Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-20
HOW THIS COUNTY FEELS.
IN REGARD TO THE COMING VOTE ON
THE PR0HIBITI0N.LICENsE QUESTION.

THE PR0HIBITI0N.LICENsE QUESTION.
Letters From Various Towns Show Something
of the Prevailing Sentiment Among Wind
ham County People-Not Many Licenses in
Prospect-A Full Turnout Of Voters Ex-
pected.
Our readers may be interested to
know just what the feeling is in each
town in Windham county, on the i'm
portant question of prohibition vs. Ii
cense, which comes up in the coming
town meetings. We asked our cores
pondents in these towns to give us as
fair an estimate as possible of how
their towns stand on this question and
what they will probably do We have
received these replies which afford
perhaps as definite an idea on the sub
iect as can we'll be obtained:
DUMMERSTON-T vote Feb. 3
stood 63 for local option and GO against
it. This vote was small to what 1T Is
at our annual town meetings. There
are over 200 voters in town. From
what learn of the general opinions of
our people, the majority are opposed
to license in this town, but in this
/ DATL OF lHe lUWD tuc arc III
! favor of it, There is not much inter
est on the question of local option In
West Dummerston. Those who want
liquor. get now all they want and plen
ty of it and don't care for a license.
| The present law gives but one license
to this town, except druggist. Our
town is geographically divided, the
east from the west, by hills and noun
tains, and in stormy weather very
many do not care to go from three to
six or seven miles over the hills to
vote Should the day be favorable, l
think there would be full vote. The
temperance people are making some
exertion to get votes against license,
but no temperance lectures as yet.
| The vote on this question is about even
| " divided in town. Many say we
don't want license here for we can get
all we want in Brattleboro.
PUTNEY-It is the general opinion
! that the town will vote to license the
sale of intoxicating liquors and that we
shall have one licensed place for such
sale. That will doubtless be at the
hotel. The sincerity and determination
with which some of our leading citi-
zeps favor this new law and its strict
enforcement argues we'll for its trial
We have suffered under the present law
very largely by the indifference and
antipathy of the people to the law. Ii
now the people will see to it that the
new law is enforced, we can have
much cleaner business and far less IL
legal sale than hitherto. 1t remains
/ to be seen whether the friends of the
new law will do as much or more to Sc
cure its enforcement as the friends OF
the present law have done. The new
law can be made etfectual if its friends
will stand by it, and it is the duty OF
every citizen, prohibitionist % Aeenss~
man, to uphold the law SO long as it
remains on the statute books.
It is rumored that the local option
men of Putney will try to elect board
of selectmen who are favorable to the
new license law, as it seems pretty GER
tain that Putney will vote "Yes''
March B. The names of William a.
Cole, F. L. Houghton and Charles ID.
Converse seem to find the most favor
and they are men who would conduct
the towns affairs with credit and will
be likely to receive quite a support
outside the local optionists. They will
receive the solid support of the license
men so their election seems practically
assured. The local option men have
about so majority when full vote is
out, as there will be this time, for the
selectmen have the appointing of the
license commissioners. Special Cor
respondent.
WILMINGTON regard to the
probable vote on March 3: L have
looked the ground over pretty carefully
and | am of the opinion that the vote
] IS tnyy
lust about the same majority as was
shown at the meeting Feb. 3. Things
are very quiet and very little is said
upon the subject. No one appears to
want the license; if the hotel people
wanted to take out license. | think
the town would be favorable, but they
don't want it at any consideration.
TOWNSHEND-The will probably
nothing particularly of interest to be
said, only the people are disgusted with
the law that has been passed.
DOVER-Although the town voted
for license by small majority, do
not believe there will be 20 votes cast
at our town meeting by the townspeople
to license this town.
GUILFORD-Judg by the vote on
| the license law at the meeting on INC
Sd inst. 80 yes, "a no, it is expected
that the town will go for license at the
regular March meeting. Still 1t Is not
altogether certain, as there are about
$50 names on the check list and some
changes are possible. All voters who
have any interest in the question should
not fail to attend and cast their votes
for or against, so that whatever the re-
suit may be each may feel that he did
his part.
WESTMINSTER license men
will make a strong fight, but the town
is believed to stand two to one for no
license.
VERNON question, "Shall Ii
censes be granted for the sale of intox-
icating liquor in this town." appears
to be receiving but little interest from
the voters, as it was practically decid-
ed at the meeting on Feb. that the
sentiment of this town is emphatlcaily
no: and even if the town should chance
to vote to grant such licenses it is not
probable that any one would comply
with the conditions required by the IL
ceuse law in order TO obtain one.
HALIFAX-The town will probably
vote no license, two to one. 1t was
surprising to see how many were against
it at our February meeting and large
number that voted license for the state
will not favor it in town.
WHITMAN If iS estimated that