Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-10-14

1906 81 5s % 21
| 1907 46 66 112 20
1908 81 as 1O5 8
1909 IS n 1872 s
It will thus be seen that the total vote
in 1908 was but little larger than the
average up to that time, and not so large
as the preceding year, when the majority
against the saloon was 20. The Eyes"
vote hat year was larger than ever be-
fore, and the ''No' vote smaller than ever
before Such things do not usually
"happen;p q still hunt Of some kind had
evidently been carried on.
At Braintree the question was asked as
I to whether or not the town would likely
go tdry" next year. The response was,
"No; nine-tenths OF the men drink now;
of course they'll vote Yes ~ Very like
ly this proportion was greatly exaggerat-
ed, as n votes against the saloon were
cast last March, II more than at any
previous election. On the other hand rs
more ayes" votes than ever before we're
polled last March, and, in spite OF the
utmost efforts on the part OF temperance
men, the other side registered majority
OF eight.
1t was stated in Randolph that the peo-
! ple OF Braintree wished to run their own
business, when it came to election day,
and they desired no aid from the Anti
Saloon league or any one else. It was also
said that they resented the expressed de-
sire OF many OF the business men OF Ran
doIph to have Braintree vote against the
saloon. On the other hand, II was de-
clared in Braintree that, from some
source, plenty OF money came to hand to
pay the poll tax of good many ne'er-do-
wells who did not vote the previous year,
/ the suspicion being that this came from
booze sympathizers or liquor magnates.
According to Walton's Vermont Regis
4 ter, Braintree contained, at the time OF
the last census, 776 people, ell told.
That is, the entire town. The place
where the saloon is located is hardly
/ large enough to be digniied by the name
I OF syillage,n and "hamlet" better de-
scribes it. There was no church, no
/ manufacturing OF any kind, just one
+ small general store, a railroad station,
and--the saloon, one-story structure,
perhaps 16 by 80, said to have been erect
ed specially for the purpose for which
now used. The license fee was 1920, the
largest allowed by the law, and vastly
larger one than the licensee could afford
to pay il his patronage was limited to the
local population. Several beautiful little
boys were noticed on the street, and 1t
seemed sad to think Of their becoming
familiarized with the sights and scenes
OF intoxication and brutality attendant
upon the work of the saloon.
In st. paul's cathedral, London, CT
which the celebrated Sir Christopher
Wren was the architect, there is tablet
to Wren with this inscription: Isl mon
umentum requiris, circumspice' III
you seek his monument, look around. n
Evidently a resident OF Braintree may
have had this 10 mind for, when asked as
to the effects OF the saloon on that place,
he said, "If you want to see the effects OF
the saloon, look out OF this window.
/ There are two Of them Keeling along there;
over there on the railroad track is anoth-
er trying to get away; on this side there
is another, and yet another is cooling OF
ia my ice house" And a look in these
directions revealed everything of which
he had said, except the ice house, and
/ that was not investigated.
The patrons of this saloon come from
call the country round about" and by
every kind OF conveyance. They come on
] AOOAs uN HI kAuuH VI AcaAhof " N1RASf -
I train and by auto. An automobile was
standing by the side OF the saloon the day
OF our visit and the occupants we're liber-
ally patronizing the wet goods there
kept. Because OF the distance from
which people come to buy their liquid
goods the influence OF the saloon is far
reaching. One case came to the knowl-
edge OF the writer. A certain man from
a distant part OF the county got liquor
there, later on furnished II to some one
else, was arrested, convicted and fined
therefor. His wife, 10 keep him from the
House OF Correction and to save his boys
from the disgrace attached to such SEN
Tence, mortgaged their stock, bought
with money received from her people and
the only property either Of them pos
sessed. Because OF worry over this and
ether similar troubles, she is very i'll and
not expected to live. Such are some of
the indirect and far-reaching, but terri
BILE results OF this one saloon.
In reply to the question II there we're
more or less drunken fights as q conse-
quence OF the saloon the reply came,
" Not more or less, but more" And
that very day there had been a fight and
one Of the participants had one side OF his
face plastered with clotted blood, as we
saw little later. We were told that it
was unsafe for women or girls to be out
alone ana unattended nights, especially II
they desired to take the trains Saturday
nights. Also that there was more
drunkenness evident this year than last.
In one respect the conditions had inn
proved this year; there was less of drink
ing by women.
BY complaint Of woman in Brnintree,