Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-09-26

y
carried into execution, would, it should
seem, remove from the traffic the motive
of private gain.
There is at present no American legis-
lation effective to this desirable end.
The fundamental conception in the
law is distinctly antagonstlc to the
theory that liquor-seling is sinful or I'M
holy; for the state itself assumes the
whole of that business and takes Its
profits. Although supported by prohi-
bitionists at the time of its enactment, 1t
flies in the face of all prohibitory theory.
1t has been enforced with remarkable
degree of success, but at great cost OF
political and social antagonisms.
Then follows some 70 pages devoted
to an exhaustive statement of the work.
ings of prohibition in Maine, and the
failure of the system to prohibit in the
larger towns and cities. Several para
graphs in this analysis and review are
worthy of note. On page 81 the book
says:
The federation Of an open defiance of
the laws and the constitution indicates,
not merely widespread lack of SYM
pathy with prohibitory measures, but
callousness of public sentiment which OF
itself is grave. Citizens have become so
accustomed to this defiance that little
attention Is paid to the continuance of
violation of the liquor statutes, or to the
contempt for law and order generally
which is an inevitable consequence. Day
by day and year by year the same items
of searches and seizures, and arrests for
offenses against the liquor laws, appear
with tolerable regularity in the news
papers. The public has ceased to take
special note of them. A local Judge, in
speaking of conditions under prohibit
tory law not enforced, has said 1.-The
value of the oath has been reduced fifty
per cent in this state. Perjury (for
which the maximum penalty is imprison-
ment for life) Is so common that 1t no
longer attracts attention. And it Is not
confined only to the liquor element; the
effect of it is far-reaching and growing.
People talk of it openly without a
blush"
Members of the Supreme Judicial
court have said substantially the same
thing, and prosecutions for perjury COM
mitted during the trial Of liquor cases
are not frequent. Closely akin to per-
jury is the hypocrisy engendered when
people are called upon to support law
that they do not believe in. The support
of prohibition at the polls and in party
platforms, while it is so i'll enforced, can
be explained only on the ground that
men have become hypocrites. A Judge
of the Supreme court, as quoted in pub
lie newspapers, referring to conditions
in Cumberland county, said: ut is
question whether the prohibtory law
makes more hypocrites or more drunk
ards" 1t would perhaps have been
more just to say: sit Is question
whether more men have become drunk
ards or hypocrites under the prohibit
tory law" OF course the rank and file
of the third-party men do honestly be-
lieve in the law, and fervently work for
its full execution.
Members of the Supreme court say
this is true. In the general summary on
prohibition in Maine it says on page Sc:
Without considering the activity of
express companies and other carriers, it
remains conservative statement, how
ever unwelcOme 1t may be, that more
than two-thirds Of the population of
Maine are not living under an enforced
prohibitOry law, and that more than one
half live in towns and cities where the
liquor traffic is practically unrestricted
so far as the opportunity for procuring
drink is concerned.
Again on page 95 it says:
A full-blown hypocrisy must result
from this method of dealing with prohi-
bition. Nowhere is it so blatant as in
the legislative halls, where men lend
their votes in support of restrictive
measures of which they not only disap-
prove but violate openly and even gross
| ly. The corrupting influence of large
social element thriving In defiance of all
law needs no further elucIdation; bri-
berry, perjury and official dishonor fol-
low It,.
Then follows 80 pages devoted to the
same impartial review of prohibition in
Iowa. The same indifference on the
part of local and county officers and
the people to enforcing the law are
noted as had prevailed in Maine and
Vermont. The movement against pro-
hibition and the republican party re-
suited in its defeat and the election of a
democratic governor. ItIesulted in the
|
practically a license measure with a
minimum tax of 5000. The law express
ly disavowes legalizing the traffic in
these words:
"Nothing in this act contained shall be
in any way construed to mean that the
business of the sale of Intoxicating liq-
uors Is in any way legalized, nor is the
same to be construed in any manner or
form as license; nor shall the assess
ment or payment Of any tax for the sale
of liquors as aforesaid protect the wrong
doer from any penalty now provided by
law, except that on conditions herein
after provided certain penalties may be
suspended"
Forty pages are devoted to the South
Carolina system, which is simply an
adaptation to the needs of that state of
the general Ideas of the Norwegian sys-
tenn, the essential idea of which is that