The daily tribune., 1909-03-26
FROM HISTORY OF
STATE OF VERMONT
(oon.inued from Yesterday

Speaking Of the situation In this
regard, the Rutland Herald says:
Blind pigs abound aud in tho
large towns outnumbered any other
single class Of places of business
Bogus drug stores, with barroOms In
| the rear, are . aotable feature Of the
appointments d these towns and
cities. Drinking. therefore, goes on
in Vermont as thougis there was no
law against It.; it's extent is agu-
mented by the secrecy and risk attach
ed to 1t, hut little or none Of ti,s
jliQuor sold is At to drink. and every
driak purchased is toast to disorder
aad = violation Of the law
And IL support Of this statement.
Oity Attorney William Wishart. Of
Barre. said:
"You can never stop the sale and
traffic Of Intoxicating liquor in this
state. lis now worse than 1t ever
has been. 1t is absolutely impossible
to enforce the law. You can't en-
force It, Let us be honora BILE. and
change this farce Of q prohibition law
that has been underground and put
/! it above board and regulate it -
The scandals and decentralization
growing out of prohibition at length
so offended the moral sense of the
commonwealth that the question Of
license became paramount Issue.
and prohibition went down before the
will Of the people expressed At the
polls.
The history Of the campaign which
terminated February 3rd in the over
throw of prohibition is interesting
and instructive.
Arra,ed on the side of license was
the progressive element of the state,
supported by men In all walks of life.
Of the best thought and highest NOR.
als-men devoted to the advancement
of temperance, and 10 the welfare of
their state, who had become pro.
foundly impressed with the futility
and bad results Of the law and sought
q more rational system.
Arrayed with the prohibitonists
we're the Illicit liquor sellers who pre-.
ferred prohibition because It was
cheaper than license which many Of
them could not pay. and because tn o
preferred the unrestricted sale under
prohibition to regulated trade
under license. These allies Of the
prohibitionists spent their money,
and worked with might and main
against the proposed license law. So
notorious did this alliance of the ILL.
cit liquor sellers with the prohibi.
tionists become that the Boston Globe
Of February 9th. said:
"ln the Vermont contest the humor-
ous feature Of the situation is. that
the liquor men are not happy, not
withstandiDg what might naturally
be supposed to be their triumph.
They conceive that under prohibition
they eau carry on a liquor business
at much less expense than under the
nwely enacted license system. This is
In itself very significant comment
on the folly Of prohibition. It Is none
too soon that the people have sxper-
fenced an awakening.
Allied with the Illicit liquor and
prohibition forces WAS class Of law.
yers whose clientsge was mainly
among those who sell illegally. and
to whom prohibition represented not
principle, but fat and frequent fees.
together with the army of local and
state officers who made their living
out Of the law. Prohibition was
also chAmpioned by q numerous class
Of politicians who had for a genera.
tion used IL % . means Of securing
ONCE, and who feared to take the
chances undor q new and healthy
regime.
The prohibitionists and their allies
flooded tho state with literature and
speakers, but they argued against the
practical experience OF the voters Of
Vermont aud therefore argued with.
out avail.
| L., -.