Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-03-08
RoUslNo No-LIcENsE RALLY.
ence Sunday NIght-sound Arguments
AGAINST License Made by Every Man.


A larger audience than usual attended
the no-license rally in the Auditorium
Sunday evening, the first floor and
balcony being practically filled. The
addresses also seemed to impress the
audience more than usual, and altogeth-
er the meeting was very satisfactory.
Principal h. b. Smith of the high school
was chairman and seven short addresses
were given, the speakers being Rev F.
A. Wells of the Methodist church, John
T. Kaine of the board of bailiffs, Rep
resentatlve ]. G. Stafford, Bailiff Scion
A. Richmond, Dr. Henry d. Holton,
Attorney Hermon E. Eddy and Rev. E.
O. s. Osgood of the Unitarian church.
Leitsinger's orchestra played and two
selections were sung by a double male
quartet consisting of E. V. Morse, w. A.
Gilbert, A. l.. Maynard, w. S. Stearns,
C. b. Crowell, F. S. knight, A. L. Clapp
and A. w. Peach.
Chairman Smith stated that while the
town probably would remain in the no
license column the license vote would
be out and that Indifference and stormy
weather might cut the majority down
to the danger point.
Rev. Mr.. Wells spoke Of the democrat
izing influence of the saloon and said 1t
was impossible to make honorable a dis
honorable thing by placing the sanction
of the law upon 1t. He said the infu-
ence of an open saloon was only evil
and continually evil. He preferred a
"blind pig" to a pig in possession of all
it's faculties.
License under conditions that obtain
in certain localities would be favored by
Mr. Kaine, but Brattleboro, Mr.. Kaine
said, was naturally a no-license town
and there was no excuse for voting for
license here. The conditions, he said,
! never were so satisfactory as in the past
two years. He had heard license men
admit that they voted no because they
| knew they were living under actual no.
license conditions. He thought the man
who occasionally drank should vote no for
the good of the whole community, and
| said that such a man could vote no-li-
cense without acting the part of a hypo-
| critic.
Mr. Stafford spoke in a reminiscent
vein, recalling old days under the
prohibitory law, and expressed his
pleasure that the citizens had met their
responsibility. He said the police as
| sured him that illegal selling in Brattle-
boro was not on the increase
Combinations of capital control the
output of malt and spirituous liquors
said Mr.. Richmond. He then explained
that when a town votes license the
wholesalers undertake to influence the
! granting of licenses in such a way thai
| the money received from sales largely
goes to them instead of remaining ir
town. He said the present law was the
best he ever knew, but that it was not
strictly enforced. In closing, he made a
plea for the boys and said do yor
want the boys to find shelter in the
| saloons?"
That the question of license or no.
license has much to do with the bigger
and better Brattleboro idea was the
view expressed by DR.. Holton. License
does not improve the citizenship ant
does not improve the home, upon which
depends the integrity of the nation. In
diligence in liquor has direct effec
J upon the divorce question, and in Yer
mont the ratio the past year was ont
divorce to eight marriages. 1t has al
effect upon business, also, and thu
speaker said that the cotton mill would
not have been located here had Brat
tlebOro been a license town. Lcens
forces are constantly trying to influence
the Legislature to 'loosen up a little b.
enactng amendments to the local op
ton law, and a decrease in the majorit.
In Brattleboro would be used as al
argument that no-lcense was les
popular here than formerly.
Mr.. Eddy made his first appearance
here as public speaker and the heart
applause he received showed that H.
made an excellent impression Hi
plea was especially for the man who ha
a fight to make for himself The out
come Of the fight is doubtful and sucl
a man is in need Of assistance. TIL
force of bad example should be KEEP
as far from him as possible. The boys
too are easily susceptible to the infu
ence of their environment, which shoul
be made of the best sort.
Rev, Mr.. Osgood regarded local optio
as the best kind Of law to regulat
the great liquor evil. A no vote, h
said, would help all the forces for goo
in the community. We should keep II
mind the people who come to Brattle
boro from the surrounding towns t
trade and give them a clean, no-licens
| town to do business in