Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-01-02
THE REFERENDUM.
Circular Letter by the Committee of
Fifteen-What is Required of Elec-
ton Officers.

To the selectmen and other election Of
ficers.
Gentlemen II der the provisions of
number sixty-four. acts of 1892 entitled
An act to regulate the traffic in intox-
icating liquor you are required to OBJ
serve all regulations provided by law for
conducting freemen's meeting See sec
tion l03 Of said act.
You are therefore required to post check
lists at least thirty days prior to this
special meeting which is to be held Feb
ruary g. 1903. This means they must be
posted not later than January 8.
The boards OF civil authority must call
meetings to revise and correct said check
lists, observing all rules applicable TO a
check list and a freemen's meeting.
Only such as would be legal voters in
freemen's meetings will be entitled to
vote in this special meeting.
Ballot clerks will he appointed in the
usual way.
Ballots Will be furnished by the sew
eral county clerks.
These ballots will have the words Yes
and NO printed thereon, and votes will
be cast by marking a cross opposite the
word indicating the way the person de-
sires to vote
Booths are to be provided as in all free
mems meetings and the ballots marked
therein.
The officers whose duty it is to warn
and govern frcemen's meetings are re-
qured to warn and govern this meeting
1t is suggested that the warning con-
tain an article substantially as follows
To see If the legal voters in the town
OF ------- will vote that number sixty
four of the acts of 1902 entitled IAN act
To regulate the traffic in Intoxicating
liquor shall take effect on the first
Tuesday of March, A. d. 1903. by voting
Yes or on the first Monday in Deem
Der, \. d. 1906, by voting No"
The same rule as to the hour for the
opening of this special meeting which
applies to freemen's meetings should be
observed and the warning so state.
Inasmuch as the law requires the bal.
lot box for the election of state officers
to be kept open until 3 o'clock, p. M, we
would suggest that the ballot box fol-
this meeting be kept open until thai
hour and the warning so state.
In any event let the warning state the
hour of. opening, and closing. of the
meeting places. Have said warning re.
corded, then post the required number.
Fail not to observe all regulations pro
vided by law for conducting freemen's
meetings.
The COMMITTEES of Fifteen" believing
to become acquainted with the require.
ments OF this new law, have taken the
liberty to make these suggestions in or
der that not a single voter in the state
of Vermont shall be disfranchised by the
oversight of any OF the election officers
We also believe that the greatest good
to the greatest number will obtain In
this referendum vote by voting mo, "
which means opposite to the open sa-
loon provided for in this bill. Should 1,
transpire that changes in our liquor laws
are necessary or advisable, the Com
mittee of Fifteen do not believe that this
license system now under consideration
is best suited to the needs of a rural
state like Vermont.
We earnestly invite all citizens who are
opposed to a liquor law which provides
for an open saloon to unite with us in
our warfare against this measure and ia
organize in every town and school dis
trict so that not a single mo" vote will
remain unpolled on February g.
Respectfully yours,
CURTIS S. EMERY,
Chairman of the Committee of Fifteen
Chelsea, VT. December "a, 1902.