The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-12-27
lMontnelier Ionrnall

ence J. Ferguson superintendent of
the Vermont Anu-Saloon League,
takes issue with a recent utterance
of The journal relative to the best
methods of dealing with the liquor
evil. published under the caption,
What is Temperance? That ques-
ton Mr.. Ferguson does not attempt
to answer, but rather does attempt to
prove that Vermont enjoyed greater
sobriety under prohibition than I'M
der the present local option law
In the opening paragraph OF this
letter, the writer alludes 10 the com
ment which has been aroused by the
attitude of the state press regarding
the liquor law is it not possible that
this attitude is due 10 the fact that
the papers have become honestly con
vinced that the law is a good law and
Is working well? He alludes 10 the
part taken by the Brewers associa-
ton in elections which have TO do
with the license question and says
that not more than four of the % or
30 towns and cities that vote for H.
cense every year reach that decision
by fair vote, intimating that the
Brewers association buys up the
towns. The Journal is not in posi-
ton to deny this positively. 1t can
only say that IL has heard the charge
a great many times and never has
been able to prove it, If Mr. Fergu-
son can furnish such proof he ought
to do so. The Journal would well
come such evidence as excellent am
munition to use next spring in the
local no-license campaign and hopes
It will not be withheld.
The great fallacy as IL seems to
this paper, in the argument regard
ing the benefits of prohibition in the
past or in the future, is the assump-
ton that with such a law on the stat
ute books the drinking of liquor prac-
tically ceases. Now those Of us who
remember the workings of the pro-
hibtory law know that such a the
DRY is very far from the ac-
tual state of affairs. Mr.. Ferguson
admits that there are only 20 yes
towns in the state this year and that
only % towns actually have granted
licenses. In other words less than
Ills per cent of our Vermont towns
and cities voted license less than 8
per cent granted licenses, and nearly
one-quarter OF the towns voting wet
remained dry But then Mr. Fergu-
son assumes that for every town yot-
| ing license two others that are con.
tiguous, all a conservative estimate,
are innocent sufferers Such a
statement, in the first place, over
looks the fact that in most If not
all the towns now voting license, liz.
uor was freely sold under prohibition,
and that the contiguous towns that
were innocent sufferers" with no
such means of control or redress as
are possessed under the present law
But it cannot be argued successfully
that adjoining towns feel the effect
OF the saloon i'm the same degree as
the inhabitants of village or city
where liquor is sold There is an
element of the population, strongly
addicted TO the use of liquor that will
have il anyway. II they can get II
by going TO nearby town they will
do so II such a source Is not con
venient they will drink hard cider OF
have liquor sent by express. Blu
there is a considerable element thai
will not take so much trouble to gel
intoxicants. If they are whore II Is
sold they will buy and II they are no
in the vicinity of saloon they sci
dom drink This large element II
the contiguous towns Is affected II
"a much smaller degree than the SAINT
element in license towns. The Jour
nal takes issue with Mr.. Ferguson il
his claim that every license tow
means three ''whiskey struck towns
The Journal asserts most decided
~ that conditions were not so bad II
Montpelier when liquor was sold II
Barre or Mortified or even at "Thre
Mile Bridge" on the MiddleseX lin
as when there we're saloons In thi
! city. The Journal must take issu
, with Mr.. Ferguson when he claim
that the law would be as we'll ei
/, forced under state prohibition as m
/, der local prohibition secured by Il
cal option. Does Mr.. Ferguson r.
call the sentiment against prohibitio
, In Burlington. Rutland. Bennington
: Brattleboro, Barre, and Montpelie
: and many other towns as reflected
|. the referendum vote? Let him con
, pare that vote with the license voi
I of more recent years. A bitter host
I, ity existed against permitting II
: small towns to make rules regulatin
I the traffic In the large towns. No
: scores and scores Of the men wi
: were violently opposed to state prob
= bitlon vote and work every year f
: no license. Take the right away m
= they would again be anti-prohibitio
: In town strongly hostile to prof.
I, bitIon Il cannot be expected that co
/, stables and grand jurors, dependel
4 upon the popular vote for electio
y will be as Jealous In enforcing Il
i liquor laws as under system whit
: permits town to determine for
!, self whether liquor shall or shall n
y be sold The size Of the fine Is n
the solution of the problem.
4 The prohlbltory law had fifty yea
y In which It's friends could devise 1
y manner OF penalties and injunction
h and drastic measures aud today evI
= prohibitlonists admit that they
inot want to 60 back to the %old" III