Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-11-07
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY.
Opinions With Reference to Enforce
ment of The Prohibitory Law.
(From the Brattleboro Phoneiy)

The enforcement of the prohibitory law
at the pre- sent term of county court has
caused a decided sensation and much a. s.
q ssion in this immediate vicinity, al
though raids upon liquor sellers are not
new occurrences here and those who arc
Interested to know might know that Tic
law is being sharply enforced thruusno t
tAc state. In the larger towns, where the
law is more flagrantly violated, sellers are
prosecuted, convicted fined and imprison-
ed and owners OF buildings are strcilY
enioined from allowing them to be used
Tor the unlawful traffic. which shows an
active public sentiment in favor of the
law and its execution. 1t IL difficult for
prosecuting attorneys and officers to en-
force the law where public sentiment is
either dead or opposed to it.
not many years ago BrattlcborO was
the banner town of the state in respect
to prohibition and temperance. and mag
sazine articles were written and went the
rounds of the press holding us up to IN
uittlon in these respects. Now it must
-" painfully apparent to every one who
loves the town and its traditions that a
chdhse has taken place here in the last
lrW years, and a change for the wore.
ne battery across the river has kept up
a constant fire upon us, ana latteriy nj n
nave become cmboldened to engage in the
BUSINESS on this side of the river more
cIenly than they have done before in Il
quarter cf ccI fury. Schools librdr IS
ana churches, with their various orglnizd-
ucns, can hardly counteract the evil that
goes out from these places into which
more money flows than would NE REQUIRED
to support the hospital Of which We slill
dream. Men fail in business in health
anu worse. stu, in morals. Men leave tn"
saloon and go to their Death because Of
rum, and vt public sentiment smmb RS
aud SlcepilY aSsonts that the present con-
uitlCn of things may continue They wake
uf when the Law is being vigorously en-
forced, and then, what seems surprising,
take sides and discuss the question
whether it ought to be enforced or not,
some openly denouncirg it's enforcement,
While many are thankful and take cour-
age.
1t has always been difficult to suit
that class of people whose refrain for
years has been chat the present Jaw
ought to be ropcAled because, they say.
1t Is not and cannot be enforced, and W, o
wants law that you can't cXecl:r' a:
nut when it is rigidly enforced AMI rnm-
sellers are fined and Imprisoned, or pat
20 flight and their places closed th,s,
people cry out against such proceedings
and call it an infringement of personal
liberty and Of the right Of property. II is
class OF men favor Il license law because
auder it there would be at least one place
in town where all men would be "irv
-'nu cQudl 10 DuN liquors ana then 1t
WOULD be one step nearer making the sale
ol liquors as free as the sale of grocu
los.
1t is easy to understand why men should
oppose Tia, execution of the law who bel
lcNc Ill the unrestricted sale of l.qIurS
and are 1linG to it's terrible consequences {;
rul why citizens who wish for good order,
the elevation of the standard of morals
IN the community, and the good reputa-
ton Of the town should oppose the az
ecutlon of the law is something of Il nyS-
terry. A public sentiment demanding that
this business shall cease is all that il re
CURED to put motion in the machinery of
the law which no seller can successfully
resist. 1t seems to be the case that
Windham county has fallen behind
the others in executing the law
We believe that 1t would b" "A fair test
of the prohibtory law for all good CiU-
Zcns to demand and support its STREE en-
furCcment for a period of two years. add
then, al the end of that time, be gOVerned
by the public sentiment thus develop, ii
as to whether we shall have prohibition
or license,