News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-05-28
QUAKER CITY QUIRKS.


my life with you and, always after
voting age, being more or less par.
ticipant in those things which !
deemed best tor the general welfare
of the community, l am naturally
deeply interested liz events that are
transpiring with you. Without doubt
nothing that | can feebly express at
this distance will have any influence
upon any one individual in regard to
how he may cline up" in the contest
that is before you.
How Percival W. Clement of Rut-
land, with bis surroundings and expert
ence in life is not qualified, in my
opinion, to speak for the best needs
and best interests of the common
people of Vermont. Ii is no new thing
that he ia an apostle of free rum, but,
inspired by his personal enmity to
one of your present candidates for
thegovernorship, he findsit his golden
opportunity to make holder
stand than heretofore and, as a re-
suit, we have seen his parlor car tour
ing the state with brass band and
coon song accompaniment. AS it ap-
pears to me, he has brought forward
nothing new in support OF his appeal
for free rum in the good old Green
Mountain state; on the contrary
he advances nothing but the
old threadbare and unsound argu-
ment that we have heard since boy
hood days. But it is extremely I'M
fortunate that such an issue should
in such a manner be thrown into the
Vermont campaign; it is a serious
matter and [ apprehend will change
the color of this and succeeding con-
tests to a considerable extent.
A rural community like Vermont
has no use for the saloon and her
good people cannot realize fully the
seriousness of the results if they vote
to open the doors in that direction.
do not believe you will do it. AS |
may have written at some other time,
the population of this one city is
more than four times the population
of the entire state of Vermont. With
such population we have something
like two thousand licensed saloons.
But even this great number of drink
ing places, supposedly conducted
close to the requirments of the law,
by no means regulates the liquor
traffic, for hundreds of ''speak easies'
and dives exist all over the city and
the illegal selling, in spite of all the
laws creating a license system, goes
on. My eyes have been partially
open during part of the three years
and more that ] have lived in the
Quaker City and | can discover no
good, no desirable freedom to the
citiz ens, no argument whatever ad-
vanced by believers in the open saloon
substantiated by my observations.
On the other hand do observe mul-
titudes of young men squandering
their means and acquiring the drink
habit; thousands OF prematurely old,
men with that peculiar
burned out stupified appearance, so
common to the habitual whiskey
drinker thousands more who are
few steps further down the decline,
ragged, shittless, unable to secure
position of any sort, begging nickel
for drink. Along with this comes
also the sight of women going along
the same course, and too, the knowl-
edge that such large per cent of the
crimes are directly or indirectly the
result OF rum. Look at the station
house records and no stronger point
is needed in condemnation of the
traffic. Philadelphia seeks to pro-
tect itself with list of nearly three
thousand police. officers actively in
service day and night. Is there any
thing sug gestive in this?
And yet with such a cosmopolitan
aggregation of peoples and tongues
from all quarters OF the globe, there
is, in my opinion, much more to be
said in support of the saloon idea
here then there is or ever can be in
Vermont. From the social stand
point there is another view, though
nv observations have been more
from without than within, as | am by
no means a figure in "sassity." But
see that the prevailing custom is
vicious, inasmuch as no little social
event or supper is thought to be com-
plete without the use of wine and a
great deal of it. The after effects
many times see if not experience.
But this is enough of temperance
lecture from one who ought to be
taking rather than attempting in
any manner to give advice. 1t is not |
the talk of a "Dry Rob-" as l believe
are sometimes called,
or | shall disclaim such a cognomen.
do not believe the present law in
Vermont is perfect by any means, but |
ar better study and act for it's per-
Getting than to launch out into the |
greater evil. Look we'll into this To-
al option delusion also, for what |
endless eternal and internal strife such |
/ law on your statue books would en-
ial. 1t means the same old fight over
Ind over again each time of local vot-
ng. Let well enough alone. No. not
veil enough, make it better along the
PRESENT lines, and then not let it
lone, but see to it that such public
officials are chosen as will not let it
lone to enforce itself. Great Scott
we bitten off more than / can handily
hew on this subject, and have no