Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-09-11

call upon the legislature, IN iu1n
that principle of duty. which oDi'geS y y
advance the happiness and the moral Msi-
fare ~ the people, to legislate the proven
,;or of thai Dositire eUit The moral re-
form i The change of public opinion. the
dn,v ~ the legislature is 10 efiectuate that
ruhlic oainion, when clearly and deliber-
s,elv EXPRESSED, in behalf Of the moral
we'll being Of the community.
or ths wisdom and propriety OF legisla-
ton in this matter. there can be no doubt.
IN the mind Of any rejecting person, who
will study the subject, with the same dill
renee. which prudent man bestows up
on his own affairs, and who will careful
" weigh the senseless appetites Of his fell
low men, against the cries of suffering
world. But, ia relation to the modHs Ie-
0isgaali, the kind of Legislation, which
Is most likely to produce the greatest pos
sible measure of good, reasonable doubts
have arisen ia the minds of our best
friends. Public opinion appears to have
been varient upon the question of direct
or Preferential legislation, whether the law
Of prohibition should emanate directly
from the legislature, and operate absolute
ly and universally through the entire linn
its Of a state; or be in force or not, ac-
cordino to the will of the inhabitants of
towns respectively. annually expressed
BY the voters in town meetings. When
/ had the pleasure of conversing with you
ia May last, and gave you my own views
upon this question, you desired me to ex-
hibil them in written communication
comply with your request, my dear sir,
very cheerfully, because ] believe the
friends Of this excellent cause, are bound
70 contribute their thoughts, however in
significant, 10 the common stock.
have given very careful attention to
this question, so far as l am able, and
have not succeeded in my efforts to dis
cover the advantage of submitting the
question for the decision ofthe towns re.
spectively; while the disadvantages oil
that course, appear TO me TO be serious,
and readily discovered.
Il will be an easier task, we are told, tc
procure law, with than without pro.
vision to submit the question to the PEG
pie; the law will be more popular
There are, undoubtedly, towns. in favo
Of licensing the sale of intoxicating liquor
whose representatives might be prevailed
upon TO vote for prohibitous law, con
tanning provision, which, availed of By
their constituents. would neutralize the
law entirely, in their respective towns
Thus their representatives would be mis-
taken for temperance men, by very ma
ny. and Legislature, at small cost. woul,
achieve the reputation of being temper
ance legislature; and their very represen
atives. who had voted in favor of the Law
would, in their respective town meeting:
vote against its acceptance. In this man
ner, We could readily obtain prohibition
Legislation, in almost every state: an
mislead ourtransatlantic friends into ht
lief, that We possessed, in every state K
gislature, a majority of cold water mel
This would, doubtless, be the more pop,
lar course; but happen to know an
respect so many honest men, who are n,
popular, that believe it to be the less in
portant enquiry-what is popular tina
what Is Just and right 1t would be in
possible TO know the value of such legi
lation. until the towns had passed upo
the matter. at their annual meetings
would be nothing better than continge
Legislation. as liable to shift, from year
year as he Goodwin sands.
Il Is said. as an argument in favor
Preferential legislation, that reluctance
submit this matter to the people, is a pro
that the friends of temperance themselv
are apprehensive that the people are o
posed TO the law. Here, perhaps il ma
be well to define our terms. There a
two matters, which may be submitted
theepecple-the people may be conven,
to decide il a law. shall be accepted or n
throughout the commonwealth, the S,
ffages to settle the question, not for OF
year, but forever, not for particular town
but for the whole state. Such, howeve
Is not the course proposed by our friend
who are IN favor OF Preferential Legislation
they would leave the matter, under Il
statute, TO be decided yearly, and by Il
towns respectively Now, we are a I
public. the will OF the people is par
mount, and, of right, ought to be; b
that will has legitimate channel of E
preston. The licenlious ebullition oil
hireling press. the ciamors of a thirs
Tabble. these are not the organs, throus
which the will Of the people is to be
certained. The people express their W
by their representatives. Thus, in Ma
sachusetts, two thirds Of the house Of re
Tesenlatives, and more than two thirds
the Senate, have promulgated the prese
prohibitory law, as The will of the poop
It was proposed, al the session of
enactment. to submit this law to the DC
pie, not from year to year, and for tow
respectively. but to the whole Poop
whether this statute should or should I
be the law OF the Commonwealth. I'll