Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-12-09

Local option has been on trial IN this
country for some sixty years. Nearly
every State and Territory in the Union
has tried it, many repeatedly. AT
present some thirty three states in
Guiding all the Southern, containing
over fifty million inhabitants are
under local option statutes. Local
option has been claimed as a great
temperance measure, if that be so,
how do we account for the colossal
increase In the per capita consump-
ton of alcoholic liquors in this country
from 7.97 gallons in 1870, TO 10 40 in
1890. To further emphasize the failure
of local option let US compare the per
capita consumption of malt liquors in
two representative local option States
viz, Illinois and Ohio, with that of
two representative prohibition States,
Iowa and Kansas. The per capita
consumption of malt liquors in Illinois
amounted to 1893 gallons and in Ohio
1910 gallons, the consumption in
Iowa was 1874 gallons and in Kansas
.059 gallons. The argument is true,
that local option has a strong hold
upon the public, for it is said to be the
only form of law truly democratic,
and American. This principle of
appeal to local self-government no
doubt is true. But questions involv-
ing interests that cannot be made
local in their effects, cannot come
under this statement, for local option
communicates and pauperizes neigh
boring localities, creating for them a
great excess of costs in sustaining law.
Therefore it is question involving
far more than local concerns, hence
it should be by every man of good
judgment, considered properly, a sub
ject for general jurisdiction; because
in a large degree it reaches beyond
any local control. The evil results of
the liquor traffic, those which alone
justify special interference with it,
cannot as we know, be confined to
local boundaries; therefore the prin-
ciple of local option is inapplicable,
and an improper method for coping
with the drink evil. The State should
here, be the normal unit of sover
eighty. 1t is opposed to all sound
theories of government, to transfer
to local factions, the decision of a
question of such general and far
reaching Importance. A noted senator
local option of very doubtful consti-
nationality, and positive inexpediency,
decl airing it to be quite as unsafe, as
appl led to the drink traffic, as to the
punishm ent of criminals. The argu
ment sums up, that the principle of
local option being unsound, the
various pleas offered in it's support
are consequently unsound.
1t is said that local option is the law
for Vermont because it is non parti
san, hence it is the golden mean for
all enemies of the saloon. This theory
is a delusion and snare, possibly as
far as voting goes it may be true, but
how about the enforcement, no par
ticular party is pledged to it and no
party is responsible for it. Strict en-
forcement would without doubt cost
the officers their place, therefore it is
enforced, while non enforce
ment enrages the prohibitionists, who
have virtually tied their hands being in
the minority. AS usual outcome the
execution of the law is most costly
and most difficult, and when secured
the penalties are light and the costs
heavy. Whether acquitted or con-
victed the lawbreaking liquor seller
will be supported and protected by |
the nationally organized liquor traffic,
and will be in the main successful. |
The argument is that local option can |
be secured in the larger towns and |
cities of our State and would be just |
law because the will of the majority |
it could be secured in these places |
when prohibition would be impossible, |
no doubt,-but the law that cannot |
be enforced, or whose enforcement |
leads to its abrogation is useless. IL
is argued that in States where the To- |
cal option law is enforced localities |
ripe for prohibition can get it without |
being made to wait until they can get |
enforceable and permanent prohibi- |
ton. These arguments but clearly |
testify to the conditions that would |
obtain in our own state under local |
option; once accepted it will be al
most an utter impossibiiity to secure
State prohibition again. The voting |
of it out under local option in one To-
cality, would mean shifting the bur-