The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-06-08
INVESTIGATION OF
OUR PRESENT
STATUTES
Report of Committee OF Congre'
gational Convention
STATE WAS CANvAsSED
Conclusion ID That Prepe.:derance OF
Opinion 10 In Favor OF Retaining
Loc.! Option.

st. Adams, June Cat the last an
nual Congregational convention OF Yer
mont. a committee was appointed to
investigate the working Of the local
option system of controlling the liquor
traffic. The first part OF this report
to be submitted to the convention to
be held in this city next week, follows.
ITO the Congregational Convention OF
Vermont:
AT the convention held at Fair Ha-
ven June lib, 1907, the following re-
solution was adopted.
Whereas, All Christians should
have vital interest in matters Of
law and morals and
Whereas, Subjects of civic import
have frequently come before this con.
vention requiring the appointment Of
special committees;
Resolved, That the convention
choose standing committee Of three
to be known as the committee on civ
ic justice, whose duty shall be, after
consultation with the committee OF
arrangements, to bring before the con-
vention from time to time any impor-
tant subjects pertaining to the admin
istration of government, or public NOR
ality, and to suggest appropriate ac-
tion thereon
The moderator appointed Rev. F.
B. Kellogg of Waterbury, s. HOLSTER
Jackson ESQ., Of Barre and F. s. Pease
of Burlington as members Of the com.
mittee on civic justice.
The convention instructed the
committee as follows:
" Resolved, That whereas the con-
vention notes with apprehension the
increase In the amount Of drunken
ness in many of our towns and cities.
and the increasing number Of commit
ments to penal institutions under the
present liquor law, the committee on
civic justice be Instructed to investi-
gate the working Of the local option
system throughout the state, and TO
report to the next convention whether
Improvement may &c expected under
the present law, or whether new legis-
lation is called for
This resolution was adopted and
the committee was authorized ID to
put it's findings and recommendations
Ill lnio COuutCtiOh DSiOiO thO NhNo
In printed form, before the meeting
of the next convention and (2) to draw
on the treasury of the convention for
not more than a specified amount for
the expense of the same.
In fulfillment of the duties thus i'm
posed the committee reports as fol.
lows:
ITO secure comprehensive and re-
liable results, different phases Of the
investigation were pursued by differ
ent members of the committee. The
second member Of the committee OBJ
tanned the tables In the second part
of this report, while the other mem
bers of the committee united In ascer'
tanning the views of Intelligent, we'll
informed citizens throughout the state
In regard to the question at issue.
"A circular letter, containing nine
questions which covered every impor
tant phase of this part Of the inves
tigatiOn, was issued. From two tC
thirty copies of this letter, addressed
to representative men, were sent tC
every town and city in the state. The
number sent to any one place depend
ed upon ~ thu population, GU varie
ty of interests represented In the place
CD whether 1t was border town, "a
whether the place had heen both fol
and against license under the present
law, or continuously for license or Il
the consecutive votes on this question
had been close. The classes to which
Gated by the following 1.-THE relative
number of replies returned from eacf
class is indicated by the order II
which the classes are named); Far
mers, clergy Catholic and Protestant
merchants, lawyers, general manufac
turers, town clerks, physicians, gran
tie manufacturers editors lumber MAJ
ufacturers, bankers druggists, unclas
sified.
Particular attention was given t
sending copies of the letter to mel
who are extensive employers Of labor
The replies received from manufacture
ers range from the reply of the MAJ
who employs half dozen men to thu
manufactures who has 1000 people reg
ularly In his employ.
"The replies, as a whole, exhibit tn,
widest possible emergency in opinion
ana sentiment. OeNeTti dIllTm TIA
any liquor license law is an indefensl
Bile compromise with menacing an,
unmitigated Avil. The following opin
ions are typical:
a" War Is hell; whiskey license an,
it's results are far deeper and mas
tier hell (Farmer). What pit
that any religious organization SHOULD
hesitate a moment In declaring itsel
on this grave issue Clergyman.
am glad that the South Is ADVANCING
along the lines Of temperance, but
am sorry that my own state, In whicl
take pride In many ways, should b
going backward IN this particular
which Is one of the most important O
all (Lumber manufacturer). wv
see more drunkenness and trouble Il
this town under license than ever ur
der prohibition (Merchant, town cler
and treasurer). License is wrong
License sores reach out and injurious
" affect surrounding towns which ar
nominally mo" towns (City judg
In q license municipality. The liz
ense law has largely increased the us
of liquor and the Results are niue
more unfavorable' Zone of the larges
employers In the state, In Yes
city,. I have carefully watched tn
working OF prohibition in this state 70
more than forty years, and ! honestl