Connecticut western news., 1911-01-19
Letters From the People
"Libera" Comes Back

"liberaP Comes Back
 Editor News: I agree fully with "Citizen" and "Observer" when they argue that intemperance is an awful curse and it would be 8 blessing If all rum selling could be suppressed. But l am not able to agree with them that no license will stop drunkenness. and that drunkenness has been stopped in Canaan since that no license vote. l do not suppose that Citizen or Observer will deny that there is drunkenness on our streets every day, now, under no license, and l do not suppose they have any doubt but that intoxicating liquor IS sold illegally within the limits of the town and in more places than one; and they must know that the nuisance they both complain of-drunkenness on the stfeets-is not SO much an argument against the license system as against the neglect of the legal authorities to do their duty and enforce the law. The law does not license dealers to fill the streets with drunkards, nor even to sell liquor to drunkards, and the dealer who does it runs risk of forfeiting his right to sell at all.
 The .'speak.easy" and kitchen grog- gery have not as much at stake and are apt to take longer chances. If any licensed dealer overstepped the bounds prescribed in hIs license why did not the legal authorities step ill and arrest and punish him, as it w6s, not only their right but their duty to do? Why do not the legal authorities do their duty now, and find out where the drunkards are getting their liquor, and start prosecutions? We have grand jurors and justices and prosecuting agents and constables, even if we do not have a deputy sheriff. Why do they not act now? Why did they not act last year ? In regard to the business phase. have been in business ill Canaan for num- Der of years and my business is in no way related to the liquor traffic, and l am in position to positively refute the claim that business Is as good as 1t was last year at this time, even after making all allowances for the "lull after the holidays" and the unusual election re- suits. Not only that, but 1 positively know that other business men in town assert the same thing, in spite of what Citizen says about interviewing Canaan merchants and I believe I have every reason to assert that this business loss is directly due to the towns vote of October.
 It is Ia condition and not a theory" that we have got to consider. It Is not a question as to whether drunkenness is an evil. The question is, is the licensed and legally restricted sale of liquor an unwise public policy from a business standpoint?
 Citizen and Observer seem to think that no license and total abstinence mean the same thing. If they did thely could not be any argument about it. Person ally am temperance man but not a teetotalist. I never was drunk in my life, but always keep little spirits in my house, license or no license, and take little when feel like 1t. I give this information voluntarily. to show Citizen my idea of the difference between tenn perance" and the word which he pro- tested against last week. And l will make one other admission for his bene- fit. I voted for no license in October, and not snly that but may perhaps do it again, regardless of the effect on my own business, when 1 am convinced that the temperance people will show their sincerity by compelling the legal author ities to do their duty and enforce the no license law and suppress illegal rum selling. l believe, nevertheless, that while all license towns may not be pro- gressive towns. all progressive towns are license towns
 Now, MT. Editor, as cannot see any use in carrying on a controversy with my opponents, as neither side is likely to convince the other, I trust you will print this final letter without my real name signed to it. If not, you may put it in your waste basket and there will be no hard feelings. LIBERAL.