Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-03

shall continue its restrictive control of this
traffic or whether the traffic shall pass
into the hands of men whose sole object
Is TO make moncy-and to make all tho
money they can.
On the part of one class--and we believe
1t Is in the large maiority-the sentiment
is that the unrestricted traffic in spiritu-
ous liquors Is wrong. vast moral evil
another class does not look upon the traf
nc from the same moral point OF view.
Some In the latter class openly defend
the traffic, as some defended the institu-
ton of slavery; some in this class, recog
nizing the existence Of the appetite for H.
quor, believe, or profess to believe. that
the better way to control Is to permit, ia
license, its sale The issue is between these
two views of the traffic. One would rigid
~ restrict the traffic to certain specified
uses; the other would open 1t up TO general
usc,-that Is to say, permit the sale of Ii.
auors to feed the appetite for drink. The
former is the moral view of the matter
the latter Its demoralizng opposite. Those
arc for restrictive legislation: these con-
tend that whatever community wants IL
ruors has right to have 1t. That may
be true. II the general sale and use OF
liquors, like bread, is not a wrong. But II
1t Is wrong. the defenders OF license and
local option have no right to say the State
shall permit, by their paying for the priv
tlege, any class Of It's citizens to do wrong.
This is the issue, and It will continue in
this Stnte till 1t is settled and settled right
IL Is the eternal struggle between the two
principles of right and wrong.
The Waterman and Journal is unalter-
ably opposed to license. high or low and
that delusive annex. local option. The d.
Niding line between these schemes and the
free sale of liquors is so faint 1t Is almos,
invisible. Nor does the existing system,
find favor with many OF the best and the
more practical supporters of temperance.
The existing system Is as powerless for ef-
fective reform as was the old district
school system for efYicienut educational
purposes. There Is State control and sup
ervision of certain institutions and de-
partments Of affairs--of the public schools,
the highways the savings banks and trust
corporations, the railways, the fish and
game interests. the public health. etc.
etc. In Importance, moral and material,
the supervision and management Of tho
liquor traffic transcends any of these. II
not all combined. Why should not this
traffic he brought directly. In all its details
under State control? Why not do away
with the Office of county commissioner,
the State act directly, buy the liquors, es-
tabllsh the agencies and appoint the
agents, inspect the business in all its rami-
fcations? Tho system has broken down
in the details Of its administration. The
law In this particularly not in others
is practically and generally nullifed. Here
In Montpelier there is no pretense OF OBJ
serving the law in the administration OF
the city agency The city council legis-
lates on this subject and local prohi bit ION
lists commend its usurpation of the law
making power of the Legislature. The
county commissioner looks on with an
an. t1,Ast l. T.. - 500
than d rush in the administration of the
agency. And whit is true In Montpelier is
true, It is credibly reported, in other
towns and cities.
The obvious remedy for the existing con-
ditions is the amendment, not the repeal.
of existing law, not the substitution OF IL
cense and local option which are devices
Of the devil of free rum. No control can
he complete and entirely effective. but the
the traffic and It's effective management in
all Its details ought to be secured under
the direct administration and supervision
Of the State itself.
NOT SUCH A VICTORY AFTER ALL.
F'rom the Montpelier Argus, Dem.)
The ambiguity of the liquor plank was
not seen by those most interested until
the convention had completed its work
lie luttl PIttdtlpl uIDll IL ny en-
Gov. Stewart, chairman of the committee
on resolutions, Is not binding and it re
mains with the voters to complete tn
york of the convention. The local optior
men did not win such a victory as MANY
people have thought. They have now &c
fight in the towns for real victory. That
the struggle is likely to be strenuous may
be seen from the action of the country
local option idea is endorsed. In Orange
tho rptontinn Of the nrohibi ~
law is favored. In Rutland county TIL
Clement men were beaten. The plans
they demanded on the liquor question was
defeated and the convention contented il
self with endorsing the State platform.
THE BOLT MISCARRIED.
(From the Woodstock Standard)
The Clement bolt from the republican
State convention last Thursday was nc.
companied by some significant features
Mr.. Proctor's withdrawal was made in q
way and at time to impress the con.
Vention quite favoraby, except that II
was unnecessary for Mr. Partridge to sec.
ond the nomination of Gen. McCullouEf
therehy placing Mr.. Proctor in the posi-
ton OF directing the future action of hi.
supporters), and 1t had no effect upon the
latter ballot But it ratified DR.. Peck AN,
Mr. Jones, the Clement managers, who
tunato measures. DR.. Pcck's brazen ac
cisation, intended to inflaine the delegates
against Gen. Mccullough. was entirely out
of order. Mr.. Jones. from his own stand
point. displayed remarkable indscretor
in attempting to force the chairman an6
the convention to listen to him instantly
instead of waiting until the chairman was
able to secure order on the floor. And tn,
Mccullough and Proctor delegates, whr
Kissed and stamped at Peck and Jones
even though pushed to the limit of indig
nation, were utterly unjustifable in theil
action, and an apology was due the con
vention for their behavior. Peck and
Jones. however. lost point which a cool
or head might easily have won by patience
and persistence. Whether they deliberate
ly planned to create the uproar and SO pro
vide themselves an avenue of escape /.
unimportant. They certainly did create
the uproar, and as certainly the bolt mis-
carried.
No need to fear sudden attacks oi
cholera infantum, dysentery. diarrhoea. oil
summer complaint, II YOU have DIR. FOw
ler's Extract of wild Straw berry in tn,
medicine chest.
NEWS OF VERMONT.