Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-10-31
DEMOCRATIC TEMPERANCE BILL.

Republican Papers Admit 1t Is the Best of
the Lot, and Even Prohibitionists Concede
That 1t Is More Effective for Good Than
Their Own.
The Republican praise of the Demo-
cratic local option bill, three of whose
sections have already been tentatively
adopted by the Temperance commit
tee, is or ought to be decisive for its
not eager to admit that plan labelled
/ Democratic, as distinguished from
those labelled Republican and Glenn
i ent, is ''by long odds the BEST as the
ST. Adams Messengers legislative re-
port stated the next day. But every
one who has ventured to discuss it at
all, has so admitted; not one has
yet pointed out any holes in it.
/ The Northtield News says that it is
''t the best license measure of the lot
/ because it is the most stringent and
best provides for its enforcement. -
many ways the best, j. +. Harris
letter. used by large number of pa
pers, also SAYS it contains some good
ideas which may be of use to the com
mittee:'' but adds that "as whole
and a. a party measure the bill of course
stands no chance. . The Bellows Falls
Times in an admirably candid article
says it is:
Very fayorably impressed with the principal
provisions of the Democratic bill. In scme re-
spects it is the best hill of the bunch and if en-
acted into law and its provisions were carried
out it would probably result in greater real tenn
peranCe than Vermont has enjoyed under the
prohihitory law
And:
The Conland bill contains many strong feat
ures which should commend themselves to the
thoughtful consideration of the legislature If,
after careful comparson,i it appears that this bill
would insure greater degree of temperance
and sObriety than any of the others the fact that
it is Of Democratic origin ought not to preju-
dice even the most Republican against support
ing il, unless he is willing to admit that he
places partisanship above citizenship.
The Burlington Free Press. review
ing and comparing the different bills
and candidly concludes that the
Democratic bill has some feat
ures which the committee can wise
ly embody in the measure which
they are TO report. - 1t gently breaks
the fall by hoping that the committee
bill will be "a combination of the best
provisions of all the measures. Re-
publican. Clement and Democratict;
but it fails to point out a single one of
the provisions of the others that is
" best and in fact so far as it goes
in placing them side by side. it leaves
it plain that the Democratic bill at ev
cry point is the best.
In fact there is no escaping it that
the bill, as the Woodstock Age says,
o in the completeness of its provisions
for the safeguarding of the liquor traf
tc is much the best and the most re-
strictive measure - Or, as the Mont
pelier Argus adds, 1T stands as
credit to its trainers, a wise, safe, con-
Servative law that could be put into
operation in Vermont with benefit to
the state and the people
The only fault found with it in the
at tpelier-and this
comes generally from professed prohi-
that ii is ''too savagely
1t certainly is prohibit
tive as no prohibitory or license law
ever was. against the abuses of the IL
luor traffic. like sales to minors, con-
firmed drunkards. etc. but is. is SO,
and it differs from other laws, only, in
the swiftness and certainty of detec-
tiOn and punishment of such abuses.
1t rests fundamentally on the theory
that the moral sentiment of mankind is
always ready to back up severity in deal
ing with such abuses. and in that faith
only adds to the efficacy of the law by
full and complete application of the
great Democratic principle, in bring
ng the machinery and control of the
right home to the people
u their own home government.
The entirely unprejudiced view from
he outside is that of the Springfield Re-
which carefully reviews the
hree bills in detail, as the Free
Press does. finding the Democratic pro-
'isions excellent" and far superior at
,ach point and concluding:
"Of the three bills the Democratic is
he most stringent and this should re-
ieye the party in Vermont of the
,harge of being the rum party"
1t would seem so after the unanimous
presentation of this measure by the
caucus. as its judgment of
What is right and polite.
The thing for the people of Vermont
o do is to see how near the Republi-
an majority can come to toeing the
Democratic mark.
c. II. Davenport.
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