Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-25

ture Of $1,000 more or ess-probaby more
and for what good?
Seventy-tive thousand dollars expended
in evapOrdting an ocean of birch sap
with the usual residuum of sugar re
sul,inc.
A license law has been enacted. a refer
endum that was not the referendum pro-
posed has been forced upon the people
Persistent bad faith has been practiced
In repeated refusals to amend existing
law regulating the use and sale of liquor
in accordance with the expressed opin-
ions of both the supporters and opponents
of the law called prohibitory. On the part
OF the license men-or the majority of
the license them-there has been an evil
dent and crafty intent not to amend the
existing law in any respect: a purpose to
handicap the opponents of license and
local option in the canvass before the
people by matching a perfected license
measure against measure that does not
represent the views of the supporters Of
the opposing system of controlling the
| sale and use OF intoxicating liquors. This
may have been very crafty on the part
of the license people. but some very
crafty people have sometimes been hoist
by their own petard"-and so may these
cunning license people be. The battle is
only begun.
In a LEGISLATURE whose members TX
| hihited a feil purpose to swat everything
| that was good, or useful or progressive.
| ii is not surprising that the earnest lahors
| Of republicans. actuated by an ardent
| spirit of fidelity to party pledges as well
as individual opinion and principle. to
secure the enactment of n caucus reform
| law failed utterly, or that to the failure
| democratic members. under a similar par
" obligation, contributed what they could.
II was surprising that out of this legisla-
| y I
| and rational reformatory Jaw as was
proposed in Senator Annis's court of
claims bill. Possibly the reason may be
! that this measure was proposed almost
| in The last hours of the session and the
spirits of evil had no time to devise and
work out the means of its defeat.
| The meeting Of the General Assembly
has come to be Il menace to the best well
| fare of the State. Individually the mem
bers may he estmabe gentlemen: as an
organized body the capacity OF the ma
! lority for misChief--if it is not something
moro scrious--eXcecds its capability for
even the simplest problems OF practical
| craftsmanship
THE REFERENDUM.
Grom the Cambridge Transcript
We gave to our readers last week full
text of the high license local option bill
as passed by both houses of the general
assembly, and which the citizens will
have an opportunity to express themsel-
YES on with the ballot on the first Tues
day in February. 1893. Every citizen
should give this matter a thorough study
to become acquainted with its intent and
be able to vote intelligently. There is no
question but that the ma iority of citizens
| have the question settled in their own
mind whether they favor the principle
of absolute prohibition In Vermont or the
principle of license local option. While
it is generally conceded that the result
is In doubt the prohibition element have
considerable faith in the triumph of the
prohibition principle. The provisions of
the bill are so liberal that it does not
meet the approval of the citizens as a
majority, even many OF the high license
| advocates The bin cannot be called a
referendum in the true sense OF the word,
when by the terms of the bill 1t becomes
IA law In December 1906.
THE LICENSE LAW.
| (From the Bennington Banner)
The license law il before the people
for ratification or rejection. Our read
ers cannot plead ignorance OF its pro-
visions, the full text having been laid
before them last week, Two classes will
| oppose the statute: One, those who are
so cranky in their notions, that they
|
which believed exactly as they do. and.
another class who can profit more by the
| liquor traffic under the prohibtory law
| than under this high license act OF the
latter. the retail druggists of the State
will be a unit In opposition We get this
impression from a druggist who was a
member of the house, and voted for the
bill because of party loyalty, but who will
both vote and work against the referen-
dunn. To those who are conversant with
the workings of prohibition, farther ex-
| planat ton Is unnecessary. The why? can
easily be guessed. The opposition to the
law as submitted to the people should
remember that It 10 much more prohibi-
tive, II enforced than the moss-covered
statute 1t was framed to supplant. and
these features should be credited to the
| Legislature of 1909. Now, candidly, In the
present state of public sentiment, is not
| the new act entitled to a fair trial? If
| You think so, vote for it, If not, vote
| against it, This simple equation does not
require . propaganda o. fifteen with