Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-03-01

| TIduh l1OWG.
Bennington, VT, Feb FL, 1916.
The Perry Act Explained.
The secretary of the Orleans County
State Wide Prohibition association
compares it with the present law.
Mr. Editor:
The executive committee of our
Orleans county association have asked
me for writ public explanation of
the Perry act, so-called, upon which
the voters are to pass Judgment on
detailed comparison Of the Perry act,
Number III of the Acts of 1915, and
the present law as found in the Public
statutes and amendments thereof.
Sec l of the Perry act defines in
toxicating liquor and is taken word
for word from the public statutes, Sec.
SOL of the present law.
Sec, 2 provides that no person shall
sell the liquors defined in Sec l, etc,
and is almost word for word copy of
P, S. 5102 of the present law
Sec. authorizes arrest without
warrant of offenders and is copied
word for word from P. S. $3.50.
Sec. relates to search warrants
and is copy of P. S. 5186.
Sec relates to the seizure of
liquors at fair grounds and public
places and is copy of P. S. 5187
Secs. 6 and relate to the duties of
officers and are copied from P. S.
5l88 and and 5189. respectively, of the
present law.
Secs. to 13 relate to seizure of
liquors and owners of buildings and
ara copied from Secs. $3.50 to 5195 of
the present law
Sec. ID makes the selling officer a
complaining officer and is copy of
Sec. 5l96 of the present law.
Secs, Is to II provide that the owner
of liquor seized may appear in court
and claim his property and are copied
from Secs. 5197 to 5199 of the present
law.
Secs. Is to Fl provide for appeals
and custody of property and are copied
from Secs. 5000 to 5203 of the present
| law.
Sec. % provides for the arrest of
one found intoxicated and is word
for word copy of Sec. 5l8I of the pre-
sent law.
Secs % to Is relate to disclosures
and is copied from Sec. 5183 to 5185 of
the present law.
Secs. rs to % provive the penalties
and are copied word for word from
Secs. 1904 to 5206 of the present law.
Sec. 20 forbids the sale of candy
favored with liquors and is verbatim
copy of Sec, 500 of the present law.
Sec. 80 provides penalty for officers
who fail in their duty and is a copy of
Sec 5213 of the present law.
Secs. 81 to SO relate to penalties for
intoxication and are copied from Secs.
5214 to 52l6 of the present law.
Sec. "a provides form of pledge and
is copied from Sec. 5217.
Sec. 35 provides against excessive
cumulative sentences and is copied
from Sec. 5218 of the present law.
Secs. SO and 81 provide for damage
done by illegal sale and are copied
from Secs. 5219 and 1920 of the pres
ent law
Sec 80 relates to the same matter
and is taken from Sec. 1922.
Secs. 80 and 40 relate to United
States revenue tax and are copied
from Secs. 1928 and 1924 of the present
law.
Secs. al to 43 relate to jurisdiction of
courts and are copied from Secs. 1921
to 1888 of the present law.
Secs. AZ to IS relate to fines, fees
and forms and are respectively copied
from P. S. 1886 to 5246 of the present
law.
If the Perry bill becomes law the
foregoing SIS sections will be the liquor
laws of Vermont. every section of
which is taken bodily from the present
law. Sec. Sc repeats all former laws
touching on the matter. The laws
which go out of existence will be those
sections of the present law which
legalize the saloon. The only infringe
ment of our personal liberties under
the new act is that we can no longer
buy liquor in an oIen saloon Its
transportations, its use in the arts and
sciences, its use for NE licipal pur-
poses, its use in the home remain
exactly the same under the Perry act
as under the present law.
We may best illustrate by reference
to the three epochs OF Vermont S tenn
perance legisl ation, the prohibitory
J law, the local option law, and the
Perry act. The local option law rio
Vermont of it's greatest evil, the town
s. stem. 1t developed system of en-
fol- cling the temperance portion of the
law by the creation of courts and
! officers and prescribing their duties,
, IT had but one weak spot, viz: the open
saloon. The Perry act retains all that
IS best In the present law, but relieves
l its one great evil, the open saloon.
t The Perry act is a modern progress
sive amendment to the liquor laws of
? Vermont.
Colby Stoddard.
Secretary.