The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-12-31
To the selectmen and other Election

To the selectmen and other Election
Officers.
Gentlemen Under the provisions
of number sixty-four, acts of 1902, en-
titled IAN act to regulate the traffic
in Intoxicating liquor" you are re-
quired to observe all regulations pro-
vided by law for conducting freeman's
meetings See Sec. 1913 of said act.
You are therefore required to post
check lists at least thirty days prior
to this special meeting, which is to
be held Feb. 3, 1903. This means they
must be posted not later than Janu-
airy g.
The boards of civil authority must
call meetings to revise and correct said
check lists, observing all rules appli-
cble to a check list and freeman's
meeting.
Only such as would be legal voters
III freemans meeting will be entitled
to vote in this special meeting.
Ballot clerks must be appointed in
the usual way.
Ballots will be furnished by the sew
eral County Clerks.
These ballots will have the words
eyes" and mo- printed thereon, and
votes will be cast by marking cross
opposite the word indicating the way
the person desires to vote.
Booths are to be provided as in all
freeman's meetings and the ballots
marked therein.
The officers whose duty it is to warn
and govern freemans meetings are re-
quired to warn and govern this meet
ing.
1t is suggested that the warning con-
tain an article substantially as fol-
lows:
To see if the legal voters in the
town of will vote that number
sixty-four of the acts of 1902, entitled
IAN act to regulate the traffic in in
toxicating liquor" shall take effect
on the first Tuesday of March, A. D.
! 1903, by voting Yes or on the first
Monday in December, A. d. 1906, by
voting mo"
! The same rule as to the hour for the
opening of this special meeting which
applies to freeman's meetings should
be observed and the warning so state
! Inasmuch as the law requires the
ballot box for the election of State Off
GERS to be kept open until five O'Clock,
p. m. we would suggest that the bal
To-. box for this meeting be kept open
until that hour, and the warning SO
state.
In an event let the warning state
the hour of opening, and closing, Of
the meeting or polling places. Have
said warning recorded, then post the
required number.
Fail not to observe all regulations
provided by law for conducting free
mans meetings.
The Committee of Fifteen, "believ-
ing that you have not had sufficient
opportunity to become acquainted with
the requirements of this new law,
have taken the liberty to make these
suggestions in order that not a single
voter in the State of Vermont shall be
disfranchised by the oversight of any
of the election officers. We also be-
lieve that the greatest good to the
greatest number will obtain in this
referendum vote by voting No, " which
means opposite to the open saloon pro-
vided for in this bill. Should it trans
pire that changes in our liquor laws
are necessary or advisable, the Com
mittee of Fifteen do not believe that
this license system now under consid-
Grafton is best suited to the needs OF a
rural State like Vermont.
are opposed to liquor law which
|
with us in our warfare against this
measureand to organize in every town
and school district so that not single
mo" vote will remain unpolled on
Feb. 3.
The Committee of Fifteen desire to
make known our understanding of the
work entrusted to us, and the way in
which we seek to do it. We are organized
in opposition to the open saloon in
Vermont We invite all of like opin-
ion to join hands with us, and at the
coming referendum on Feb to vote
No." believing that such "A vote is
for the best interests of our State. We
base our contention on facts concern
ing the working of the license laws in
other States. We are without the
necessary funds for this campaign ;
whatever we accomplish will depend
largely upon the free-will offerings;
these may be sent to our treasurer,
Hon. @. p. Smith. Burlington. Believ-
ing that the open saloon would be a
backward step in our history, we earn
estly ask for the sympathy and utmost
cooperation of all who share with us
this conviction.
Respectfully yours,
Curtis S. Emery,
Chairman of the Committee of Fifteen.