Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-03-03
BRATTLEBORO LOCAL NEWS

every drum" prosecuted for second Of
Tense, there will he definite means Of
locating the blame, with our licensees
on the island, or from importations, and
with such definite information, IL there
is trangression on the island, enable It
to be curbed,' and If not, relieve it from
unfair blame, Every person convicted of
ntoXication, be it remembered also is
excluded from purchase here for six
months and the exclusion can now prob
ably be extended to the island under
the New Hampshire conditions. Restric-
tive license, in short, means progressive
Improvement, as the past years figures
and experience show, though for some
reason, that another year ought to make
clearer, short Of what It ought to be-
Under prohibition, on the other hand,
it was steady, undenied and undeniable
deterioration. The minors and 1856 other
persons now excluded from direct pur-
chasing in Brattleboro were almost in
discriminatory sold to before the present
law went into effect. Do we want to
sweep away that gain? And wouldn't a
NO" vote in all probability do just that
in abolishing the license board as the
specific authority to deal with the New
Hampshire board, exchange complaints
and information and keep the lines taut,
as is everlastingly necessary in this most
difficult work OF local government?
1t is matter Of cold and provable fig
ures that between the town agency, the
island and the known illegal selling on
this side Of the river, the local liquor
traffic in the later years Of prohibition
was well up to. and probably exceeded.
the per capita average-$l0-of the
country or the woodland this in ad-
dition to the immense individual importa-
lions by express and freights as well as
the big factor Of patent medicine con-
sumption. Conditions could hardly be
worse under any system and the duty and
aim Of good citizenship should be to make
| them as much better as possible, as GER
! tainly has been done regarding the 1876
excluded persons and minors BY the
way, did you ever hear of such a thing
as a seller under prohibition shutting out
| minors? Do you doubt that every seller
| in Brattleboro is doing just that now?
Count up the cases YOU have known of
/ lives wrecked by drunkenness that began
| when they were lads right here under pro-
| hibition. and ask yourself candidly II II
| isn't something important gained to have
put so effectual a stop TO that branch OF
/ the traffic.
have no doubt. absurd as it may
seem at first sight. that If exact com
parison could be made, il would be found
| that there has been actual Improvement
also, In a lesscned amount OF liquor con-
sumed. Indeed, it must be so unless we
/ in Brattleboro are a heavy drinking peo-
pie, beyond the general average, which is
I certainly not the fact.
Besides the arrest for intoXication. re-
garding the strctneSs Of which the Of
| ficers declare there has been no change.
the best evidence Of the workings of the
| two systems is in the poor account"
While there are individual cases OF pau
perization by rum under all systems. the
present law provides the most effective
guard possible. which needs only n no.
tce from family, employer, or anybody
/ n Ct n hapnuna
der prohibition, as IL averages TO work.
there is practically no guard or restraint
at all The result is seen in the town
| report just out, which shows last years
pauper expenses to have been:
Poor on town farm. sIl57 81
outside poor, sos 81
$1,000 SIS