The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-12-25


in every County in the State. The law which
they passed, say the Convention, can, IN no
| other way, be carried into effect. Nowl APP
peal to every member both OF the Senate and
House of Representatives, who voted Tor the
law, 10 say, whether such was his obJeet IN
voting for it. / answer without fear oil con-
tradictiou from one of them, that there was
ne such intention. Where is the member OF
either House inthe County Of Addison, or
any other County, who is willing TO avow that
he had such intention! If there is one, let
him speak out. On the contrary | say, with
out the slightest fear of contradiction that the
object of those who voted for the law was to
give TO the people in the several Counties the
right to say whether the sale of intoxicating
liquors, TO be used as a beverage, should be
licensed in their respective Counties. Every
body who paid the slightest attention TO the
origin and history of the measure knows this
TO be true. If any one contrived to slip into
the bill an expression which would give any
other meaning 10 it, or TO slip out Of 1t any
expression which would give that meaning,
it was lone so slyly as to escape notice, and
to operate as a fraud upon the Legislature
and the people. l examined the bill, in ref
erence 10 this question, in my last number,
and have nothing TO add, except to say, that
if the language Of the 9th section, declaring
that the Commissioners ' shall have the sole
poicer Of granting licenses" means the same
thing as shall grant licenses" then is there
a power in the English language to commu-
[ nicaie diverse and contradictory ideas by the
same terms, that | never dreamed of. Let
the people put this strange construction into
the crucible of their common sense, aud see
whether it comes out pure gold. To contend
for such a construction is a direcl impeachment
of the discernment, and good sense Of the
Legislature. 1t is saying to them that they
deliberately used language in this very
important and well considered law, that
makes its 'object" precisely the reverse Of
what they intended.
What have the friends of Temperance been
long contending for! Is it not that the sale
Of Intoxicating liquors was injurious TO the
community-a great public evil-demoraliz-
ing in its infiuence-destructive Of the peace
Of families, andtending to promote pauPerism
and crime? And have they not, hence, in-
sisted that THE PEOPLE ought to have the priv
ilege Of deciding by their votes directly wheth-
er men should be permitted set up and main
tain establishments for the sale Of such liquors
among them as Il beverage? Did they not
send their petitions TO the Legislature TO
that effect! And did not the Legislature in
tend to yield to their request, and say to the
people By the law-decide this question for
yourselves? And yet, what, according to the
construction assumed in the resolution / am
considering, have the friends of Temperance
obtained as the result of all this? Why a law
that make a great parade Of submitting the
matter TO the people, and yet compeis the
Commissioners whom they shall elect, to H.
ceuse men to make drunkards in every Coun-
ty in the State! The friends of Temperance
have asked d the Legislature bread, and it
has given them a stone they have prayed
for a fish and / has given them serpent, arm
ed with the deadliest poison! According to
this construction the Temperance reform
goes backward " authority Of iosc; for where
as, the old law gave to the County Court the
power TO withhold, in their discretion, all IL
censes TO say the least, from retailers, this
law upon the construction ontended for, CON-
els the people, through their Commission
ers, to license retailing throughout the State.
The second resolution Of the Convention
declares that the only discretion Of the Com
missioners is as to the persons to be licensed.
Here is the '.judicious" part OF the matter
Upon this / have sufficiently commented in
my first number. 1t is like letting out waters,
over a bed OF quickssnd. As total abstinence
is, for an individual, the only safety, SO for
the community, the only safety is total pro-
hibition.-bOih resting on the same principle.
Let the Commissioner grant licenses to the
extent that they must grant. if they grant al
all. and they strike at the great principle of
total abstinence a most deadly blow, by the
authority of law; for how is that principle
to be carried out with regard TO drinking,
while, in the matter Of licensing, it is disre-
garded? Every body knows that it cannot,
and will rot be.
And then see, too, how entirely the Tenn
perance influence Of a Commissioner. is de-
stroyed ny his act oflicersing the sale OF in
toxicating liquors. How much more influ-
ence would he be able to exert, even by a
pledge Of total abstinence than would the
rumseller himself who should takethe piedgc
of such abstinence and yet daily put the cup
of intoxication 10 his neighbours lips! Let
me push this argument further, and ask how
a man can give bis vote for Commissioner
who he knows will license establishments 10
make drunkards, and then turn from the bal
lot box and endeavor to persuade men to for.
sake their cups and beceme temperate p
With what whitening reproaches would the
drunkard meethis warnings and admonitions!
You have just voted to license these men to
tempt me to drink, and now you come and
talk to me of the danger of drinking, and ask
me TO resist the temptation which you your
self have placed before me! Physician, heal
myself"
This brings me TO a consideration of the
third resolution of the Convention, which
contains SO high a profession of concern on
account Of the evils OF intemperance, that |
must make it the subject of a separate COM
munication. ABB.
NO. 4.