Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-11-11

ennessv under s'no-license," for
Clement said there would be "no
drunkenness TO speak of" and |
almost ask your pardon for speaking
of it.
OF course this increase OF convicted
drunkenness has no particular con-
nection with the extraordinary de-
and for prison capacity bat | just
thought I would mention it as some
thing that occurred to me.
The lowest increase of drunkenness
that | have discovered in towns
voting license is A per cent in the
city of 81. Adams, which was to
rebuild its much lamented hotel as
soon as the state threw "off its cloak
of hypocracy." The highest increase
reached so far as | have figures vas
Manchester during its license year,
$40 per cent.
But this is of no moment; the town
has option. The "no towns" all
around iJ and every other license
town lose their option as every "man
of sense knows" but that m alters
little, the towns can vote every year
and vote not to have what their
neighbors "force down their throats"
and that makes it o. K. THAT'S no
"water cure.")
Local option is the great atonement
for all our ills and for all our sins the
easy scapegoat. There is no tommy
rot" in that, brothers..
That "old spawned prohibition
steed" will give way without further
trial before the high license local
option four year-old.
"Better enforcement" In only
very few towns and two counties.
Both phases of the law are being
fagrantly violated in many of the
towns with scarcely the semblance of
an attempt to prevent even when the
League hunts up the evidence and lays
it on the desks of the states attor-
neys in some instances. The last
4
tomary statements of some of the
papers, in that it lacks the corrobera-
tive accompa inent of facts and
figures, that l hesitate to render
myself thus open to criticism, but l
have already exceeded my right OF
command upon your space. Your
liberality of space TO talk and quote
in these latter days has, however.
given me license to point out a few OF
your errors by way also of quotation
and feel confident of your sufficient
fairness to present this letter in your
columns to your readers. | dome
| know any other way of getting the
facts before such of your readers as
are unfortunate enough not to take
our paper, the Vermont Issue. Now
brother, let Us talk sense, give facts
and figures to support our arguments
Not say that 'the great majority OF
the people are salts Led and propose
to continue the present law" when
we are just guessing or hoping
Stop throwing mud which fails tC
stick except on the claws of the
thrower, get down to business like
honest men interested in finding the
best things for the public good.
You don't seem to have the same
confidence in ''the people" that yol
had five years ago. Can't you trus
them to vote with the added informa
ton of five years? We were willing
then and got licked. We are wilHns
now. Why aren't you?
What the AntiSaIoon league i:
asking for, and will continue TO ash
! for until it comes, is that the peopl:
in the light OF to-day be given thu
opportunity to say for themselves
whether this law is satisfactory Q,
not. You have nothirg to fear if yol
are right about the prevailing senti.
ment. If you are wrong, would yor
deny the people the right to say SO
The last legislature came near giving
some women the right to vote. Thos,
7 interested in protecting the liquo
traffic better let re-submission come
beforethe women get their rights.
Yours truly,
CLARENCE J. FERGUSON,
Superintendent and Attorney
Vermont State Anti Saloon League
Burlington, VI, October 30, 1907.