Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-01-12
THE HIGH LICENSE LAW.

In n few weeks time the people OF
. Vermont will be called upon 10 settle
4 De question OF whether the sale of
. Intoxicating liquors shall be licensed
RitEin the state or not. At it's last
tate convention the republican party
pledged itself to give the people
1hance TO vote upon the question.
he campaign conducted by p. w.
Element, the great exponent of Ii
eense in Vermont, created a strong
/. .sentiment in some sections in favor
% license law and at the September
Election Mr.. Clement proved to have
large following. At that time the
sentiment was stronger than it
appears to be at present. A high
Bcense local option law was passed
oy the legislature with the provision
hat II should be voted upon by the
people on Feb. 3rd. Since that time
be people have been examining its
provisions and comparing it with
he present law and many who have
been opposed to the prohibitory law
fankly acknowledge that they can
OF see wherein the new measure
viii be any improvement. Now that
he excitement is passed the question
being given calm, careful consider
tion, with the result that many who
ave complained of the manner in
Which the prohibitory law Is being
roken have come to the conclusion
hat license law would be broken as
much, IL not more, and that under
hat system we would have all Of the
wills of the present law with the
urse of the open saloon added.
The penalties for violating the new
aw are very severe, 80 severe in fact
hat 1t has been said that no one would
are to take out license If they ex
ected that the law would be en-
orced. This is very true. No law
overning the sale of Intoxicating
quors is ever fully enforced, for the
eason that whatever it's provisions
pay be only part of the people are
favor of it. If our prohibitory law
ould be enforced to the letter it would
% away with nearly all of the evils
the liquor agency, and with many
the other evils caused by the drink
Rbit. The present law is acknowl-
lged by it's friends to be wrong in
any respects and an attempt was
ade by the advocates of prohibition
the last legislature to make certain
hanges in it, but the license
en- refused to consider the matter at
The question at stake, however,
not whether the new measure upon
hich we are to vote is better than
e one now in effect, but whether
,ense is preferable to prohibition.
the license law Is accepted and
mains in force for term of years
ere is no doubt that many changes
II be made in it. If the prohibitory
" is obtained the next legislature
II be likely to eliminate many OF
Objectionable features. 1t is the
inciple which we are nov called to
eide upon. - |th
The leading arguments brought
ainst the prohibitory law are that
is not and cannot be enforced and
Rt II is causing a great amount oi
pocrisy. That there is a certain
ount of truth in this cannot be
MED, neither can it be denied thai
same conditions exist and to 8
eater degree in states where license
evails. The Neig York World in 8
pent editorial advocating the open.
Of the saloons OF that city on Sun
presented the same argument:
hinst the license law that are beins
sented in this state against the
hibitOry law. Their editorial wai
follows:
District Attorney Jerome an
lnces that he will go to Albany
in this winter and try TO get the
ialature TO pass an amendment tC
license law permitting the sale o
lor between the hours of l and /
n. on Sundays.
"A restricted opening OF the licensed
ces on Sundsy-these hours woulC
haps be sufficient-would be
per acknowledgement of tn,
BIC of every citizen to have hi
tomary beverage on the first da.
be week as well as on the othe
At present only those who arr
TO belong TO clubs or TO patroniz'
els can get glass OF beer on Sun
without assisting IN a violation o
law. This is not democratic. |
OF just. The nominal "closing o
saloons" on Sunday, which every
N knows are not closed and can
be shut tight for any considerable
sth of time, is a legal hypocrisy,
mined virtue"
is argued that under local OPTIC
e will be no trouble in enforcin
law as the towns will settle tn