Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-01-02
AN OPEN LETTER.
Hon. Horace Bailey Appeals to Voters of
Orange County.

Orange County.
Hon. Horace Bailey, the very able
7 representative from Newbury in the late
legislature and member of the temper
ance committee, and on the state republi.
can committee for Orange county, has
issued a straightforward, characteristic
letter to the voters of his county that
every county. He says:
Gentlemen: - The recently enacted
| high lcense-local option law calls for a
special town meeting to be held Tuesday,
/ February 3, to register your approval or
disapproval of the law by voting YES
or mo"
This special town meeting is to be
called and governed under the rules and
regulations governing IA Freemen's meet
/ ing. This means that selectmen must
/ post a checklist at least 30 days before
! such meeting, that the board of civil
authority must revise ana correct same,
ballot clerks must be appointed and the
Australian ballot system used.
Conslables must warn the meetings,
have warnings recorded, and preside at
such meetings; in short, observe all the
details of a Freemen's meeting. Ballots
are 20 be furnished by ;he several county
clerks. The warming should state the
hour when the ballot box VIII be turned.
Officials should safeguard this meeting
so that not u single voter in Orange
county shall be barred from approving
or disappearing this new high license
law
vigorous attempt was made during
the recent session 10 amend the present
prohibitory law ny eliminating some of
It's Objectionable features; the attempt
was followed by failure.
An attempt was made to enact a state
dispensarv system, with liberal local
option and restricted license features;
this system met its defeat.
An attempt was also made to substitute
straight referendum; another failure.
In all these measures the Democrats
and Clement high license members were
found voting almost solidly for this high
license measure and against the Ross
amendments to the prohibtory law and
the straight referendum.
III our recent election, Orange county
cast $500 votes. Clment had 1871, Me
Gettrick had OBS, both had 1863; these
were presumably nearly all in favor OF
high license. Mccullough had 1915
votes, Sherburne had 27G votes, both had
2l9l; presumably nearly all opposed to
high license.
Supposing the above estimate is APP
proXimately correct, then Orange county,
on the. basis Of the last September vote,
had Il majority of about 800 opposed to
high license
In the recent legislative contest over
liquor measures, all the republican sena-
tors and members from Orange county.
save one, supported the state dispensarN
system (BAttell bill) AS against the high
license system, believing that both the
measure and straight referendum fulfilled
the pledge of the republican party. And
answ ering only for myself, the more
study the state dispensary system. the
better | like It, and the more am con-
WINGED that it is best suited to Vermont
conditions.
Should majority Of the voters vote
mo" on Tuesday, February 3, then we
have the prohibitOry law unchanged, in
which event | hope the legislature of
1904 will enact, to take effect from its
passage, a clean straight state control
liquor law, which will have no provision
III it for an "O,en saloon
If you favor a law which permits seven
classes of licenses, ranging from $40 for
a druggist to $1,000 for wide-Open
saloon; it you think the interests of
Vermont are better served by such a law,
vote Yes otherwise vote NO"
Voters of Orange county, be either
bird or fish and 90 the polls on Tuesday.
February 3, and show your cOlors. Good
citizenship requires this much of you.