Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-02-12
Prohibition Ends In Vermont.
Philadelphia Press.

Ph1ladelpnla fresS.
The vote of Tuesday in Vermont ends
pi ohibition Of the liquor traffic in that
State. The majority in favor of the high
license, local option law, which the Legls-
lature passed at its recent session and
which was submitted to vote of the peo'
pie for approval or disapproval, will be
small. but it will be decisive. The new
policy will 90 into effect, according to pro-
vision. on the fret Tuesday in March,
and a fifty years. effort to enforce prohibi'
ton by State enactment will come to an
end.
The reversal of the policy of such long
standing on question which has attracted
widespread and profound interest is
matter of great public moment. 1t is not
the result of any sudden impulse. For
twenty years the conviction has been
growing that prohibition was not accomp-
fishing it's object in Vermont. Even the
strongest advocate of that method of deal
ing with the liquor question has had to
admit that the law could not be enforced
everywhere and that the open saloon
flourished in the larger towns and cities.
There has been a fair measure of enforce
mept IN the rural districts where public
sentiment supported prohibition, but else
where the law has been freely violated
With these object lessons before it, 1t was
impossible to prevent the growth OF an
opinion hostile to the Law.
The balloting of Tuesday shows that
this opinion is now in majority and able
to ssertiteelf. 1t is doubtful If a similar
success would have attended popular
referendum on the question had one been
attempted a year ago. The campaign OF
last Summer did more to concentrate and
crystalize public sentiment on the subject
than any event which has occurred. 1t
awakened public attention and made pos
sible the passage of law by the LeglsIa'
ture and its reference to the people. The
Unexpectedly large vote polled Tuesday is
a proof of the popular interest felt. The
complete poll will probably reach 6O,OCO
a total which has been surpassed only two
or three times at September election fol
Governor, when the weather was good auo
the roads in favorable condition. No such
vote was expected in the Winter. The
majority, which is placed at less thar
1000, is as large as could have been look
ed for, estimating from last September
election, when the avowed anti-prohlbl
ton candidates for Governor had onl!
,2O9 majority over the prohibition can
didates.
This victory over prohibition in Yer
mont leaves only Maine and New Hamp
shire as prohtion States in New England
The Legislature of the latter State vii
probably pass high license, local option
law before it adjourns and leave Maine a
! the sole prohibition State in the East. Ii
the West there are two States where pro
hibition nominaly prevails, namely Kan
sas and North Dakota. In Maine tn
agitation has been steadily growing for
change of policy on the liquor question
and in Kansas and North Dakota the i'm
possibility of enforcing prohibition Is con
stantly made evident to the public. Ii
these three States prohibition prevail
by constitutional provision and an.
change will demand an alteration in tn
Constitution. This will doubtless preserv
prohibition in these States longer thai
elsewhere unless there should be rapiC
and strong growth of public sentimen
against it. The result in Vermont ma.
hasten this change.