The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-03
SUPPORTS THE PERRY BILL
Mr.. Mills Also Cenaures The Evening
Banner.

Banner.
Editor of The Banner: / think
am open minded. At least | want to
be, on all questions that are debatable,
and about which honest and earnest
men may sometimes differ.
On this question Of Statewide Pro-
hibition for Vermont, ! have made up
my mind positively and finally. /
have read both sides Of the argument,
and 1t seems to me the Prohibition
people have by far the better of it.
1t is scarcely necessary for me to
state that have always believed in
No-license, and have SO voted every
time But at the first was not sure
about the issue over the Perry act, and
as some of my friends have known
that indecision, am making this pub
lie statement.
Today am sure about the proposed
law. The argument of the opposition
has convinced me.
The misstatement of facts as / un-
derstand them, the selfish localism of
the appeal--as II Bennington or any
other town had the moral right to set
up for itself and have its own !njuri.
Gus way without considering the
broader general welfare Of the whole
State and the nearby towns to which
it owes a duty as a bigger neighbor
and the failure to consider the great
| movement for Prohibition which Is
sweeping on in this country in which
we ought to have our patriotic, Ameri
can partial these things in tht
stock argument of the Local Option
| side have turned me against it. e,a a,
lived in the State of i. Maine fol
nine years before coming here, in (;
city which has just about Benning
tons population. We never had wha
you would call here an open saloon
and only few hidden places. Their,
was illegal selling of course, though
it was a dangerous venture, and Their,
were times when the good citizens
had their troubles over law enforce
ment. But the minute we got In ;
courageous. conscientious set Of ofici
ais things were shut up tight ant
kept shut for a period of years
What was done in Maine, and is be
| ing done in most of the states today
can be done and better done in Yer
mont.
] deplore your editorial statement il
the Banner Of Tuesday night last
when you say that If Prohibition
carries we shall have many unlicensed
| and unregulated saloons here. o
course you do not intend it so, bu
! that is a suggestion as it strikes m,
| which is a direct Indictment to law
| breaking, and ought not to come from
a newspaper office. o.t
! Furthermore, / think you forge
| that there Is new temper of thu
| people in this matter--it Is in tn,
| whole country, and 1t is in Bennington
! W HhtCNti nav q pCCh tiic vase III
| the past, there is, ! am sure, q civil
| conscience in bennington today tina
will not stand for this irresponsible,
lawlessness. | have a better opinion
of my fellow citizens than that. I'm
der Prohibition we would give our OF
fcials "a chance, fair chance Il
make good. If they failed, have COP
fidence there is majority OF voters
in the town who would know the rea
son why, and weshould have new
set of officials.
For one / am willing and eager t
take the risk in behalf of a better or
der Of things. / mean to vote Yes
on the referendum and mo" on thu
license question next Tuesday.
Come on, MIR. Editor, and men O
Bennington, let it not be said In thi.
great union of states that last Of al
came Vermont, and in Vermont, las
of all came Bennington!
George s Mills.