The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-02-10
PROMINENT LAWYERS
VIEWS OF PERRY BILL

We were very much interested in
the editorial, from the Randolph Her
aid and News which appeared in this
paper last week, with reference to the
Perry AT. This paper stands and
always mas stood for temperance and
as an earnest of that fact we would
call the attention of our readers to the
files Of this paper for the las. thirty
| four years and say that nowhere in
any edition Of this paper has there
ever appeared liquor advertisement.
This paper stands for the best inter.
ests of the village, town and state and
in saying that we are not in favor Of
the Perry Act we do not want to be
misunderstood as saying that we are
not in favor of temperance and the
best temperance laws which can be
enacted and enforced. But when it
comes to endorsing this Act we say
that we cannot do so and we also say
that in our opinion tbs not for The
best interest of temperance that it
should become law. We have asked
David S. Conant Esq. to write from
the legal standpoint, an editorial on
the Perry Bill, it is as follows:
Section of this act reads in part,
mo person shall furnish or sell, or
expose or keep with intent to sell, any
intoxicating liquor" and constituting
that with Section rs which reads, "a
person who furnishes or sells, or who
exposes or keeps with intent TO tell,
intoxicating liquors, shall be impris
oncd not more than twelve months nor
less than three months, or fined not
more than three hundred dollars, or
BOTH" means, if it means anything, /
taken in connection with the whole
context of the Act that alcohol in any |
and every form is absolutely prohibit
ed within the state of Vermont after
this Act becomes law, except that q
person may have it in his dwelling
house or he may have any quantity of
hard cider in his cellar. One other
thing tina. appears to US as being
that will bring great dis
favor upon the law and, by the way,
it makes no difference how good the
law may be, if public opinion is
against it, there is no expectation that
The law would or could be enforced.
and that is Section l3 which reads as
III any officer has reason to
believe and does believe that intoxi-
eating liquor is kept or concealed in
any conveyance or baggage being con-
veyed along any highway he shall
search the same without a warrant"
What does this mean? What is the
lair impor. Of this language, and wha.
are the results Are they trivial or
ire they far reaching? If the law
was to be enforced to the letter, does
rot this act give to any officer in the
state of Vermont the right to stop in
my highway q physician and search
lis carriage, automobile and medical
,ase? And would not the officer be !
protected under this act provided it
S constitutionalD in so doing if he
imply said he had reason TO believe G
hat certain medicines which the doc n
or was carrying in his case contained u
more than per cent Of alcohol? 1t c;
nay be said that this is an extreme L
For the purposes Of n
admit that that is SO. Do u
he people of Vermont deliberately de- a.
ire to place in the hands OF any and Of
very officer within the State the u
light TO stop and search without a al
variant any and every person and al
ehicle on any highway in the State, e.
imply upon he ipse dixit Of such a
fficer, II the people Of Vermont al
ran; their rights and liberties curtail e'