in the seventy apen-
cies m the state and the population Of
each town where an agency exists. The
population Of the 20 towns is III. 200. while
the total amount Of sales is s221a93. IS. This
rs large amount and no doubt larger
than Is required for strictly legitimate
purposes. II should be borne in mind how
ever that these seventy agencies are all
the places in the state where LIQUORS can be
legally obtained for the legitimate pur-
poses covered by the law. There are 24s
towns and cities in the state, so that each
agency supplies an average of three and a
half towns. The population of the state is
given at 1851 so that the whole amount
sold at the agencies would give little less
han 90 cents worth Of liquors per year for
zach resident in the state, or one and
iourth cents per week. II this is so start
ing to the ardent friends OF license. let
hem huex fhan,colx-ac g. H.. = |
he problem: II s. cents worth per capita
sold by seventy licensed agencies, how
much more per capita would be sold by
me thousand open, free and un- |
estrained saloons run solely for individu-
1 proft9
The agency is surely not a fraud in its $
rigin. II is an absolute necessity under q
rohibitory law. Strange as it may seem I
some there are very many people in Yer !
lont who still dislike to become law {
reakers and also dislike to compel
eighbor to break a known law. The fact I
nould be more carefully and iconscien- a
onsly considered by all our people that Q
he agency is the only place where a per- Z
m can secure liquors without both vio- p
ting a statute law himself and causing
me one else to do the same. e.
While agents are often deceived and s.
eir sales are often much larger than 50
ey should be, we believe, as a rule, they s
e well managed. There has been o,
arked improvement within year or two sc
d the improvement viii continue, Just
proportion as the temperance men and
'men watch the agency, look over its m
esbook and counsel with and advise m
e agent Here is duty too generally ar
elected by the friends OF the law. This pc
now the prominent point of attack by tn
m men. Much Of the opposition to the zis
ency can be traced TO the druggists. sir
ey claim that they, because of superior of
owledge OF the purity OF liquors, should fol
ne be permitted to handle them and tic
Il pure liquors can only be found at inG
lg stores. Not few OF our good tenn cal
ance people have been deceived by this Gel
( and some have come to believe it. On ira
ar with their other attempted argu- ine
nts this is pure nonsense. Few drug pos
IS are in favor of our law. Only in one No
CdH tHeN De Induced 10 IaNOr II. and fA
is by appointing them to the office of me
n agent. But experience has generally
wn that this is not safe. They are in tai
business for the money in it and the tiol
nse as an agent too frequently covered ant
of sins in the shape OF illegal
5. Our space forbids further comment ..
we commend the subject to the more
full thought and study of our people. r.
e that the agency is necessity; that ~
lould be closely watched by temper n
people; the agent should be assisted -, /.
very wise way and supported in every aoo
t to diminish sales and make the ~
icy what the law designed it should +bis
Especially note the origin OF all these "a
plants and be ready to successfully 10 /
and destroy them. ID. NC. soc,
Life-saviaE Lessons the
he New Zealand government has do.
ded that swimming and life-sav- over
shall he fauuhs IN All ~ eohaa1- ! Eefc