The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-01-14

for it's free and unlimited indulgence
Glasses of people who have no regard
for the general public welfare, whose
first consideration is their avarice,
their appetite, and wide-open oppor-
tunities for their qualification
Mr.. Davis has shown that, with the
license act operative, and chapter 1877
of the Vermont Statutes (the prohibit
DRY law repealed, chaos would reign
in respect of the regulation of the
liquor traffic, the maintenance of pub
lie order in offenses or disturbances
arising under the traffic, either by the
seller or the consumer Of Intoxicating
drinks. The license act, it is shown,
visions of law that are wiped out by
the sweeping repeal of chapter 1877.
The insincelity of the main complaint
against the prohibitory law, that its
provisions are harsh and unjust, that
its pains and penalties are excess
sive, that extraordinary and oppressive
powers are given to the minor officers
of the law, has been shown by citing
the provisions of the proposed law
which out Herod the Herods of the
prohibitory law.
At every point of the comparison of
the two laws, the prohibitory and the
proposed license law, Mr.. Davis
searching analysis shows that, outside
of moral considerations, there is moth
ing to be gained and almost every
thing to lose by the exchange of the
prohibitory code for the crude and ill
considered provisions of the license
act.
The condition of the classes of the
community directly or personally af
ected by laws relating to the traffic in
liquor and its uses, as a beverage or
for purposes recognized as permits
sable and lawful, would be vastly
worse under the new state of things
brought into existence by the license
law than are the old, in their worst
estate, under existing law.
Mr.. Davis showing of the status of
minors under the law is worthy of es-
pecial consideration. The rank injus
tice of the law in general becomes
brutally specific in the discrimination
against the minor IN favor of the "old
soaker" and the man who sells rum to
the kid. particularly in the punish
menus provided for the minor who
manages to deceive the too credulous
dispenser of rum and its kindred i'll
"liquid damnation ~
Not simply would the reasonable
safeguards of the existing law be
stripped away, defenses recognized as
necessary for the protection of society
in general against evils and dangers
arising out of inebriety, by the repeal
OF chapter 1877, but the provisions of
mercy the law makes for the erring
and the redeemable would disappear
from the statute book if the license
act shall 90 into effect by the vote of
the people on February B. There is
not town or city in the State whose
material, or financial, Or moral inter.
ests would be bettered by putting into
force this loosely strung code of pro-
visions; not merely this, there is not
town or city, village or hamlet,
whose every interest would not bt
overtaken by dire disaster should this
proposed law be put into force. Every
consideration of mercy, or morality
of material advantage, of wise consid
Grafton for the best public welfare
cries out against the proposition t.
send into retirement chapter 1877 OF
the Vermont Statutes and i'll its place
to set up this monstrosity. In his
fourth paper Mr.. Davis makes thi
matter very clear, and the citizen
should give very solemn heed to tn
admonitions so seasonably given by
one so capable to speak with know
ledge and wisdom.
This proposed law was conceived
under circumstances the most unfavor
able for the practice of wisdom. |
may be true. as will be pleaded, tina
laws in general have their defects
that even the best are not perfect, bu
when it is easily shown that pro
, posed law is so generally defectiv
that its provisions are a menace
every good thing, that its admission
the living statutes of the State woul
bring evil and anarchy where there
good and public order under existin
law, the freemen ought to say, W
will wait awhile before we accept tn
f measure. There is no need OF I'll
q haste that makes waste. Let the law
9 makers take this matter in hand agail
, If it is good, they will perfect it
: 1904 or 1906. So we will not, after onl
the few brief weeks of considerable
permitted us, accept this measure whic
G demands the utmost deliberation o
our part. There is time between Eel
p ruary 3, 1908 and December 1906 fC
the deliberation denied us now.
I. 1