Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-27
LICENSE OR PROHIBITION?
pRArrLEBoRo WILL GIVE ITS VERDICT
ON THIS QUESTION NEXT TUESDAY.
Facts Which Point Toward the Failure OF
Prohibition as the Proper Method Of Control
ing the Traffic in This Town-How the Vote
nm the License Question Will Be Taken.

On Tuesday next the people OF Brat
tleboro will choose the method by
which they will control the liquor traf-
fic in this town the coming year. The
, welfare of the town during the next
- months depends largely upon this
!. choice. and each voter should decide
9 the question from temperance stand
y point. The Reformer reviewed the sit
nation at length in its last weeks is
sue and it still holds to the belief, al
ready stated. that nothing will further
u the interests of temperance to a great
er extent than a system of license sub
n iect to the rigid restrictions embodied
MN the new local option law. How
nAnany people in Brattleboro have ike
iv Naliefs on this question Will be known
vor \xt Tuesday. The Reformer sincere
and Xopes that a majority Will be IN "a
way. Nof giving the new system a trial,
sentinAall indications seem to point that
or anADuring the past week the license
the man ent has grown perceptlbly strong.
thar thA it would not be surprising II
Vority for license were larger
d;t;ons INT for the new law. People are
M license Vmore and more what the con-
iiobt heer NBrattleboro would be under
censed and Ewith the town agency and
ish;no IN thNraffic abolished, an unli-
~ the uncomfortable saloon flour
No stronger island and licenses IN
cense has been Nadjoining towns.
figures in the argument IN favor OF
which appears inXput forward than
port. During theN Ntown agency acco' A.
GOO worth of liquor the annual towa e.
m Increase Of neaN past year over SD,
al - haay Iispapgpd.
10 believe that this N1ly $1,000 over the
has been received for IN NO one pie.enun
for medicinal, mechan Nmount oi d, inonIy 1nIy.,
purposes. 1t is simplyNquor solu soieiy
money which Brattlebor9cal OF cneiiiGal 20 =
quench its thirst and WV palI oi .to to
boro will continue to spen,MO nas 1Pent P..,o "
not licenses are gra. led in Niicn Da.s athar ~
The question at issue is nGSX - .or,n
the sale of liquor be stoppedAA th,s lomn
er. how can this sale be reoNt now can
controlled to the greatest possi pus j ia,n
tent? The past year seems tNnI11u ane
conclusively that this cannot be 4 floie eA
plished under prohibition. Wftxo snoN
take the opportunity to try theNaccummn, mn,
system for year and give its merM ~, ~
fair test? A+s
The vote on the liquor question w
Tuesdays town meeting will be takeA
by ballot odt tie Apst aiiln systslA
will not be used, although the voting
will be done by check list The box
will be opened when the meeting is
called, in all probability at O'Clock,
and will be turned at 3 O'Clock in the
afternoon. The ballots furnished by
the state contain two squares with the
word "yes'' above one, and mo-
above the other. The voter must mark
a cross in the square beneath the word
"yes'' if he wishes licenses to be grant
ed, and in the square beneath the
word "no'' if he is in favor of no IL
cense. 1t is the duty of every voter,
whatever his belief, to be on hand to
vote on this question in order that
fair expression of the towns opinion
may be secured.
Aside from the interest in the out
come of the license vote, town meeting
seems to be exciting no interest what
ever. The old board of selectmen seems
practically certain of reelection and
no opposition has arisen to Prescott ).
Fames for road commissioner. although
! there is an article in the warrant Ito
see if the town will have one or two
road commissioners. This was made
possible by change of the law in the
1 recent legislature, but 1t is pronaple
| that Brattleboro will continue to place
! its highways in charge of one man VINO,
/ if competent, will give them as good
care as two could. The article extend
ing the privileges of the free library 10
non residents of Brattleboro upon pay
ment of suitable fee ought to be
nassed without discussion as the ex-
! tension will be of great benefit to
many without affecting the local pat