Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-01-26

selves any better than do prohibitory
laws. We have not to take hearsay
evidence either. The testimony of
the Federal government is beyond |
question, correct. Every man who |
sells liquor must pay a tax.
What are the figures? They are
these-admitted from reports in
LIQUOR organs. In California in 1897
there were 10, 003 government licenses
as against 7446 state licenses, or 5557
places where liquor was Illegally sold.
In Indiana, government licenses 7647,
state 1922; or 1926 illegal saloons. In
Chicago there were 2071 such saloons,
in New York city 6379, in philadelphia
$500. While coming to Massachusetts,
which has set the pace for our own
| LIQUOR law, and whose system has
been lauded as the best yet proposed,
we find in 1901 5756 government Ii
censes held as against 1869 state Ii
censes, or 1887 illegal saloons exist
! ing under the benifcent system
which some people are anxious to
have tried in Vermont. Now these
are not the rantings of temperance
fanatics, but the cold facts of expert
ence. The law is susceptible to
various interpretations, and if as
some claim the issuing of license
means one of each class (and just
what it means will have to be told
finally by the supreme court,) there
is nothing to prevent wholesale Ii
cense to be issued anywhere, and
there is no restriction on that con-
fning sales to holders of retail Ii
censes. What does the wholesaler
care, so long as he gets his money,
who the retailer is?
Fifth, the haste with which this
measure has been forced upon US is
reason for regarding it with suspicion.
The refusal of the liquor party to
permit any change In the present law
indicates the real weakness of their
position. They admitted that the
present law might be altered IN some
respects to make it more acceptable
, to the people, and were frank enough
, to say that if this were done the
, license law would stand no show. But
y because they were in the saddle, and
because they preferred license to any
. thing else, they have forced the mat
! ter upon the people with just this
~ alternative only, license as we
y plan it, or prohibition al
;, it now stands. This 'heads
4 win, tails you lose" proposition ii
o repugnant to all ideas of common
fairness. 1t is not what scheme viii
!. best fill my pocket with money o
" what scheme will best suit my idea
n of state government, but what is tn
~ best proposition for the whole people
y A large number think that state con
o troll will be better than any view We
: presented. Either that outlined b
h the Ross bill or the Battell bill, bot
. Of which were rejected by the licens
legislature. It is a sound maxir
"a adopted by some of the most success
~ full business men of the countr.
40 beware of the investment that hui
ries you" By this license bill we al
in to be hurried into a system which {
ST yet has had no fair opportunity fe
"a discussion and which is widely at vi
IN rance with the resolution of the r.
nt publican platform which permitte
od the idea to come to the front. v
- can we'll afford to defeat this bill tn
At more time may be given for devisil
"a a better method than any now in us
al If prohibition is failure, statisti
fl show conclusively that license is al
400 a failure-therefore why substitu
tv one for the other when by waiting
res system which will be success m
"a be found. That license is failu
,se the city of Chelsea, Mass, gives wi
he ness beyond question. For twel
to years it voted no license, but "
for carried the other way in 1902 BY
he majority of 4. Saloons were open
,on May 1. In May, 1901, the arrests
his drunkenness were %, in May, 10
Sos III. The first six months of the I
tho license year of 1901 the total ARE
for for drunkenness were 1911; in
lies corresponding period of 1902 und
tbo license the arrests were
Tho What more proof can
,od wanted to show that license d
not restrict? Who, under such
'os' showing, will vote to introduce 81
conditions into our thrifty, hOr
ex- loving, peaceful. law abiding villa
fish oI 'erinohC No'e W.
silly u T. nANNhi' No"poi