Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-01-22

witnesses or Diet cliy,s to ct evidence Of la.
uor sales Some people are very much op
posed to the use Of "spolters," but under nigh
license the use OF spotters f. much more nee.
es.ary than under prohibition in order to en-.
force the law. In Massachusetts, we find Il
almost impossible to get evidence against
high license liquor dealers without the use Of
spoilers. So If you want more spoilers in
Vermont v, te for high license
'Prohibiton Won't Prohibit"
But someone ,ay., Prohibition WON'T pro-
hibit" or course It won't. Neither will an
ak cut. 1t takes a man behind an AK 10 make
It cut, aud It takes man behind law to
make it work. An AK will not chop wood of
Itself, neither win law enforce itself When
first got married and had very small sal
airy, had to chop my own wood. One day
when there was no wood chopped with which
to cook dinner, Mrs Miller came into my
study and said my dear, the wood Is out,
please 90 and cut some" said / wou d, but
for some reason failed to do It. But Mrs
Miller did not 90 out 10 the wood yard and
which to get dinner, but she came into my
study and scolded some one else. The ak
was sharp enough, but 1t was necessary for
me to get behind Il and use It before there
was any wood cut. II your prohibition AK
does not cut, dou't blame the ak, but blame
your officers who refuse to obey their oaths
OF Office II you get high license these same
officers willnot enforce Il any better. 1t is
not so much a change Of your law that you
need as 8 change oiyour officers.
Mend the ProhIbItory Law.
sun admit you have some weak points in
your prohibitory law. But the thing to do Is
to mend the weak points Of your law and
hold on to IT, l was brou1ht up on farm
One day the cattle broke through weak
place 10 the fence and got into the corr.
Father did not say: "Boys, that fence
around he pasture field is no good Go out
there and tear down every psnel OF it. That
fence won't prohibit The cows have got
through It again into the cornfeld. It's no
good, go aud tear It all down" Did my
father ak thusl Not at ali, but like sensi-
bic farmer he said "Boys, the cows have
got out Of the pasture into the cornfeId again
There must be a hole in the fence somewhere
Go find It and mend It - Do you think we
would have protected the corn better by tear.
Ing down all the fence that kept the cows in
the pasiurey No, DO. And do you think
you VIII better protect your homes, your
sons and daughters, By tearing down your pro
hihition fence and letting the open saloons
come in with all their wreck and rlinY
High License increases Drunkenness.
Fourth, high license in Massachusetts In
creases drunkenness That is. the amount OF
drunkenness under high license is much great
er than under prohibition. 1t is only reason
able 70 suppose that man who pays 5000
for his license and must furnish up an expen
siye saloon must sell much more liquor 70 make
q living than a dealer, or dive keeper who does
not have to pay any license fee. and who pays
but little rent, And the easier we make it to
get liquor the more there Is sold The more
open the saloons are the greater the tempta-
tion 70 drink Hence we say there Is much
more lquor sold under license than under pro
hibtion The more liquor there is sold the
more drunkenness there Is Ia the town. Take
the experience OF our prohibition and license
cities IN Massachusetts,
BrOckton In 1897, under prohibition. had 49,
arrests for drunkenness. In 1s0s. underhigh H.
cense, II hal 1927 arrests for drunkenness.
Again IN 1922, under prohibition. it had only $50
arrests tor drunkenness.
Chelsea, the FIRST six months OF the no-icense
year OF 1901, May ist 20 November LIST, had 1911
arrests for drunkenness but the FIRST six
months OF this year May LIST 70 November ist
under license, it had 800 arrests for drunken
ness,
The towuof Peabody, for the prohibition
year OF 1895. had 6S arrests for drunkenness
But the next year, Jnder high license, it had
9g5 arrests for drunkenness
Many more such facts could be given did
space permit.
trust enough has been said 70 convince you
that high license Is q most dangerous expert
ment TO try in the state Of Vermont.
High License Increases Taxes.
Fifth. high license increases the anancia
burdens OF the town aud state Carroll ID
Wright when at the head 81 the Massachu
setts Labor Bureau, said that for every dollar
Massachusetts receives in license money from
the saloon, she pays out go 70 take care OF the
results OF the saloon such as the pauperism
insanity extra police and court expenses
caused by The saloon. Hence high license III
creases taxes
source OF Corruption.
Sixth, high license IN Massachusetts is con.
tinuul source OF corruption, corruption TO the
voter under local option TO vote for license
and the open saloon because OF the revenue
received and TO the politician to use as an in.
strument Of corrupt purposes and 10 the H.
cense commissioner TO show favoritism to the
man who pays best for his saloon license
When only one man In O 1000 can get license
and three men want every license there is to
be granted it isl tremendous source OF tempt.
alton and corruption To the three license com
miSsoners TO grant the license to those men
who WIN pay the largest bonus to the commits
doners. The rottenness and corruption OF the
d.,