Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-01

representing their ideas. They must vote
for prohibition az 1t is. or for the form
OF license proposed in the act sumitted-
or take to the woods. AS self-respectng
men, with sense of duty. they cannot
very we'll follow the latter course. They
will naturally give their support to what
they deem the lesser of two evils and to
the side that bids fair to be most respon-
sive to their own views in the future.
If license carries. it will either become
the settled policy of the State or there
will speedily follow reaction that will
fasten the most severe form of prohibit
ion for long time to come, The infu-
ence of the liquor interest would undoubt
edly be exerted to the utmost to sustain
and secure license, once it was adopted.
1t would take an unprecedented uprising
or the people to shake It off and II this
should come the pendulum would swing
to the other extreme and between the
two those who urge the adoption of state
control would get scanty hearing II
license is defeated now. 1t will be done
by all those opposed to the act submitted,
among them many who Will vote That way
not for love of prohibition but for fear OF
the open, legalized saloon, run for private
profit. State control has more to gain
by assisting in the defeat Of this act and
then urging It's own remedy for the de-
fects of prohibition than 1t has in aid
ing to establish local option, from
purely political standpoint.
But on other and it may be higher
grounds, the majority of those VINO seek
some better solution of this great problem
than either prohibition. or license Will
we are certain. refuse their votes to TINS
local option act. In spite Of all the legal
| cords and knots with which it is sup
| posed to be bound. the bald fact is that
this act establishes, under certain condi-
tons the saloon wherein intoxicating
liouor is sold for his own gain, by a
nerson holding authority from the State,
| for to be sure, the law imposes such re-
strctions on the selling as would reduce
its injury to the mninum-if the law were
obeycd as it reads.
The very multiplicity OF these restric-
tons will raise the question. how can a
man possibly afford to pay hts license fee
and sell only AS prescribed? And there
is only one answer--he can't His own
interest Is constantly urging him to sell
tust as much as he can. and he will do 1t
at the risk Of the penalties in sight I'm
| agine liquor dealer who has paid WON
for his license refusing to sell a glass OF
beer to a young man Of twenty; OF to a
customer wishing to treat friends lined
IN TO the bar; or to man who has been
drunk within six months; or to one who
has receiced a little aid from the town
within year: or to a man whose bass has
given notice should not be served! And
would there be no selling at night, or on
Sundays, or holidays? How is ii in other
states where the law is just as strict as
this one? The trouble Is that both the
desire O accommodate and the desire to
get the customers dime work together,
ana the restrictions are violated, and Will
be so long as the element OF gain Is lett
The prohibitionist believes that liquor
| should not he sold as Il beverage; the
advocate OF State control believes liquor
,~ll bstT slcv. NJ a
person whose pocketbook is fattened IN
exact proportion to the amount he sells
the license act provides for selling in just
this way Is there anything Inconsistent
in an alliance OF both classes against the
thing they both oppose? They should
and, We believe will. JOIN forces for the
moment. leaving their own diiIerences 1ol
later settlement.
The act we are about to vote on is gen
orally speaking, well-framed. from H.
cense standpoint In the main, 1t deserves
the support Of those who believe in loca
option. There are, however, some fea
lures that. it seems to us, would tend to
freer sale OF intoxicants than should
prevail under any conditions. Chief OF
these Is the druggists provision. ANY
registered pharmacist-which means any
body who can pass the examination ne
fore the board of pharmacy-in any towl
--whether the town voyes for license oil
nOt--Can secure inc rlGntS 10 BELL lluuoT
IL he can get the endorsement of hve pei
cent. of the voters and majority OF th'
practising physicians, and furnishes &
thousand dollar bond. by the payment o.
a SO license fee. The intent of the law Il
that he shall sell for medicinal purposes
only and only on a Doctors prescription
But in practice It is to be feared that sales
will be made in other ways and for othe
PURPOSES The druggist, once licensed
has the right to stock up with all kinds
of liquors in any quantity and no searcl
and seizure can affect him. The only wa!
to convict him of Illegal selling Is b!
catching him In the very act and provin,
the sale very difficult thing to do
He can handle liquor any day or any hou
Of the day or night. Even II his sale
were confined to the filling OF prescrip
lions, there Ia opportunity for gray
abuses, as will readily occur to all minds
Though a town were absolutely opposes
, TO the granting Of license in any form
II would still be possible to have within
! II as many places where liquor 10 KEEP
. for sale as there are registered pharma
cists.
With the town agency system abolished
az would be done were this act accepted
the necessary uses for liquor could onl!
be supplied by the druggists, which woul'
require their licensing In even the mos
temperate communities. Once licensed
with the powerful stimulus OF self-gai
/ working upon them, Is 1t not pr0babl