Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-10-17

Wisdom OF Whole Democratic Membershl
Of Legislature Important New Prin
, ciples Included to Make 1t Self-Cockin.
and self-Firing Gun, and Straight at th
Mark How Officials Can't Dodge Their DUTY
Without Taking Train Direct for State
Prison-And Yet Absolutely Just to Homes
Dealers Scheme for Druggist License Thai
Is Buttoned Up Tight-Comparison of Lead
ing Features With Those of Republican ant
Clement Bills How Pure Liquors Are to Be
Compelled Local Option May Secure
Only Beer Licenses.
Montpelier. Oct. II.
All three party plans for local OPP
tion license law are now before the
Legislature. The Republican bin was
introduced the first day by Senator
Russell and the Clement proposition
by DR.. Peck. The Democratic bill
was unanimously and enthusiastically
accepted and approved by a party eau
Gus last evening after several hours and
several evenings consideration and dis
cussion in careful detail and intro
duced by DIR. Conland to-day
1ht lNtl'uDllCdu pan tlllDIdCtS All6
platform scheme of bunco referendum.
which the leaders all know and pri-
vatelv admit TO be unconstitutional
but which Gov. McCullough's message
urged and which it seems to be the
party plan to pretend to stand by in
expectation that the committee will
throw it out The Clement bills ref
erendum is like that of his platform
which would probably pass the ordeal
of the courts, while the Democrats, ac-
cording to their platform, propose no
referendum at all, holding that the
people passed on the question Sept ,,
! that there is referendum also in the
| local option feature for every town and
! that there is no reason for further
( ImOnkeying,
( The Democratic bill, while not so
/ long as either of the others. which are
in the main copies Of the Massachu-
setls and Missouri laws. covers much
more ground than both together. and is
the result of a careful study of every
liquor law in the Union and of every bill
introduced in our legislature for the last
- wears, and embodies the good points
of all with several features that are en-
tirely new and which are designed to
meet the common objection to license
laws that their restrictions are no bet
ter obeyed than prohibition. The ma
chinery is provided for swift and Sc
we're punishment for any violation. If
adopted, while entirely just to dealers
who live up to the law-and il is made
mighty difficult for anybody else to
get license--it will be the best TEN
perance law that exists anywhere in
America. At least. no human being
who compares il with the other meas
ures can hereafter call the Democrats
the rum party. and its bare proposal IL
Illustrates how beneticent it would be
for the state in other lines to have more
than one party legislating for it, and
two parties of nearly strength striv-
ing TO outdo each other
The Democratic bill differs from the
Others in providing two questions for
local option. whether there shall be
general liquor licenses or only for the
sale of beer Its classification is bet
ter than either of the others. The Re .
publican bill provides only for three |
classes, retail licenses to sell liquor of .
all kinds. wholesale and druggists IL
censes. for $1,000. $500 and 500. The .
Clement bill has five classes to sell Ii
quors of all kinds TO be drunk on the
premises at $1,000, not to be drunk on
the premises $500 to sell beer and
wines only. to be drunk on the prem
ises, $50 and druggists $40, and in
towns of less than 1,000 population
these figures. except for druggists. are
halved. and of less than five hun
dred population quartered, so that
the bottled beer business could be
done for S37. 30 year, and what
that would mean for Brattleboro refus-
ing licenses and Guilford, for lllustra-
tion. granting them anybody can see.
The Clement but not the Republican
bill. provides for summer hotel licenses
at 500 for a house of 80 beds and 500
for each additional 80 The Demo
cratic bill would grant these licenses
pro rata according to the time they are
held with other licenses and limits ;
them to houses of % furnished bed
rooms. 1t fixes licenses for general
liquor business at $500 to $3.50, in the
discretion of the licensing board, for
beer and wine $3.50, for the sale of any
kind of liquor not to be drunk )
On the premises $500 and beer
not to be drunk on the prem |
iistilleries $1,000 and druggists -
anu Sl' cV u AL lLCSt DlIlS
allow only one license, except to drug
gists. for each 1000 of population. '
The Clement bill would grant them y
through a county board, elected with
he county ticket. the Republican bill
through selectmen or mayor and alder
nen and the Democratic bill through !;
licensing board. appointed by select
men or city government. representing q
10Th political parties and required not 1
,nly to attend TO the granting of Ii I
enSes but required through every year Q
o see that their conditions are obeyed I
nd to prosecute violations or un- "
licensed selling. The Republican bill 3
ives one half the license fees to the O
late and the Clement and Democratic Il
ills one half. but the latter directs
he money to be distributed to towns r,
or the construction of permanent V
highways certified to be such by the e.
tate Highway Commissioner. a
The most difficult feature of all IL a
ense laws and which makes them il
very where more or less of farce is N
hat of druggists licenses. The Re- Il
ublican and Clement bills copy the d
and Massachusetts pro Il
isions, which say sales shall be made
My for medical purposes or on pre- al
and require the latter to be ii
reserved and say officials may exam ia
he them but provide no way of com in
elling that to be done. The Demo sc