The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-11-19
AS TO THE LIQUOR BILLS.

| perance committee?
Discussion of the matter of the reg
ultion of the liquor traffic has been
rife in this State in recent years, and
it has been acute in the past year, in
the recent State canvass and election.
The action of the Republican party
at its State convention is hardly
subject for definition or debate.
The pledge is here subjoined
Resolved, that the Republican party
of Vermont adheres to its long cher
ished belief that unrestricted traffic in
Intoxicating liquors is u public evil,
and that material modification of
existing law on that subject should be
made only after thorough discussion
and mature deliberation by the peo-
ple and we request the State Legis-
lature at its next session to make
provision for ascertaining the will of
the people by direct vote upon the ac-
ceptance of "A license and local option
| law regulating the sale of intoXicat-
ing liquors, and further providing
that upon popular vote in favor of
such law, duly ascertained, the same
| shall be and become statute law of
the State in force.
| This pledge is clear, explicit, and it
was deliberate. No utterance of a
State convention had been more seri-
ously and deliberately considered. 1t
! had come to have behind it the practi-
cally unanimous assent of the people,
including the class distinguished as
ultra prohibitionists. ~ Men holding
! fast to their "long cherished belief
that the unrestricted traffic in intoxi
! eating liquors is a public evil, abat-
| ed nothing of their belief or convic-
! ton. They simply indicated their
Willingness and desire that the is
sue between license and restriction be
submitted to the people for discussion
and decision by popular vote.
In accordance with the request of
the foregoing resolution bill has
been matured that embodies the views
of the supporters of the license system,
and this measure is now before the
General Assembly. The letter and
the spirit of the resolution of the Re-
|
incumbent on Republican Senator's
and Representatives in good faith to
vote for the majority bill. Opposition
or evasion will be breach of good
faith. Provided the measure in all
respects complies with the intent of
the resolution, it should have the
favoring vote of Republican members
of whatever belief in respect of the
liquor traffic, There need be no long
debate over this matter. Here is the
bill that is the contamination of the
wisdom of the license people. Accept
it and pass it. The appeal is then to
the people and before that jury the
opponents of license will contend for
the triumph of their principles.
But the whole issue, not one-half,
should at the same time be before the
people. Both sides of the question
should be presented in that tribunal
of last resort. No jug handle pro-
should be sent to the court. The sys-
tenn or principle opposed to license,
the other party to the suit, must nee
essarily be heard. An ex parte hear
ing or decision is farthest possible
from the letter and spirit of the Re-
publican resolution. Prohibitionists,
asserting to the submission of a license
measure to popular vote, have right
to insist that the best and latest en-
bodiment of their own views shall be
concurrently considered. Opposed to
the majority bill are the Battell and
tho Ross bills, the former introducing
a system of regulating the liquor
traffic that is new in Vermont; the
latter amending the existing liquor
code, looping off features that are
admittedly obnoxious and in violation
of fundamental republican principles
and somewhat extending the author
ity of the State in the official and
The Battell bill, in its main provi
sions, ought to find popular accept
ance. AS we have said, it proposes {
system that is new in Vermont.
may oe the best measure. Its provi
sions are in general accord with sys.
tenn of regulation the Journal has ad
vocated. This paper would like t,
see the system the bill proposes adopt
ed. 1t may be that Vermont is no
yet ripe for the law this bill con
templates-but in the end the Stat
will have the Battell bill, or some
thing very like it, for its statute reg
ulating the traffic in liquor. Blu
doe: the Battell bill in it's letter ant
spirit, redeem the pledge of the Re
. publican party? There is the rub
The Battell bill can better wait thai
the appearance even of bad faith b
charged up by its enemies to the Re
publican party.
The pledge of the party must be re
D deemed and in n wav that the ser