Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-02-02
PROGRESS UNDER LOCAL OPTION.
To the Editor of the Monitor :

To the Editor of the Monitor:
William the trainer-or Trainor of
the Vermont Local Option League has
sent out very misleading statement
entitled Progress under Local OPP
ton. . This has been very generally |
published by the state press. In this
statement the gentlemen enumerates
about everything in the way OF actls
vities and improvements in the state |
during the past twelve years, and is
under the delusion that this progress
is due to local option. There is one
item which has evidently been over
looked by him which should be included t
IN TIE list, and thar is the henst.us,Des>
This is as intimately co, nected with !
local option as are the other lines
mentioned. The relationship of the |
local option law to progress in Vermont
is as remote as the writer's response |
bility for the European war Mr.
Trainor may be on the right road to
progress, but he certainly is headed in
tae wrnn~ direction if he were not
seriously afflicted VISTA Jar si6.uA n
would observe some very serious
obstacles in the way of real and per
manent progress During the past
twelve years we have had greater
number of commitments to all our
varied state institutions than during
any other period OF our history. In
Mr.. Trajnor's opinion this NAV conSti'
tute progress and good busine SIS
enterprise We do no! see 1t that Way,
as it means from an economic point Of
view a great waste in time, energy
and money, together with Increased
crime, detectives, deganerafes, sick
ness, insanity and divorce Ag
from the standpoint Of humanity, good
morals, and the public welfare, the
liquor traffic is unmjtigated ,nui-
sance and evil, p menace to the pubic
health, and public morals.
The majority of the unfortunates in
our state institutions could roperly
be labeled IN de 10 Vermont by the
Local Option Law !" the largest
number Of commitments are from the
counties, cities and towns having
license: Burlington heads the Iis
with Rutland, the home Of local option,
being close second Remington has
d very unworthy record as has ST
| Alhans. Added to this human misery
| and suffering is an enormous increase
! in court and state expenses beyond
| anything ever heard of even under the
old unenforced prohi@itory law. Wuh
| the inn0cP OF childhood. and the
| ignorance Of nonresident Mr. Trainer
asks, "Do the people of Vermont desire
to take backward step by returning
to the evils and scanda! oil statewide
prohibition?" No person in the STATE
has any wish or Gesire TO return to the
/ old unenforced prOhibItory law. The
prohibition features of the present
local option law and the proposed Perry
Ref; rendum law. Jemain the same.
Mr Trainor blandly asks, why not
let we'll enough aione?' This conji-
ton may be emipenly satisfactory to
the saloon interests, hut It is not salts
! factory to legitimate business The
saloon business cannot properly be
termed Legitimate" as the supreme
court of the United States has twelve
times rendered decision against it.,
| among sucn decisions are the follow
ing: "No legislature can barter away
the cubic health or The public morals
The people themselves cannot do IT,,
much less their servants. Government
is organized witha view to their pres
erva.ion and cannot divest itself Of
the power to provi5e for them, -
Again, "If any state deems the retail
amt internal traffic in ardent spirits
Injurious to its citizens and calculated
TO produce id)eness, vice. and Gebauch-
cry we see nothing in the Constitution
of the United States to prevent it
from regulating and estraining the
traffic or from prohib ting it altoge ther
as it deems proper.
eff a loss Of revenue shoUli accrue
to the United Ststes from a diminished
consu mption of ardent spirits, she will
be tie gamer a thousand fold in the
health, wealth and happiness OF the
people,
isn't This sufficient to prove inst ths
, WbJie tratfic is against public welfare
an1 public Inyra,s and hence Of noubt
. ju! con titutiorasity ju ged from th'
! ferapces OF the highest court in tn
r land. W. must stop treating symp
oms and effects, and get at cause
: and tr at thpse The Perry refeTen
. dunn b Il is ri acticaIjy the same Law
which mas been in force for the pas
o Twelve years cider clause and all
: ans our hi.lsi les are not yet ei tireI!
8 C stsIe6 hv app trees. TIE NV b,
mereis proposes to eXtsn} tnA soal
unit and make instead state iii
D ther words il is proposed 10 ex e !,
r tn pr libition features Of Il e I'VE s
EFT W SO As to apply 10 the who
" state If the prohibition features Z
8 the local option law have given salts
q FAC lo1. as large majority o
. the towns affirm, WIN whou.d ITO
!. increased satisfaction result TO til
:. entire state under the state unit prom