The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-02-04
LICENSE DISCUSSED
ar UNION Mr. EqING HELD
IN BETHANY CHURCII.
Leading Pastors of Montpelier
Churches Urge Careful Study
of Its Workings. Some Inn
portant Statistics.


If the representative audience, that
! filled Bethany church on Sunday eve
ming, to listen to discussion of the
license question, is a criterion of the
interest taken in the matter of license
or no license for the city of Montpel-
Ter, for the new CITY year soon to be-
gin, interest in the issue is very much
alive The service was in charge Of
Rev. L. f. Reed, pastor of the church.
During the progress of the service,
selections were beautifully rendered
by the orchestra and boy choir of the
church. f. H. Whittier rendered
beautiful violin solo as an offertory
selection and Carl Forsell was heard
| in one Of his grand cornet solos at
the service, and several hymns were
sung. Rev. Mr.. Reed opened the
service proper with the reading of
portion of Matthew vii, followed by
an opening prayer. Rev. j. Edward
Wright offered prayer just previous
to the address of Rev. Guy @. Lam
son. The latter briefly, bat force
fully, quoted statistics gathered from
various sources relative to the opera
ton of the license as compared with
the old probibitory law. Rev. Mr..
Lamson spoke in part as follows:
One year ago the State and city de-
cided to make change in the man.
agement of the liquor traffic. After
nearly years trial of the law it is
/ found that the four main arguments
for the change have been exploded.
The advocates of change in the
law claimed that our present law
would regulate the sale and consump-
ton Of liquor. Every man knows
that United States law is so severe and
United States officers so sharp that no
one deems it wise to attempt to sell
liquor without government license.
The last year under the old law, the
federal government granted LAG Ii.
censes in Vermont. This year, under
the local option law, 773 such licens IS
have been granted, while che State
has granted only 250, including SO
druggists licenses.
The doctors report that sixteen men
have died, so far under the new law,
directly from over indulgence in in.
toxicating liquors. License has not
regulated the traffic. In Burlington,
when certain licensee was asked why
he did not close up an unlicensed
place only two doors from him, his
reply was that it was not his business.
Furthermore, the dealer in question
bought his liquors of the licensee
questioned The temperance people
were told that when the new law
went into effect they would no longer
be needed to suppress illegal selling,
as the officers and dealers themselves
would attend to it. Thus the license
commissioners OF this city have no
reason to complain of any apathy on
the part of temperance people.
One year ago the friends of license
advanced the argument that while
the change in the law might tend at
intoxication, the increase would noe
be permanent. Statistics from the
records of various cities and towns
are as follows:
In Rutland last year under prohibit
ton, there were 173 arrests; in the
past year, under license, there have
been sos convictions. In Burlington,
the record is 10 arrests for intoxlca-
tion under the old law, 392 arrests in
the past months under the new law.
In Brattleboro, in former years, there
were from ten to twelve arrests per
| year TOR intoXioation, vagranoy and
other crimes; since May l there have
been 70 convictions in the local court.
In our own city of Montpelier, there
were 81 arrests last year on account of
! liquor, under the old law, while in 8
months under license this year there
have been over 200 convictions for in
! toxication Men who have success
fully battled with the appetite for
years have fallen under the new law
One man who has been before the city
court several times said that between
Taplin's store and the Massucco block
on Main street ne could get gallon
of liquor. The sale and consumption
of liquor has increased. A note that
came into he speakers hands, directed
| to a second. class dealer, asked the
latter to call at certain house to get
As empty pint bottles that were await
ing his call, and also that one-half
the value of the bottles be given in
alcohol, the rest in whiskey. The
note was signed by woman. The
speaker said further that women
go daily TO the second class places to
purchase liquor.