Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-27
Enforcement of the License Law.


Present indications are that If the
license liquor law now in operation in
Vermont goes to pieces, IT will founder
upon the rock on which the prohibitory
law split, namely, lack of enforcement.
Significantly enough the first noteworthy
evidence of this tendency on a broad
scale comes from Rutland, where efforts
to dscredit the enforcement of the pro-
hihitory law were crowned with the great
est success and it is not utterly impos-
shle that the chickens of this cultivated
disregard for statutory law are now CO.
ing home to roost.
The Rutland Herald the other day pub
lished an editorial article Of some length,
reprinted in these columns, which severely
arragned the license commissioners of
that town for their failure to take action
with reference to the enforcement of the
license law in the Marble City. The Her
aid showed how kitchen bars were in fun
blast and quite number OF persons hold
ing licenses were not conducting business
according to law. 1t stated that there
was no doubt drunkenness had Increased,
come nervous over the license situation.
1t went on to say that the sheriffs de-
partment was finally induced to go to the
very places where the commissions Off
GERS had raided unsuccessfully and had
no difficulty in finding all the liquor they
could lug away. by way of compliment
it remarked that from the photogra pher s
| yta At,t ,iSsi
| like Eastwood images"
This attack evidently went home for
Friday the license commissioners of
| Rutland, ]. +. Thomson. c. W. Penning
ton and James F. Sawyer issued the fol-
lowing statement;
I'm view of the statements made in the
editorial columns of the Rutland Herald
of August 49, the license commissioners
Of the city OF Rutland deem 1t their duty
! to say TO the public that this editorial
was a gross misstatement Of certain con-
ditions probably made for the purpose
of misleading the public
I'VE desire further to state that there
| has been no complaint made in form, as
! provided by law, to the commission rela4
tive to the illegal sale of intoxicating
| liquors but what has been properly dis
posed Of; that the commissioners have
instructed the police to furnish them evil
dence of any violation of the law that
may come to their knowledge at any
or all times; that the members of the
sherifs department have also received
the same request and that even the editor
Of the Rutland Herald has been impor-
tuned by the board for such evidence,
which he has failed to furnish in any
| way up to the present time.
We desire no newspaper controversy
and make this statement simply to in
form the public of our position in the mat
ter We are very DESTROYS of seeing the
local option law enforced and are asking
the public for every scrap of evidence
In form which we can use to convict any
parties, licensed or unlicensed, within
our jurisdiction"
In addition to this the Rutland commits.
sioners caused to be published the follow.
ing opinion, secured from a Rutland law
yer, characterized as ''one of the most
prominent legal authorities in the State
with reference to the matter in contro,
Ncrsy:
"'Fho commissioners by the act are not
made detective bureau, and have nc