The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-08-11

o. II. Davenport Presents Some OBJ.
servations on Its Working.

Editor Daily Journal - Sir: The
Daily Journals structures on the
"Ootlook" for its recent comments on
{ he workings of local-option license
law seem to invite reply from me, mas.
much as the "Outlooks Statements
we're only summary of those put
forth by myself in recent study of
the subject. This study adduced proof
from official sources that the new law
had reduced the number of liquor sell
lers in the State by az per cent, the
number OF towns where liquor is sold
by AZ per cent, medicinal sales" by
nine-tenths and liquor cases IN county
courts by three fourths, with closer
approach than was ever made before to
exterminating secret "dives, " Pales on
Sunday, to minors, to confirmed drunk.
ers etc. while trebling the public
revenue from this source and in
each successive three months period
showing progressive improvement of
about 23 per cent in respect of drunk
enness, as measured by arrests and
prosecutions, which appeared in dis
couraging volume in the first weeks of
the law. as has always been the case
in other States at first after the adop-
ton of local option, though always
followed by improvement, less rapid
than ours, but which has never failed
anywhere, by five-year periods to ex-
hibit better results in this respect
than those of prohibition.
These facts you characterize as
"either not facts, or half or distorted
truths" or incomplete, irrelevant or
misleading" Well, can you tell us
what facts" capable of exact as
certainment-not loose, slambang as
sertion-can be more relevant" at
least at this stage Of the inquiry, and
where and how they are to be found?
If so, l promise you the hunt shall be
Immediately made. AS to the accuracy
of the statements, thus sweepingly
assailed, 1 invite your attention to
the studies made by the Congregations
al church committee and Rev. George
w. Morrow, of the Anti Saloon League.
which both substantially confirm
mine. Though by making the counts
from the Internal Revenue records on
different dates, and because of some
minor errors on Mr.. Morrow's part,
their reports of the number of liquor
sellers differ slightly from mine, yet
they both agree in showing an enor-
nous reduction in the number-about
40 per cent, according to Mr.. Morrow,
and nearly 30 per cent according to
the church committee.
The Journal objects that these
figures take no note" of the pocket
peddler" and his traffic among black
listed men, minors and prohibited
classes. This evil of course exists but
does the Journal mean to be under
stood as claiming that it is in greater,
or even In anywhere near so large,
proportions as under prohibition. I"
If so, it contradicts not only inherent
probabilities but all the evidence ever
taken any where on the subject, IN
this or any other State.
The Journal also objects that license
in Montpelier or Barre "for example,
means license for all the region round
about. True, in a measure, indis-
putably; but wasn't the same thing
true, in practical effect. and even
worse, under nominal prohibition"
when Montpelier had 10 liquor sellers
to nine now, and Barre A to 10 now.
Isn't 1t some gain, from your own
standpoint, or that of prohibition,
that half dozen other towns in your
county that had liquor sellers under
the OLD law have none now? You
will hardly deny that prohibition,
wherever the new law brings it, is
much more effective than under the
old. Why not welcome it, then, as
proving what virtue there is in the
idea when genuinely applied? And
inasmuch as the towns that have a
legal traffic now had even greater
lawless one before, where is your es-
cape from the conclusion that the net
result is one of betterment? The only
escape is in the idea that liquor sell
ing is such deep evil any way that
government offends against the moral
law in legalizing it at all or having
anything to do with it. Whatever
may be said for this doctrine, which
many good people hold, it at least is
not becoming one for those of you
who tried two years ago to foist upon
us State store system, for public
profit, to make every citizen rum
seller, instead Of consenting that
under severe tax and restrictions,
some one else may be. Yet let me
say, in justice to the Battell bill. that
it provided far more consistent and
honest thing than the old town
agency.
But the Journals most important
objection is that "all reasoning from
TntarpaI Rauanna ranorda 10 untruct