The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-11
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friday, OCTOBER II,
THE BRATTLEBORO DAILY REFORMER, FRIDAY
THINKS MAJORITY
AGAINST DRY LAW
R. s. Childs Analyses Vote and Pays
Respect to Town Representative
System in Vermont.
Editor of The Reformer:

Editor OF The Reformer:
Rightly assuming that an overwhelm
ing ma jority of Nermonters are. absos +
lutely and uncomprbnisingly against in
toxicants in any degree of excess, they |
caifnot, however, be deluded into the be.
lief that their sovereign power belongs |
to legislative majority representing |
one twentieth of the states voting
strength. With the bone-dry versus To-
cal option issue so prominently before
the people, it is timely to recall that
whenever the issue of fanaticism and
minority control has been passed upon
by the voters, they have rejected the at
tempt to abridge popular rights
Mr.. Clement twice defeated choice
for governor and in the spring of 1914
the Perry bill went down under an ad-
verse state majority of more than $4,000
yotes-oniy one of the IA Vermont com-
! ties lOrieans1 supporting it. Brattleboro
and Wifdham county recorded maiori-
ties of 53S and 1872, respectively, against
| it, while only two of the % county towns
| (Stratton and Vermont favored it.
| Your comment on the result was: mo
fervid oratpry, or emotional appeals or
whirlwind campaigning or preachments
of any kind, could carry the thinking ma
jority off its feet" This was direct
expression of the people and they strong
ly endorsed the local option law, the
principle of home rule, and, at the same
time, paid tribute to the wisdom and
tireless efforts of the towns representa-
tives at Montpelier A. Marshall
and DIR. James Conland.
Our respected citizen, Mr.. Dunham,
AYERS that he will stand by the local OPP
ton law but vote for the Sheppard
amendment. Will any sane man please
tell us what will be left of local option
and community rule if the Sheppard
amendment gets through the state leg
islature by majority representing less
than one tenth of Vermonts voting
strength? One might as well say to an
exposed man on rock below the dam,
Il am in sympathy with you" while
opening the flood gates to drown him.
; Temperance and sobriety are virtues
to be commended and applauded at all
, times and there can be no question that
the overwhelming sentiment of Vermont
; Is for genuine temperance and not tenn
2 perance simply by profession This vir-
: tue is too often lost sight of by group
, of, galvanized prohihitionists many OF
whom have harmed the states fair name
: by the Introduction of ''spotters' to play
the role of confirmed inebriates while
e communities suffered the odium and tn,
n Estate treasury footed abnormal bills
n Thoughtful Nermonters realize that il
e more than 30 years of alleged prohibition
y officers of the law seized from unoffend
e ing people, receiving state pay in gener
n Gus fees, and, as custodiaps. wrappe,
a fharlaSa lyDS around bo 81 A.
/ With stringent laws to prohibit the man
Is ufacture,a sale and use, of intoxicants
II towns, dives and individuals sold contra
band fluid witlqut let or hindrance b,
: the constituted authorities of the state
e Even staidI and reputable Brattlebor
lie maintained a public dispensary in opei
lie defiance of statutory law where the onl
n requisites for satisfactory supply wer
III the receptacle and wherewithal to pa
y the dispenser. This towns annual sale
of varied from $4,000 to $1,000. Will
re smaller towns, in the same unlawft
81 business, had proportionate receipts Tn
medical prescription was comparativel
n. small factor in the total dispensatiel
Of Under Names Neal Dow. law ther
We were such spirituous floods about Bangc
n and Lewiston that a staid temperate
Tn man had to occupy high ground in Pencil
Y scot and Androscoggin counties to main
~ tain a clear head and dry feet. Durin
these more than 30 years of so-called We
Il mont prohibition the worthy candidat,
a. of that party for governor received a
ne average OF less than 500 votes, in IL
as state-the entire opposition of the tv
III leading parties Republican and Dem
III cratiel being an average of 636 vot
over the more than half century. Ev,
hd as late as 1914 Clement F. Smith, Il
re prohibition candidate for governor, poll'
t en- only 1914 votes, Brattleboro casting
ne and the county only ~ votes-a nigh
We uplift for moral cause.
10 1t IS a trifc singular that, if the sta
ne had really desired strict prohibition, t
' '.I men of upright character who have bo
liu its standard these many years, cou
ny command less than one per cent of t
states total votet--80,000. This is u
mistakable evidence that the jewel
Ike consistency has not been worn on t
his. professed prohibition bosom.
. The same agency which adopted t
prohibitory law minority legislation
now depended upon to secure state ado
ton of the federal amendment. A
here is an illustration of Vermont's I
Thy just legislative status: Baltimore,
= + Windsor county. with its lG voters, W
neutralze Brattleboro's 1000; Glastt
bury, in Bennington county, with
ree-l eight votes, has equal representation W
orn Burlington's 3.400; st. George. in Oh
but tenden, casts 2S votes, but it has co,
power with Rutland's $500, and this
equality and injustice might be extend
to other cities and large towns.
The devotees of the Sheppard amer
ment oppose a referendum (popul;
vote, knowing that the state would ov
whelmingly reject it. To deny the p
pie this constitutional right is mo,
- cry of free government conferred by
Bill of Rights and the constitution
yered by mankind. The Sheppard amer
ment proposes to abolish all fermen
tion and what God and nature have p
vided froillsthe orchard and meadow
grains and fruits for mans nse-znot'
his misuse for there is nothing howe
beneficial which does not, by excess
leome injurious ~
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