Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-20


some good features, but State dispen-
sary system is wholly untried In the
United States outside of South Carolina,
and a system of State liquor stores. au-
thorzed, among other things. to sell wines
and beer not only in quantity but also by
the glass, with the certainty that the
glasses would very often contain stronger
liquors, cannot, we think, be approved by
the order-loving people Of our State.
The bill reported by the majority Of the
temperance committee Is a license local
option bill with referendum. 1t is, Of
course, open to amendment, and In one
particular, IL not more, ought to be
amended. To give to the selectmen OF
towns and the aldermen of cities the ap-
pointment Of the men who are to give out
the LIQUOR licenses Is the surest way to
make rotten local politics in the cities
and towns. AS between the contendng
political parties, the saloon keepers and
mon who want licenses would, under such
method, commonly hold the balance OF
power in the town elections, and control
the choice Of seectmen and aldermen; thus
giving the towns certainly not tho best,
and often the worst men for sclectmen,
and through them selecting the worst
men TO hold the licenses. All good
citizens must see that II will be
vital to the successful operation of
local option law. to get good
men for license commissioners. In our
opinion such men can be best secured,
where the people vote for license, by
committing the issue of licenses to a coun-
ty board of commissioners. appointed for
each county by the governor. Every gov
ernor, be he strong or a weak temper
ance man, would for the sake of his own
good name. seek the advice of respectable
citizens in the selection of commissioners
to the end that the allotment of licenses
may be made with some judgment, and
the towns and cities saved from having
their local elections turn on the liquor
question. and be decided by the pot-house
| politicians. The license-local option law
should be, as we doubt not many of the
committee have tried to make it. a law
under which good orderloving and tenn
perance-lovng citizens can live while ii
| lasts. II we must have a license law we
want the best one of its kind. Drunken
ness will increase sufficiently under the
best license system. Let the increase be
as small as possible.
| AS the prohibitory law is also to come
before the people, for life or death, 1t toe
should be put into the best shape to re.
tain the largest moral support if it re-
mains on the statute book. Certain
features of it have proved especially
open to attack. To eliminate these
though it may weaken the law
from one point of view, may and doubt
less will strengthen it before the people
and by securing stronger moral support
may really aid in its enforcement These
clauses are eliminated in the bill prepared
by Judge Ross, an able jurst and strong
friend of temperance. The opponents Of
the law and friends of license have beer
attacking these clauses, for many years
with the utmost bitterness. How can the
license men in the Legislature hope to re
tain either their own self-respect or tina
of their fellow citizens if when they hav,
the opportunity to vote down and out tn,
''prima facie'' and injunction and dis
closure clauses of the law, they refuse tC
do it?
The mass of Vermont citizens, we are
confident want and expect fair dealing
and good faith in this matter. Let the Ii
cense-local option law, If it is to have {
trial, be made as unobj BILE as pos
ICih nd LAT 1axIy IA.
modified to meet popular approval, in s.
far as it can be without sacrificing 1t
basic principle. Then let the two system
go to the people, and let the majorit
rule. There are some schcming polite
ians who want to keep the issue oper
They want a license law which shall b
so near free rum that the voters will no
accept it, and the prohibtory law kep
in the shape most open to attack In orde
that they may keep up the agitation an
excitement and corruption for two year
more. The majority of our legislators ca
not wish to play into their hands Their
ought to be, and must be, fairminds
men enough at Montpelier, to secure a
honest and fair result from the existin
agitation of the liquor question, throug
, the passage of the license local option bi
with needed amendments and the passas
of the Ross bill, also amended. If it need
amendment. The two should stand or ia
together in the Legislature. We can st
no other way in which the just expects
tons of the people Of Vermont can
realized at the hands Of their represent;
tives at Montpelier.