Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-01-22
Address By o. R Miller Of HOl-
yoke, Mass.
MORE RUM AND DIVES
Said By Mr.. Miller To Exist Under License
Than Under Prohibition Result Of i3
Years Investigation.

est, relating to the proposed Local
Option-High License law, has recently
been given in Burlington by o. II.
Miller of Holyoke, Mass. Mr. Miller's
topic was, "The Practical Workings
of the High License Law of Massachu-
setts.
The speaker said he had been a resi-
dent of Massachusetts more than thir-
teen years and he had been active in
trying to get the high license law en-
forced, and he should give his hearers
the results of his Investigations as to
the actual workings of high license in
that state, speaking from practical ex-
perience, and not from theory. His
handling of the subject showed that he
was we'll qualified to speak on the topic
announced He is a ready and inter-
estiug speaker and knows we'll how to
tell story or drive home point.
Mr. Miller discussed high license in
Massachusetts under six distinct prop
ositions, and gave abundance of facts
to sustain each point. We give an
outline of his address:
Low Dives Under High License.
First, high license in Massachusetts
does not drive out the low dives. One
of the strongest arguments used by the
friends of the Massachusetts high Ii
cense bill when trying to get it enacted
years ago, was that it would drive out
the low dives and kitchen barrooms.
They reasoned thus: If a man pays
$1,000 for liquor license it is natural
to suppose that he will protect himself,
that he will insist that the police auth
critics protect him against the Illegal
dealer who pays no license fee.
Whenever low dive started up it was
natural to suppose that the high Ii
cense liquor dealer paying $1,000 for
his license would object to the low dive
stealing his trade, and so would go
and complain of the Illegal liquor
dealer and have him arrested, prose
cuted and put out of the business.
But here is another illustration Of the
old truth that the facts of experience
often contradict and destroy precon-
ceived theories, for our experience in
Massachusetts has proven that the man
paying $1,000 for his license never com
plains of or prosecutes the illegal liq-
uor dealer who pays no license fee.
Why? There are three reasons
First, because the high license liquor
dealer violates the law continually by
selling to minors, selling to drunk
ards, or by selling on Sundays, etc.
Should he complain of the low dive
keeper to the police authorities, then
Immediately the low dive keeper would
get some of his friends to secure evil
dence against the high license liquor
dealer, and have him prosecuted in
court. Hence neither ever dare COM
plain of the other.
A Striking Illustration.
Let me illustrate this, that high Ii
cense does not drive out the low dives,
from my own observation in Holyoke,
Mass, where have lived the past five
years. In that city the ordinary sa-
looms pay $500 and the hotels $500
per year for their liquor license. l
had 13 of the worst offenders prose-
cuted and fined for hagrant violations
OF the liquor law on Sunday, and at
other times. met one of these men a
few weeks ago and he said: 'Mr Mil
ler, why don't you go out and prose-
cute these low dives and close them
up? The town is full of them. There
is one right near me who is selling
more liquor on Sunday than l am" l
knew just who ne meant, so does every
body else in that part of the city.
replied: "Mr -, while do not be-
lieve in your business, yet it does seem
to me when you pay $500 per year for
your license, that you are entitled to
all the trade in your neighborhood
without having large amount of il
stolen by fellow who does not pay a
dollar of license money to the city.
When the city and state makes you
pay $500 year for your license, they
ought to protect you by closing up the
low dives. Now, Mr. --, why don't
you go up to city hall and make com
plant against that low dive near you
and have him prosecuted for selling
liquor without license?" He seemed
greatly surprised that / should make
such a suggestion, and replied; sob
if did that, then in less than a week
he would send a couple of fellows
around to my place to get evidenc,
CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN