Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-12-04
HOW THE LAW WORKS.
Makes His Report on Operation OF IL
cense In Wlndham County.

Mason A. Green, editor of the Rutland
Herald has been travelling through the
state and sending to that paper reports
from the different counties on the opera
ton of the high license law In an ar
ticle of column and a half in Satur
days paper he reviewed the situation in
this county, with particular reference to
Brattleboro. lie believes that the new law
is growing in favor in this town and that
the action of the license commissioners in
revoking the licenses will have n healthy
effect. Here are some of the paragraphs
from his article:
1T is very evident that criticism of the
law is much less severe than at first, when
some old offenders took occasion to Gel
citrate the advent of a new order of
things. For a time offenses increased
and there was an apparent lack of regard
for the law, which many did not under
stand assuming that u license law meant
free rum
Here in Bratteboro, as elsewhere. old
offenders under the prohibitory law at
the very outset began to blow OFF steam.
regardless Of consequences, which re-
suited of course. in an increased per-
centage of prosecutions, which some of
the prohibitory brethren were quick to
observe, and thus the new law came in
for severe criticism. Now that things are
being adjusted to the new statute 1t be-
gins to dawn upon the minds of many.
who before were doubtful as to the re-
suits of local option, that the law is suf-
ficiently prohibitve when properly en-
forced; therefore ii is but natural that
sentiment should change and that criti-
cism should give way to reason. The
action of the license commissioners here
has put a different Interpretation on the
intent and meaning of the law, and II is
believed that the new licensees will OBJ
serve its provisions SO far as your cor
respondent can judge from interviews
with some of Brattlehoro's leading men.
there has been no decided change Of
| opinion since the town voted for license.
Doubtless some who favored local option
| last year have, for some reason, changed
their minds. while II is equally true that
some of those who favored prohibition are
| now classed among the high license adj
vocates; so that. all in all, there is no
reason for asserting that prohibition
such as once existed, has gained converts
| to any great extent here in southern Yer
mont.
OF the eight or nine towns voting IL
| cense i'm Windham county but four OF
| them are selling liquor under license Ii
| is conceded by those who have an
| opportunity to know. that less liquor is
| being sold in the no-lcense towns today
| than was sold under the old law. There
| is more watchfulness on the part of the
people and the least transgression is
| likely to be discovered and in turn Sc
verely punished. Towns voting no-licensC
| are held to a strict accountability for
violations by honest high license senti-
| mcnt.
| Your correspondent has discovered No
movement to repeal the license law next
| year but Brattleboro may possibly swing
| into the dry column"
| The law was reported to be working
fairly well in Bellows Falls and Deputy
| 1
| saying; We have less arrests for drunk
| enness at night and more during the day
| under the new law. We did not have q
| day policeman under prohibition. Sew.
| enty-five per cent. of the arrests fol
| drunkenness are outsiders Under tbs
| old law half dozen places sold liquor
| all night. We have no Illegal selling tC
| speak OF at present and all the bars close
promptly at II o'clock. l think Rock
ingham will vote license next year"