The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-08-29
DEMOCRATIC HOT SHOT
FIXED with Democratic State Com
mittee Workmanship
THE REPUBLICAN BAD FAITH
On Local 0ption-Reason for the Platform
Dodge This Year-Proof from It's Own
Admission that 1t Plans to Kill the Law
by Tactics Like Those of Two Years Ago


Admission that 1t Plans to Kill the Law
by Tactics Like Those of Two Years Ago
The Democrats of last legislature
presented bill for a Local Option IL
cense law, formulated in their caucus
and introduced and fought for even to
the sacrifice of his life, by the late DR.
COnland, that was conceded the best
among all those before the Legislature.
Because it was a Democratic Measure
and because most of the Republicans OF
the Legislature were determined that no
license law whatever should be enacted
that could su2ive a vote of the people
this bill was much mutilatcd before il
became Il law.
As part OF the malignant tactics Of
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and Politi-
clans for plumber, their Representatives
on the Joint Temperance Committee con
stantiy, in secret caucus, unbeknown to
their license associates, with whom they
professed to be acting in concert to con.
struct the hest law possible, to put up
Jobs and lay ambushes for their asso-
ciates who supposed they were engaged
in Il square abOve-boaTd deal. After
doing everything in their power in this
way to spoil the license bill, they as
founded their license associates, at the
last moment before the committee was
to report by proposing the substitute,
which they nearly carried. of the 1Iattell
bill. The Democrats. Clement men, and
a few real license Republicans, had no
suspicion until this moment of any such
game, which failed Of success only be-
cause one conspirator at the final pinch
went back on them, as the Prohibition
neutrality-suspicious. charged at the
time
From such a hodge podgc of bad faith
and brazen reputation of Republican
promises on the subject il is IA wonder
that tho bill emerged in even as good
shape as it did. As a result of the mer'
its left, as proven by tho official records
il has:
Decreased the number Of liquor sellers
in the state by a per cent.
The number OF towns where liquor l.
sold, by IS per cent.
Liquor eases in county courts by
thrce-fourths
medical sales" under 9Th class OF
druggist licenses. nine-tenths as com
pared with the old town agency.
Brought closer approach than law
has ever done before to determination
of secret dives, Sunday traffic, sales to
minors. confirmed drunkards, etc.
And yielded net revenue of nearly
100000 to Town Treasures and for
good roads. where before was net out
90, probably, under the farce of pro-
hibition.
And in the one respect in which there
was a possibility of doubt, the extent OF
drunkenness, as measured by arrests and
prosecutions, it has now indicated It,
self. From the reaction excess at first
there has been progressive Improvement
of over twenty per cent every three
months, as shown by the quarterly set
Element of cost bills with the State
Treasury, and for the quarter ending
NAV 81. according to a statement under
date of August II from the State Treas
urer's Office, these prosecutions aggre-
gated 5G4: while for its average quarter
in the last year of prohibition they were
500 Considering the much greater
strictness in making arrests that gener'
ally prevails under the provisions of the
new law. there can be no doubt that we
have reached much better condition of
Temperance under the new land at tht
end of fifteen months than Prohibition
brought in fifty years.
The defects Of the law, every. one due
to Prohibition Republican limitations
and not one of which would have existed
ii Democrats could have controlled
are
Several points OF doubtful constitu
tionality.
Several features of unfairness TO law.
obcying sellers. OF which the mutilation
OF the provisions for fifth class or drug
gst license is an example.
Several clogs and discouragements to
the effective administration OF the law
against aw-breaking dealers.
These defects were all put into the bill
by the Prohibition Republicans with the
primary purpose of putting it into such
shape that the people would reject it, It
nearly succeeded, reducing the majority
at the referendum to less than 1000
when the normal majority for license, as
indicated by the September elections in
1902, was some 1000.
The secondary purpose is now in oper
alton Everybody comedies that the law
needs much amendment this coming fall
1t is absolutely certain that the Prohibi
tion-Republicans, only repeating THEN
tactics OF two years ago, when they were
bound by an even more solemn promise
than now, will go to work in this amend
ing process either to attempt the Battell
scheme again or distort the present law
into such shape that no one will be salts.
fed with it, and then submit it to an.
other referendum. when it will be sure to
be rejected. Indeed, they have been in.
discreet enough-before they had any
idea of TN present method of getting the
truth and warning before the people
through several of their organs, to dis
close exactly the latter purpose They
calculate that Presidential year will give
them majority enough to do whatever
they please.
OF course they will have majority
enough in the legislature-we have no