Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-09-18
PROSPECTIVE LIQUOR LEcIsLA.
TON.

- 1t is realized ON all sides that III
one serious task confronting the legi,
IN lature about to assemble is the tram
X ing and passage ola high lleense.loca
option act,to be submitted to the voter
ofthe state of Vermont for their ao
. ceptance or rejection. Both the recu
lar Republican and Clement conyen
, lions declared in favor of such an act
and almost 10000 of the nearly 10000
e votes cast in the recent convention
seconded the request in a way that no
2 legislature or legislator would be iusti-
fed in disregarding.
But neither the conventions nor the
voters undertook to prescribe the ex-
act nature of the local option act to be
submitted. That task is left to the
constitutional. law-making body. The
general assembly will take it up. and
doubtless will give it the fun measure
oil attention that its great Importance
deserves. We see no disposition thus
lar to avoid the responsibility, though
there is natural difference of opinion
among members-elect as to the form OF
the act itself.
When the legislature assemblies. II
VIII be found to contain at least four
divergent views ON the subject of
liquor legislation. First are the Dem
ocrats and the straight-out license Re- /,
puolieans, who have doubt concerning
the legality of such referendum pro- /,
gram as the two platforms outlined or /,
VINO are willing, without reference J,
70 the voters, to pass local option act u
patterned after that of Massachusetts ;,
second are the regular Republican and >,
Element Republican members who a,
'tand squarely on the platforms and -
their individual views win :,
sslst IN the passage of fair local op- =,
ION act for the purpose OF submission. =
hird are the prohititionists, who are =
ent by conflicting emotions. DESIRING :,
, discharge their party obligations, a.
ut lnwardly protesting against the ~
We which seems to compel them to Il,
ote contrary to what they believe to m,
for the welfare of the state. Fourth
re the members who are not fully ~,
to either prohibition or ON
cal option, but who favor some ex- ~
'riment in the line of new legislation H.
at shall promise better results than b.,
Their. "
~ bit
we imagine it will not be possible oo,
orlng about the passage OF any act 9th
thout combination of two or more ~,
these elements, but we apprehend liz
1t this will come through natural lar
nses. There are not enough radical \
al optionists to carry through mo.
aight-out license law minus the sio,
erendum, but nearly or quite all of he ,
IN VIII join with the referendum orc
'ocates, providing the act proposed - =
"0h one as they believe in and tion
ard as a fair proposition to the mar
ers. On the other hand. there are 49,,
too few out-and-out prohibitionists ;tse,
'lock the progress of such a bill. oro
'o;nota !. 49, = attempt IT, we bare
clpate the passage of a high IL itsal
se-local option act, with a referen- -.
clause attached-such a measure tho1.
18th the Republican and boilers 80,
forms declared for. This act will ~
Inc a system of regulating the -
or traffic similar to that of Massa- sr,,,
setts. twill provide for local op- tha pl
; allowing cities and towns to de- 80,
for themselves by vote whether 49,
will have licensed places or not.
III fx schedule of license fees
establish all the machinery that is s oy 1