The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-08-13
IA COMMUNICATION
Cabot Aug. If, 1902.

opinion regarding Cne question now
agitating the minds of so many peop-
lie, whether we must have license
law, allowing liquor to be sold, or if |
there Is not some way to to still keep |
a prohibition law, and what Is the |
question to be referred to the people |
to vote upon? Is it for license or pro-
hibition? Many other public men |
have received like letters 1t shows |
that the people are getting in earnest |
about the liquor question, and well
they may, when there is so much at
stake. License simply means the de-
struction of the best interests of the
community, the opening of door
that will invite everyone to enter into
place that will ruin all who accept
Being very busy man | cannot
answer the letters sent me individual
ly as | would like to do, and so give
to each one my opinion and Judgment
as to what ought to be done in the
crises that is now upon us The writ
er of every letter is entitled to an
answer in all business and public mat
tiers, and | have, therefore, concluded
| to give an answer to some of the ques-
tions through your paper.
The situation is now such that it
becomes the duty of every person
you will note l say every person, not
simply every man, but every person
to do all that can be done to curtail
and diminish the traffic in intoXica-
ting liquors. | regard this traffic as
absolutely wrong, even If there was
no law upon the subject. If / should
say it was a crime to sell liquor, if
there was on law on the subject, |
might be picked up by some technical
lawyer, who would say, if no law is
broken no crime could he committed.
Under the present law it is unlawful
to traffic in liquor and all who vio-
lates the law, if detected, have to
suffer the penalty. But the violator
of the law does not alone suffer for
his violation. His suffering is con-
fined to himself, either III the pay
ment of his money by way of a
fine, or a commitment in some of the
reformatory institutions of the State
where he must work out his sentence
while the person to whom the intoXi-
eating liquor has been sold suffers far
more than does the man who has paid
his money or borne his imprisonment.
The suffering of the person who has
been furnished with liqu or is not &c
/, himself alone but it reaches his
family, his friends, and the communi.
ty III which he lives. If there was nc
law to prevent the sale of intoXica
ting liquors, there is a moral law and
divine law against the traffic.
The traffic in Intoxicating liquors il
against good order, the peace, the
; welfare and the prosperity of the
community. the happiness of the
home,
go further than some and say, i
there was no Statute law against the
traffic, it would be violation of the
common law for one man to furnisl
, another with that which would bt
a to his injury. All lawyers agre,
: with me, and say, if a man struck hi
: neighbor a blow, fed him with un
wholesome meat, gave him some
poisonous substance to injure him,
that man would be liable under tn
common law for such damage as hi
neighbor had suffered by that wrong
t full act Now if man has suffered
E by having Intoxicating liquors fur
= nished him, can a common mind SCI
: the distinction between an injur.
| caused by furnishing Intoxicating
r liquor to man, and an injury caused
e by furnishing some other kind o
poison? | am content with my owl
0 opinion, others can have theirs, tina
the traffic in Intoxicating liquors
with or without any law relating t.
t it, is illegal, and it ought not to b
4 legalized by getting up some licens
= scheme. The traffic should be prohi
0 bited by law, as an article dangerOu
= to the community and by law treated
t as is, and would be, any other thini
e that is dangerous or injurious to tn
\ public
The traffic in Intoxicating liquor
t has been found by sad experience t.
S produce the most demoraliZing inhu
ence upon society, and hence the pub
lie solicitude at this time upon the sub
ject, as towhether the coming Legisla
ture will abolish the prohibitory
law, and enact a license law legaliz
ing the sale of that which can onl,
9 leave ruin and destruction in it
: path.
The constitution of this State give
= to the legislature the right to regulat
the internal police of'the State, AM
- to pass all laws necessary to the GOO
! order and government of the same
: and it expressly, declares that claw
= for the encouragement of virtue, ant
prevention of vice and immortality
: ought to be constantly kept in fore
! and executed. " The legislature o
: 1852, in obedience to this injunction o
, the constitution enacted a statute t,
prevent or check traffic which i
,, we'll known to have a direct tendenc,
. to promote intemperance, impoverisl
> the State, disturb the public peace, ant
, greatly to multiply evils and crimes
: 1t is now our duty to still keep tn
: prohibition law in force and not ALLOW
! it to be repealed. And the only SAT-
, and certain way to keep in force
prohibition law is for each and ever,
town and city to send representative
, to its next Legislature that will stant
, firmly for prohibition law and vii
, never consent to have a license Law
in any form become the law of on
! noble Green Mountain State.
: But we are told that license Law
. would bring a large revenue tina
+ would be sufficient to pay its loca
: taxes, may be but at what fearful
9 cost. This talk is only snare and
: delusion, is false in fact. The saloon
keeper does not pay the licens
himself, it comes out of those WHIT
gives him their custom He does no