Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-14
NO LICENSE AND LOCAL OPTION.

NO LICENSE AND LOCAL OPTION.
SO far as Burlington is concerned the |
local option law will have its first
crucial test during the coming year. Tn |
der the operation of the new law, which |
went into effect In 1908 allowing each |
town in Vermont to determine for itself !
annually whether licenses for the sale of
intoxicating liquor as a beverage should
be granted for twelve months, this city !
has had four years Of license; and it has
beer found a comparatively easy matter
to enforce the sale of liquor. Carrying
the local option law to It's alternative in
another direction a majority Of the
citizens of Burlington this year voted in
opposition to license.
1t requires no argument to show that
the manner in which local prohibition
is enforced in Burlington, Morrisville and
other towns voting against license for the
first time under local option will have
far-reaching effects. The demonstration
of the efficacy of the law to enforce
prohibition in Burlington and other towns
when the people vote against license by
a pronounced majority, as in the recent
election, will almost Inevitably serve to
fix local option as the permanent policy
Of Vermont The failure Of prohibition in
these places may leave the fate OF the
local option-license law still to be decided.
even though the operation of the law in
other large towns in the State has thus
far served to create sentiment In its
favor. Montpelier and Barre well as
other cities have had practical drouths
under no license so far as illegal selling
within their borders is concerned; and ii
all human probability a similar result in
Burlington during the coming year Of
no-license will serve to clirch the matter
| in public estimation.
| Under these circumstances it is manifest
that the effects Of the vote against
license in Burlington Will be watched
with marked interest throughout the
State. Indeed that interest is already eX-
hibited as shown by the comments ir
different rections on the situation il
this city. The Barre Times says:
| ...... 90 t.,
AIMING .i'e many
terest on .he Iecen' hcenHe No'e III
sion' - no. W 'uP'
vermont An'l-o"'ool i-easue' >''ul"lS
ne leeis elateo over 'ne no-ice'Se ma
ity IN burH'lsto"' ana ne zoe nun"
saying So ne creu't LOT '"e N'cloIS,
however he uoeS MOI .aNe 70 "''''e''
OF 10 the orsah'|a' 'oh m"',m us >,
ee".'' ""' "e i'' - ~
~ o,h 80 co, rrder ~. ,oca, ontion
nr,ncinaI Is due to the force OF public
opinion. There may be certain other mi
nor causes which contribute 10 'hat emu
pu' me SO. ,,,ia 1,iot ,,,saa
nv local conditions II The Times un-
derstands the situation correctly. the. ma
1ority belief in Burlington the last year
was 'hat OF d'ssa''si"','oh WIN Tue loo"l
s a., $50 s,sao' ,io,nso ,r~,o, san,o
dissatisfaction ought to fall to" now
and see that the conditions are bettered
and not, as Supt. Ferguson would APP
parently do load the states attorney
: Atlas-like. with the entire weight of re-
sponsiblility. Asked If he thought tha'
Illegal selling of liquor would be stopped
, in Burlington now that no-license was
voted Supt Ferguson replied:
2 ut will II the States attorney does
ms ou's. .,, ,r. :. ,s y,
, eoy,re that illegal selling will be largel,
stopped If the people Oncludng Supt
Ferguson) do their duty The pool
States attorney ca" 90 ~ a. D"' 'I'
go,
wv ,o,,o,o .ho orroo+ r,oior,+,, 10 IN.
l., ,,u,,.-,o, -,,,,hou+ ro,ord :,
r''No 80
r thelr pehel as 10 t''e comparative ''''' ~
| - ava prnhihitinn