Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-10-03

everything in the way of dazzling illu- |
limitations and seductive music and sup |
gestive painting and statuary is utilized !
But under the Norwegian system drink |
ing places are simply places for business
without any of the social and immoral
accessories of the saloon, and are kept
strictly to the one aim of satisfying a
demand that already exists
Thirdly II would eliminate the saloon
from politics There is no force that so
corrupts and debauches politics as the
saloon But let n town grant n three
years license to company of respec
table men who derive no profit from
the business and the political power of
the saloon is largely destroyed.
Fourthly, the Norwegian system has
this advantage; that all good men could
unite with it, The prohibitionist and
the temperance license man could vote
for this system and yet each he true
to his convictions. The ballot at cleo
tions would contain two questions. First,
shall license be granted for the sale of
intoxicating liquors in this city or town?
Upon this question the prohbitonist
would vote mo" and the license man
Yes" The second question would be.
If licenses for the sale Of Intoxicating
liquors are granted I'm this CITY or town,
shall they be granted under the Norwe-
gian system? Here both could vote
Yes" The result of the election would
be as follows: If the mo" vote under
the first question was larger then the
town would have local prohibition. If
the Yes vote was stronger then the
Yes or mo" under the second ques-
ton would decide what kind of license
would be granted. Then there is a large
class Of men who believe that moderate
drinking is no sin and that they ought
not to be denied the liberty of purchasing
a glass of beer or wine. These men
could vote for this system. Thus with
this very large support behind IT, with
the element of greed eliminated, and
with the power of the saloon in politics
| largely destroyed, 1t seems to me that
it ought to commend itself to every good
citizen as being very superior to the
high license system of controlling the
1 liquor traffic.
| A word ought to be said as to what is
done with the profits of the business un-
der this system. First. the town or
city receives the license fee, whatever 1t
| is; second, the stockholders receive 5
| per cent. dividend on the capital invest
| ed: third. whatever is left is distributed
for philanthropic purposes. The Ber-
gen company of Norway alone distributed
| for such purposes during twelve years
| $3tS, 655. The following are some of the
| items: general charity ST4,703: parks. tree
planting and highways S63, $50; industrial
education, S5S59O theaters. public amuse-
ments and artistic purposes S31,96S. This
| ii
| and p young mems athletic club. Here,
! believe. is a solution of this problem
! But someone asks. why make the drink
err pay for these things? Why not re-
duce the price of drinks?" For this
| reason: the object of the Norwegian sys-
| TEN Is to reduce patronage. and n re-
duction of bar rates would increase drink
ing. Besides. If the saloon is a temp
tation and source of crime II is only right
that the community demand that the
| business support reading rooms and
young mems clubs as an offset for the
harm done.
The question now arises could respect
able men be induced to form such COM
panies? If respectable men can vote
for high license, which puts the traffic
in the hands of INSCRIPTIONS men, II
seems TO me that there ought to be no
hesitancy on their part to become manag-
ers in a company whose aim and pur-
pose is not private profit but the welfare
of the community I am sure my own
conscience would not be offended II, hav-
ing done all I could in favor of prohi-
bition and being defeated, / should lend
my influence, money and activity to such
| a company. Here are some friends OF
the movement who gave direct support
when it was agitated in Massachusetts.
II. L. Dawes. ex-United States senator
John d. Long. until recently secretary OF
the navy, S. B. Capen. president of the
American Board, Edward Everett Hale
George A. Gordon. Phillip Moxom. Robert
Treat Paine. Bishop Lawrence Mary A
Livermore and Alice Freeman Palmer
and / could name hundreds of equally
prominent men and women If I had time
My last words are these: This transit
tional period in our state is an opportune
time to agitate and try the experiment
If we are to have local option, let this
method be included as one of the ways
the people shall be permitted to dea
locally with the liquor problem. Of
course If the Norwegian question comes
up at Montpelier the liquor forces viii
fight II tooth and nail as they did ir
| Massa chusetts; but the fact that they
do not want it is good evidence that Il
is a good thing.