The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-02-23
Member of the Associated Press.
TUESDAY,. FEBRUARY %, 1915.
STIRRING UP TROUBLE.

An indication of the feeling that
Representative Perry 5 activities in be-
half of statewide prohibitions have
aroused is found in the expressed in
tention Of a good many local men to
vote for license this year. Such a
course could not be considered a rea-
sonable protest against the prohibit
tion plan because local option and Ii
ceuse are by no means one and the
same thing. but the likelihood that it
may be adopted by considerable num-
her of Brattleboro voters ought to be
a warning to the local no-icense
forces.
From the first The Reformer has
viewed Mr.. Perry prohibition propa-
ganda with extreme regret. With due
respect to his opinion as to the best
method Of handling the liquor question
we have felt that his activity in be
half Of the measure which bears his
name has tended to give other towns
in the state an erroneous idea of the
way the present law has worked in
| ErattleborQ and the surrounding towns.
! The truth Of the matter is that it has
/ proved highly efficient instrument for
stamping out the liquor traffic, and
! the rank and file of the voters appre-
ciate the fact. Mr.. Perry 5 election to
agitation for Il change from local OPP
! tion to prohibition. On the contrary
had his attitude on this question been
! generally known previous to election
there is not the slightest chance that
he would have been sent to Mont
pelier. His opinion that dissatisfac
tion with the present system of loca
option has reached the point where the
Il question should be submitted to the
people of the state is not, in the
opinion Of The Reformer representa-
tive Of the opinion of Brattleboro PEG
pie as a whole.
Under Vermont 5 constitution a Iii
rect referendum is not possible TIL
question which the voters of the stat
will have to decide if the Perry bill
passes is whether it shall 90 into eff
feet in May 1916, or May, 1927.
the majority disapprove Of the bill
| will be necessary for that majority t
| see that some Legislature before 1872
| rescinds the measure or the popula
/ expression will have gone for naugh
Il A recent example of the unsatisfat
L tory working of this method is show
/ in the status of the state house Apr,
II priation bill on which the people of til
II state voted last March and of While
II they emphaticallv expressed their di
II approval. Unless this measure is T.
! pealed by both branches of the preseI
= Legislature and (and even now thel
!. are indications of Il movement to pr
! went such action) 100000 of IL
state 5 money Will become avaiIab
1t for a purpose against which the vote
a a have taken decided action
' In this connection it may not |
rs out Of place to call attention to II
lr fact that the bill to repeal the stat
house appropriation measure was rcfe
red Jan. % to the committee on pu
lie buildings of which Mr.. Perry
Brattlebo-o is chairman. The Reforl
er does not mean to intimate that NJ
Perry will not do his utmost to haste
the passage of this important act, b
- it points to its status as an illustr
ton Of how easy it might be to igno
the people 5 wishes by the so-call
referendum plan. Until Vermont h
% the constitutional machinery for a re
= referendum the legislature should ma
= no further attempt to evade its co
stitutional responsibility.