Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-12-27
THE RUM-TRAFFIC.

passed By the last Legislature of Yer s
mont, that the Introduction of the rum +
traffic rould be Mnconstitutional,) to J. y
Holcona6's Left handed Compliment" 6
Mr.. Murray, Sir The Telegraph of 8
November 22d, was a few DAYS since
handed to me by an acquaintance of mine,
in which was published and addressed to
me, LEFT hand Compliment" so styled,
under the signature of j. HoIcomb, of
Brandon. As you did Mr.. Holcomb the
Justice to publish his left hand eompli-
ment, I hope you will do me the favor to
publish a few remarks, which | have
thought proper to make on the character
Of that production, which is herewith en-
closed and addressed to J. Ho|comb But
il, contrary to what consider to be
reasonable expectation, you should refuse
to publish my remarks ON the left hand
compliment Of J. Holcomb, in the Tele-
graph, wish you to return this paper to !
me again with your reasons for not pub
fishing said remarks.
Yours, respectfully, ELIJAH DEE.
Georgia, Dec. l6, 1887.
The "reasons for not publishing said
remarks" which would have accompanied
its return, had ] concluded 10 reject it, would
have been based on its discourteousness, its
contumely, its gross personalities, and its
bitter and acrid spirit. But have concIud-
ed, for the special benefit Of the cause of
rum-selLing, to let its champion in Yer
mont defend his own cause. The Tele-
graph is wide open to Mr.. Dee, and all
| other defenders of the right to pursue the
death-deaIing traffic, proriIed they use adj
MISSILE language. Mr.. Dee will find
poser in the remarks of Mr.. Curtis, which
by happy coincidence fall into the same
paper side by side with his.
To J. HoLCoMB, Sir:-Your ungen-
temaniike attack on me, a stranger to
you-one who had never laid straw in
your way-in your LEFT Hand Compli-
ment" addressed to me, and published in
the Telegraph of November 22d, shows
you alike destitute of good manners and
good sense. Had you in any decen. man
ner requested me to give you the reasons
that induced me to bring forward and
sustain the resolution, referred to in your
lett hand compliment as you call it,
should have done it with pleasure. But
when you assume the character of the
blackguard, l am under the painful neces-
sity of treating you as such. You begin
by insultingly asking me if l vot'd
| honestly when voted for that resolution.
e You must have known. or ough: 10 have
known, that when voted for that reso-
. luton had previously taken an oath not
to vote for any bill or resolution that
|, should appear to me to be injurious to
the people, or that should in any way
abrid ge their rights. Therefore the sub
: stance of the question proposed tor me to
= answer was, whether / had perjured my
= self or not. Your object in asking the
!? question could not be to obtain informa,
! ton, but was intended as personal insult
= You then proceed on in the same black
guardlv manner, and ask me, on the sup
position that was honest when | voted
for said resolution, if had ever studied
the groundwork of republican govern.
a mental compact and if had, what had
:, done with common sense while l was
r studying it.
d You then proceed and undertake tc
= prove the vending of ardent spirits, anc
Y the spreading of the small pox, to be
2 analogous cases. Whether you have
+ succeeded in proving the two cases to be
= analogous or not, shall leave that foI
others to determine. You then proceed
: 20 tell what in effect have been saying tc
y the wife and children Of the maniac, mad,
e so by rum. and then ask me if my con
e duct was right-if | have been doing the
e business that was sent to the Legislature
: to do. But as your object in this was the
r same as in the former part of your com
# pliment, namely, to insult, and not to OBJ
|, tain information, [ have therefore no re-
! ply to make to your questions.
You conclude the first chapter OF your
left hand compliment, by saying that i
ever has been the case, and ever will b.
: the case, that wherever the temperate
e drinking of intoxicating liquors has beer
J. practised, drunkenness has been its hand
u maid and sure companion. But this !:
e not true, for, although it is truethat drunk
IS ards are temperate drinkers at first, vet il
is equally true that thousands continue tc
e make temperate use of spirituous liquors
- through the whole course of their lives
But here, as if you had become weary O
J. scandalising on so small scale, you ad
l. dress yourself to the "sixty-three tha
" voted in support of the resolution hereto
j. fore alluded to, among whom were men o
l. the first talents, Of both political parties
is in the Legislature, and tell them that you
, fear that some or all of them like droI
= or two occasionally; and to use you
- own word, you say you are mot in tn,
7 habit of betting, but that you will wager I
he commentary on the passage Of the reso
luton, and on the conduct of some of thu