Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-19

there is nothing moro to be done. II tho
vote uron the article Is yes then the
seoctmcn upon the application OF six
voters shall call special town meeting
that shall decide the kind of license to be
issued according to the following ques-
tons.
Shall license DO granted for the sale
of liquors Of all kinds?"
shall license he granted for the sale
of beer or matted liquors only?''
Within Is days after the special town
meeting has determined tho kind of IL
ccnsH to DC issued. the seectmcn shall
appoint three license commissioners. Of
whom ono shall be appointed from each
of The two leading political parties. and
the third member may also be appointed
IRON one of the said parties"
After the board of license commission
ers has been duly organized, persons
wishing to engage in the liquor business
may present their applications, with
bond of 5000 in each case. The applca
tons are to be published In two local
newspapers and a public hearing is to be
given on them. The licenses whom grant
cd, run one year, and are limited to one
for every one thousand Of population or
larger fraction thereof Towns having
less than 800 population, may have two
licenses in the discretion Of the board OF
/ license commissioners.
GIVE THE LAW A FAIR TEST"
N'rom Tie Ludlow Tribune)
judging from the result Of the vote
on the license measure on February 3.
It looks though Ludlow would be
among the towns to 20 for license at the
Mar,h meeting 1t is true that a large
| number who voted yes then will vote no
when It comes to deciding the question
for their own town. On the other hand
many who voted no assert that they will
/ vote yes at town meeting. We cannot
| understand how they ran consistently do
this if they were sincere In the support of
the prohibitory law. II the licensed
! saloon is an injury to the State it must
certainly he to the town. The fewer We
have the better. The Tribune believes
that the smaller towns like Ludlow would
be better off without the saloon and the
same could be said of the cities and larger
| towns If public sentiment were strongly
opposed to it. In places where public
sentiment is strongly in favor of the open
7 saloon it is their privilege to have it.
| Tut this is no time for boys play. The
! responsibility is not entirely taken from
the shoIlcers OF the prohibitionist. All
who have the best interests of the State
1T heart are bound to cooperate to bring
out the best results of the law. II YOU
thil k tho saloon dctrimcnt to the town
1t is your duty to vote no just as mut n
as It was when the question was before
the voters OF the state. Ii you really
believe that under existing conditions
the towns would he bettcred by it by al
means vote yes, but for goodness sake
don't sulk as some energetic prohibi.
tiuuists have. who have openly declared
/ they wanted rum. now We'll give 1t to
| them" Act the part of the true citizen,
vote rs your conscience dictates. Give
the law n fair test!
THE Duty OF THE TOWNS.
U'rom the Enosburgh Staudard)
Now that the die is cast and Vermont
has elected to try the hgh liz ensc local
option law the question OF the regulate
of tho liquor traffic changes, through the
operation of the local option features of
the act, from n matter of State policy to
ono confined to individual town limits
Consideration and discussion of the
question now proceeds along the line of
what each city and town In the state may
elect to do in the matter at the annual
town meetings.
Aud right now, "a il seems to The
Standard il Is especially important that
each voter take upon himself n calm and
iisnaes'onatc consideration OF the subject
from the standpoint of the best interests
of his town and the well-beine Of it's in
hahitants, together with the advancement
of temperance and tho preservation Of
correct principles and practices in the
administration OF public affairs.
As we said last week the new law in
PRODUCES perpexing problems and condi-
tons heretofore unknown to Vermont
While the smallness of the majority in
favor Of the license law has had a some
what SOLDERING effect on the license adj
vocates. as evidenced by the newspaper
comments on the result we cannot lose
sight Of the fact that the liquor interests
of the country are jubilant over the de
feat of prohibition and are preparing &c
take advantage of the market which
they confidently anticipate is soon tc
open to them.
1t is practically certain that the cities
and towns which cast heavy majoritieS
for the law, and in fact decided the result
will vote to license liqucr selling in their
respective municipalities In fact tbs
avowed purpose of the leading license ad
vocatcs In several cities and the reason
given for the support of the law was the
proposition that 1t would rebound to the
oitys material progress. Particularly
was this true OF st. Adams in our owr
county.
Now unless the experience of these
cities proves wholly different from that OF
cities Of similar size and character II
states whore local option has been Longer
esta blished a decided change in senti
mont Is hound to occur I'm the not far dis
tant future as regards the licensing of tn,
liquor traffic For the idea that licensin.
liquor selling in city conduces to its
prosperity and progress. TO the lesseninl
OF drunkenness and crime is not horne
out by wcll-established facts and careful
investigation.
The towns In this section of Franklin
County, including Enosburgh, voted 10y
large maiorities against the license act
and il seems to The Standard that 4
would be the part of wisdom and gooC
citizenship to vote in the same manner a
the March meeting, and We have no host
tancy in predicting that the future ant
the experience Of those cities and town:
which are determined to try license will
demonstrate that this is the best, wises
and most profitable and satisfao tory
course to pursue while local option pre-
. walls in Vermont.
This Is of course aside from the man,
other substantial arguments to he ad
vanced against license. which have beer
and will continue to be discussed.
! ROCKINGHAM AND THE NEW LAW
tF'rom the Bellows Falls Times)
The new liquor law win go into efrecr
on the first Tuesday in March. This
means that the town agency will then be
closed, II Rockingham votes no license