Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-01-02

makes no adequate provision for the
purity of the liquor sold. 1t is true that
it makes provision for n possible testing
of liquor. But no one with any exper-
lence of the saloon would dare hope that
the measures proposed would for a
moment lead to the results desired.
Again, the bill puts singular difficulties
in the way of the prosecution of illegal
sellers in private houses, inasmuch as it
requires a unanimous vote of the board
before the issue of search warrant
Still further, the prohibition of treating
IN a saloon Is a farce, and the require
ment that the police should give monthly
testimony as to whether they have seen
any signs of violation Of the law will in
the long run put premium on preiury.
Yet again, the division of license fees
between state and towns is Of such sort
as to introduce at once au instrument Cf
de bauchery into local politics. 1t has
come to be pretty clearly understood by
scientific investigators of this difficult
problem that one of the dangers of the
licensed saloon is that the license fee,
when ii comes into town treasury, serves
as "A singularly seductye bride to the
more selfish and less thoughtful voters
and tax payers. \ delusiOn takes pos
session of them somehow, that the
finances of the town can be advantaged
by catering to the drinking habits of the
citizens. One of the things of which
our president has been reminding us
during the past wear in his admirable
public addresses has been that the true
capital of great nation consists in the
last resort in the nations character.
One of the things that every Vermont
community needs to learn is that the
money which flows into its treasury
from the self-indulgent habits of its
citizens must prove in the long run a
source of poverty rather than of wealth.
Yet, after all is SAID of the minor con-
sderations. the two great arguments
against the bill. quite apart from its bad
plan and its worse foundation. are
First. that in the saloon it threatens
us with school of bad manners and
worse morals. open dav and night for
all to enter and learn.
Second. that il gives the organized
liauor interest lust the coigne of van
tagc which il needs for prosecuting its
congenial work of political debauchery.
have vet to find a man who believes
that the open saloon would be good
thing for the homes. the schools. or the
churches of ST. bloomsbury. good
many men who proclaim their faith in
license measure for the state, still say
that they would vote against license for
this town. am not able TO follow their
argument here. | do not quite see why
| should thrust this source of disease
and degradation upon other towns. if |
do NOT want il here. And. mark YOU. It
will he thrust upon other towns. If all
the persons who were really affected bv
the presence of the saloon were TO say
what they think about il, doubt if il
Womb have a chance of existence in any
Vermont community. But if this bill
should mass. then in every community in
which a bare majority of the local voters
can be got by any means fair or foul to
omen the door TO If. il will come in to do
lis miserable work not merely upon
those who invited jt-not merely upon
the large minority who opposed il -
hut upon the sum total of the inhabi
tants doing its worst mischief often.
times to the women and children who
had no voice whatever i'm its advent.
II is at utter variance with GOOD social
order. II Is ouite as really nj varience
with good local government. The
ssIoon is always factor in nolitics
Under local option high license law il
becomes doublv a factor in nolitics
Every wear when this question of license
ar no license comes nm if counts IFS hench-
men. Ii counts its henchmen all the