The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-12-31
LICENSE AND PROHIBITION


native State of West Virginia, the
writer of this communication availed
himself of most excellent opportunities
for comparing the results of prohibi
tory liquor laws with the high license
method of restricting (?) the liquor
traffic His observations extended
over seven counties, which were either
partly or wholly under the one system
or the other, according to the quality
of citizenship composing the different
sections.
Among the many facts that were most
clearly revealed to his observation,
the one most conspicuous of all was
that the only law that was enforced
at all, and the only law that the
liquor traffic feared, was the prohibit
tory law. And while that law was
slackly enforced in "A very few places,
it was very thoroughly enforced in
others, and fairly well enforced gener-
ally. In fact, no other law is so well
enforced as is the prohibitory liquor
law in some of the smaller towns and
mining villages in the rural districts.
In many places the foremen of the
mines, who are generally very manly
men, regard it as much their duty to
see that the law forbidding the sale
of intoxicants is enforced as they do
the looking after their employer
interests in other matters for exper-
fence has taught them that coal mines
cannot be successfully operated in
close proximity to liquor saloons.
The writer s native county of Har-
rison, rich in soil, coal, gas and oil
wells, and richer still in the hospital
ty, loyalty and uprightness of her
native population, is all under prohi-
bition except her one city of Clarks-
native town of Shinnston tried the
high license plan for the year 1901.
for the first time within her history,
but with such horrible results that
she voted for prohibition at the next
election by a decided majority. And
after her experience of nearly
year S exceptional peace and prosperity
under prohibition a recent local edi-
torial alludes to the fact with most
hearty congratulations.
But the great running sore' of
that whole county is the city of
Clarksburg, with her three years
experience with high license. Pre-
vious to that experience she was
known as proud, aristocratic and
conservative city. But, alas three
years Of high license has made of her
a veritable Sodom Having once adj
mitted the saloons within her borders,
under sanction of law, the majority
of the voting population has become,
through the ever active missionary
work of the saloons, habitual drinkers
and confirmed drunkards, and the
voters who have maintained their
self respect in spite of the saloons and
would like to restore the city's former
good name find themselves hopelessly
in the minority and are therefore
Z
powerless to vote the saloons out OF
their strong Notifications.
1t is even said that many who have
become victims of those saloons are
becoming tired of such debauchery,
and would gladly throw off the heavy
yoke by helping vote their tempters
and tormenters out of the city, but
are prevented from so voting by the
saloon keepers who hold accounts
against them for liquors furnished.
In order to introduce high license
into that now fated city, its advocates
deceived many weakened temper
ance men into voting for high license
by just the same bubble-theories that
are now being used to catch the votes
of temperance men in Vermont. For
every friend of the liquor traffic in
Vermont knows that it is impossible
to turn the State, with it's hitherto
! good record, over to the ravages Of
the liquor traffic unless they can de-
ceive few thousand temperance men
into voting their way. They tell us
that high license will regulate" and
restrict the sale of liquors in
about dozen different ways whereas
every man who is we'll informed as to
the practical workings of high license,
knows that such claims are utterly
worthless and are used for the express
purpose of deceiving the credulous,
except when made by men who are
selkdeceived
The saloons of Clarksburg, to which
reference has been made, as in other
cities and towns that are cursed by
them, violate every restriction the law
places upon Them. The forbidden
hours of nights and Sundays are the
very ones that witness the heaviest
drinking and worst debauchery,
except when cheap shows are gotten
mn nv the saloon keeDers with re-