The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-03-10
SOME LICENSE THOUGHTS.

The resignation of William r.
Dewey, chairman of the board of IL
cense commissioners, recently rendered
to the city council, and the reasons
which he gives for taking such action,
are something of a surprise.
Partly from his letter of resignation,
and partly from other statements made
by him, it is learned that Mr.. Dewey
presents as his main reason Tor giving
up his office of commissioner that he
has not received the support that he
expected from the temperance people
of the ~ IN the work of snppressing
the illegal sale of liquor. 1t is under
stood tn he blames the people who
claim to interested in temperance
because hey have not been more
ready to assist in the ferretting out
and prosecution of the unlicensed
liquor sellers. He sage he has travel
led miles to secure the two signatures
necessary to give the board authority
to search places suspected of the il
legal sale of liquor.
Mr.. Dewey undoubtedly means to
be perfectly fair with the temperance
people-and by temperance people"
is 20 be understood all persons in the
city who believe in restricting and
controlling the sale of liquor as much
as possible, whether they believe in
license, prohibition or some other sys-
tenn as the best to effect that result.
But it seems as though Mr.. Dewey is
asking much of these people. Is it
for the private citizen to play the
sleuth after the liquor sellers? 1t
may be the citizens duty to give the
proper officials tip when he learns
of serious violation of the law, but
it is for the officials to do the prosecu-
ting. 1t is unpleasant, and some
times dangerous, for private citizen
to sign search warrants, or complaints.
He is certain to incur the hate of the
person against whom the information
is given, as we'll as of that person s
friends. II the complainant be a bust
ness man, he will lose trade. The
method, by which his enemies will get
back at him are many and can not be
foretold,
There have been times in Mont.
pelier " hen danger to property and
person went with direct attack on tho
liquor sellers by complaint. At one
time when number of raids were
pulled off successfully upon COM
plant of two prominent citizens,
those two citizens were mobbed in
their own homes. During the closing
days of prohibition, at least one man,
if called upon, could testify of abuse
because of action taken against an IL
legal seller. Is it surprising that pri.
vate citizens do not fall over one an.
other in their efforts to see how many
complaints they can sign 1t is the
first duty of the officials to attend to
violation of law. Because they are
officials, and because everybody knows
it to be their sworn duty, they mag
proceed against violators of law
without arousing personal luminosity
or resentment. The license commits.
sioners, the States attorney, the
grand jurors, and the members of the
sheriff department, are sworn to en-
force the law. 1t is their duty anC
they are the persons who should dc it.
But it seems that some, at least, o.
the temperance people are not open t
the charge of unwilli1gness to DE-
even All unpleasant duty. It is under
stood that the papers upon which the
first raid was made in this city under
the present law were signed by minis
tiers Of the gospel, and other com
plants have beens signed by these
self sacrificing temperance people
The ministers have stood their grounC
and have been faithful in securing tn
enforcement of the law more devoted
to lawful duty by far than many o
the laity who were most active in Sc
curing the enactment of the existing
INV. IL CduuIb pC hhiii,hiu ohup man
of the stouteat opponents of the la,
have been active in securing Its en-
forcement.
One of the greatest arguments G
the license advocates has fallen fla
under the test OF experience. 1t wa
repeatedly stated during the campaig
for the license law that the licenses
would themselves zee to it that il
legal selling was kept down. Sue
has not been the case. So far rs I'll
public is informed the licensees hay
done nothing at all towards securin
the prosecution Of men who have bee
selling illegally. The tact is the
have not dared. By complaining the
would Immediately have found then
selves on the defensive, for 1t is NJ
60 be doubted that every licensee
the city has laid himself liable to
revocation of his license under son
of the many provisions governing i
oua,, tbougb ha has haan az oonaoi al