Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-05-23
CLEMENT ANSWERED
Some Strong Points in Rev. DR..
Marbles Address.
Would Saloons Make Business and
Conditions Of Life Better-What
Reduce Evil to Lowest Terms.

The Baptist church was completely
filled with a closely attentive audience
last Sunday evening, when Rev. DR.. Mar
BILE devoted his address to an answer to
=. w. Clements speech for high license.
DR.. Marble said that Mr. Clement had af-
forded the people of Brattleboro two
hours of entertainments his stories were
exceedingly good. but the body of his ad-
dress was an assertion of alleged facts,
the truth of which could not be main
tained. His dcnunciaton of abuses under
the prohibitory law referred to features
of the law as it formerly existed, and not
as the law is today. His attack on the
Anti-Saloon leauge was not warranted
by the facts in the case, or by the work
which the members of the league are
seeking to do or the methods which they
use.
DIR. Marble paid special attention to Mr..
Clements charge that the prohibitory
law is an interference with individual
rights, and that 1t undertakes to brand
as a crime a transaction which i'm itself is
entirely right and proper. Mr. Marble
showed by various Illustrations that the
prohibitory law Is no different in this
respect from other laws on the statute
book. Fishing for instance is an in
noccnt and even useful recreation, but the
law prescribes explicitly certain times
when fishing is illegal and also prescribes
the size and kind of fish which may and
may not be caught. 1t>is not an in
herent moral sin to ride a bicycle on the
sidewalk, but for the protection of the
general public the law makes 1t an Of
fence to do this.
Mr. Marble spoke convincingly from his
own personal experience I'm contests with
the saloon interests In WallingfOrd. Conn,
where he was formerly settled His
most effective points were made In ask
ing the people. and especially the Young.
"a ngf. =
the claim that high license will improve
business and make the conditions of life
IN Vermont better What kind of bust
ness would be improved by the intro
duction OF open, legalized saloons? He
could think of only one; that of coffin
making might be increased. What would
ne the effect on any young mans chances
for profitable employment? What new
avenues of business industry would be
opened up? How would patronage of the
saloons improve any young mans
chances? The situation. Mr. Marble
said. resolved itself to this. Mr.. Glenn
ents address was n bald, blank proposi-
ton to establish five or six saloons in
Bratteboro. However we may reason
on the pros and cons Of prohibition or of
high license. that Is the fact we have to
look in the face. Do we want five or six
saloons here? Where would they be To-
Gated? Not on back streets and in by
in the hotels, others would be I'm the very
best places on the street. What would be
the cost? Figuring the price of the license,
OF the rentals. Of the fixtures Of attend
ance, etc, would 100000 n year be an ex-
travagant estimate? Have the people OF
Brattleboro this sum of money to spend
In this way? Can It be spent with ben
Cit to the people as a whole? And after
the saloons are established. let It be re-
membered distinctly that the license law
would be violated to just as great an ex-
tent as the prohlbltory law now is
This Is not question of freedom from
restraint. 1t Is a question of self-pro-
lection by the community and for indi-
viduals. 1t is a question of slavery to ap-
petite. of protection to helpless children
and long suffering wives and mothers 1t
Is question OF domination Of the saloon
In our politics. The liquor evil is one
that can never be totally eliminated. The
problem is to reduce II to its lowest
terms. The adoption of high license in
Vermont would not be a step toward the
best solution of this problem.