Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-12-18
~INNKEEPERS' LICENCES.

a bill DeIng presented TO u leglSla-
ture granting liquor licenses to no.
tells upon certain conditions. Such a
bill has now made its appearance and
is causing considerable discussion. We
notice that the hotel mems organiza-
ton of the state has declared for it.
A number of papers have also spoken
in favor of such licenses being given.
among them being the Express and
Standard. We are told however that
a large majority Of the Orleans county
members will oppose the measure. In
the course of it's discussion the New
port contemporary says: /
eve believe in the i~nnkeepers' Ii
cense or licensed inn. Not the kind
that dlspenseS liquor over a bar-not
the kind that deals it out to the local
trade. These are no better than the
village dive or the local saloon where
all are served alike. A licensed inn,
properly conducted, is an orderly
place. They are hardly understood by
the public at large. People get a
wrong conception of them-c0ndemn
them before they inspect. and see in
them evils that never exist. This
originates from the word license"
which in their minds covers a multi
tude OF sins. You can stop at a Ii
cense mn-often dO-and not know it.
unless some ailment or other desire
compelled You to ask. Horne citizens
are ~unmindful Of these licenses be-
cause there IS no outward iii effects
no home patrUnaGa-nO intOXicati0n-
no element to disturb. A licensed inn
is for the benefit OF the tourist, the
traveller, the outside patrons of the
place who, following an ancient custom
not Our8-beiieye a sip o something
at tha journeys end is the greatest
strength preSarVative there is on
earth. You do not believe this, Meth
er do we but thousands do, and their
rights and opinions are as good as
ours.
1T is just to fight the evils Of intem-
perance. just TO discountenance the
open saloon, just 70 prohibit a Ii
cenSed town, just to fight liquors in
any form that are a detriment to the
peace and happiness Of home and the
welfare OF the public at large. But a
licensed inn. with our present inter
probation of it, begets none of these
ills. 1t furnishes to the tourist and
weary traveller that which they will
have, without the aid of a doctors
certlhcate, or a journey to some
obscure corner Of the town to procure.
And a glass of wine, or beer, or other
; liquor IS no worse to the weary
tourist Tor Ills he claims to possess, or
to brace his tired nerves, than are
powder and pills. and other narcotics.
for another class who take them for
precisely the same things.
1.-The very hest hnStoIrioc or ;ou- ~
the United States are licensed ones.
They should be licensed in Vermont.
Should be to the extent Of the accom-
modatlOn of its guests in a regulated
way. The travelling public demand it.
1t has got to and will come with the
introduction of large hotels. This
does not Interfere with a prohibitory
town, or prOhibit0ry laws. or anything
that should conflict with the temper
ance cause. A glass of LIQUOR, or
bottle OF lt for private use at the
licensed Inn, is not intepmerance: not
n whit more so than the pill, OF
powder, which nearly every handbag
contains. Is there not consistency in
this? Is it not looking The matter
squarely in the face and stating the
facts as they really EXIST"
We agree with the Express and
Standard in many OF the minor points
1t brings out in the above but cannot
agree with the main contention thai
licensed inns are Tor the best, every.
thing considered.
1t is true that many a man has beer
disguised with those who opposed the
liquor traffic when he learns that sucl
people are tied to a powder or nil
habit Or even some habit" les.
harmful. The principle of being
slave to an appetite is the sam
whether it be IN appetite for tea O
an appetite for liquor. The resul
may not be the same. 1t is also tr1
that little i'll effects would result fror
a licensed inn, locally. if such inn
were properly conducted" an
liquors only ''served in the prope
way as the editor of the Expires
and Standard puts it, and adds that
licensed inn with his ''interpretatio
OF 1t begets non of these ills" refer
ring to the ills of the regular saIoor
Here's where the pinch comes. TIL
argument that prohibition does nc
prohibit" applies equally in this case
An inn licensed to dispense liquors t
its guests will not prohibit loo;
people from obtaining liquor; for
not the local bOarder or the local ma
who purchases his dinner or a night
lodging, a guest" in the interprets
ton of the word! Even if this wei
prohibited by the law, and enforced b
the holder of an inn keepers license
what prevents a local man or a part
of local men from going to the tow
three or five miles distant, have
meal, and proceed to secure tn
desired liquor! We see absolutely n
way of preventing local i'll effects wit