St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-08-06
A LOCAL VIEW.


this place, contributes an able and fan
minded article on the liquor situation il
Vermont. The article, which we publish
in full, is receiving considerable attention
from the press OF the state: Mr.. Chap
man writes:
Some years ago there appeared in
Punch picture of two Scotsmen on a
visit to town and face to face for the
first time in their lives with the phenom
enon OF street sprinkler at work. One
was for hailing the driver at once to tell
him that he was losing his load; the
other begged him not to make fool OF
himself since what he saw was the latest
device to keep small boys from climbing
up behind. Much OF recent comment up.
on the Vermont situation which has
found expression in the columns of news
papers published outside the state may
fairly be compared in pertinence and in
telligence to the discussion between these
two worthless. Some Vermont citizens
who have also had experience of life in
Connecticut and Massachusetts, must
have wondered at the editorial tone of
such eminent responsibilities as the Hart
ford Courant and the Boston Transcript.
But the mystery is partly solved by the
appearance from time to time of articles
like that of Julian Ralph in recent issue
of the New Yor k Times so replete with
misinformation that sentence after SEN
tence could be directly contradicted by
any one who would take pains to read
the Vermont law.
| write from the standpoint of one who
is in no way committed to any scheme
for the control of the liquor traffic. am
a confessed opportunist here, and believe
that so far forth | represent large ele-
ment among Vermont citizens. We sim
ply contend Tor the restriction of the
traffic to the narrowest practicable limits
by the least Objectionable means.
The system in vogue is popularity
known as prohibition" But the title
is an unfortunate one. The system is
really dispensary system with local
option proviso. Any town may open
local agency where liquor may be sold
for medicinal, chemical and mechanical
purposes. And any person may keep
and use liquor in his private family. But
it may not be dealt in or furnished. OF
course such law is bound to be I'm
proved upon" from time to time by
amendments" Some of these may have
been mistak and the endeavor to adj
minister the law under them has doubt
less alienated the sympathy of portions
of the public from it, and indirectly from
its main aim and purpose. But despite
all it's infelicities the law has served to
keep Vermont freer from the saloon and
the evils of the unrestricted use of alco-
holic drink than any other state in
which l have lived or travelled.
1t was to be expected, however, that
all regulation, and still more certainly
all restriction, of the sale Of liquor would
prove irksome to some people. And it
was morally certain that some one
would try to turn this unrest to political
account This man has appeared in YER
mont in the person OF Percival Clement,
who has toured the state with a COM
pany OF negro singers and two hours
speech which has been industriously re-
hearsed in all of the larger towns. The
speech itself did not seem to be a very
significant performance. Its extrava-
gance and vituperation were doubtless
welcome to a small minority, but it gave
no sign of a real acquaintance on Mr..
Clements part with modern scientific in
vestigation of the problems which he
pretended to discuss. Yet puerile as the
address proved, the tour in which it has
PLAYED part was considerably effective
in organizing d personal following upon
the Cave of Adullam principle. This
oddly assorted company comprises the
following elements;
/. The men who want free liquor be-
cause they would gladly use it freely.
2. The men who hope to profit by its
sale under an open bar system.
3. The men who are sufficiently igno
saloon would help trade" and bring
money into the state" sufficiently want
ing in civic sense to he guided by thai
specious agreement.
4. Those politicians who always fine
their best fishing in troubled waters.
5. A considerable group of homes
people of rather narrow experience who
are very conscious of the imperfections o
the present system and who are ready tt
try something else. A licensed saloon
hotel bar and drug store is the nostrun
offered to them. They have had no op
portunity Tor fifty years to test the ele
waiting influence OF these institutions il
the community. Some OF them reall
believe that high license system restrict
the sale of intoxicants. Others fame
that if the saloon be admitted and fail t.
solve the temperance problem it ca
easily be put away.
The three groups first mentioned forr
the backbone OF Mr.. Clements party an
there is good reason to believe that the
/ have powerful aud persuasive ally !
n the organized liquor interests outside tn
f state.
On the other hand great numbers {
n the people of Vermont are urgent tor th
0 continuance of the old law. How man
e they are can only be determined by som
$ form of the referendum. Both the repul
n lican state convention, in which M
s Clement was defeated by Mr. McCu
d Tough, and the executive committee {
0 the Anti Saloon League having declare
t in favor of submitting the question d
rectly to the people, it is likely to be dor
in due time. Meanwhile there is gree
need OF the iteration and reiteration (
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