Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-12-13
LICENSE OR NO LICENsE-THAT's
THE QUESTION.

|
Mn EDIroR We learn from your paper
that candidates for County Commissioners have
been selected BY the friends, both of granting
and of Withholding licenses for the sale Of arr
dent spirits as a drink. The question Of "
cense or no license Is now fairly before the cit
/ liens OF the County. And II is a question,
/ fortunately, not of men, but of measures; not
OF candidates, but Of principles. And we trust
the subject will be discussed on its own merits,
without regard TO the personal character Of the
candidates for office. We wish 10 have II kept
separate and distinct from all exiraneous mat
tiers, and TO have il tried and decided by It's
own inherent deserts. We would have the
reasons for granting, as well as for Withholding
licenses, stated and urged as strongly as they
can be. The advocates for refusing licenses
we speak not for others--desire 10 meet their
opponents in the open field, and in broad day
light. We are ready for lair and manly con-
flict. We want no skulking, no false colors,
no borrowed weapons, no subteriuges: "Let
Greek meet Greek" We take our stand on a
rock which cannot, as we believe, be shaken;
on principles which we regard impregnable.
We advocate measures which we are confident
are just and right. We contend for the good
Of the community; for the welfare of society;
for order, law, sobriety, temperance. And we
ask our opponents TO show Us single instance
in which these have been promoted by the sale
OF use Oh rum we ASH I'd DC pONltO 10 one
solitary town, village, or neighbofhood that has
not been injured BY the use of alcohol We
contend against wel-known and universally
acknowledged evils. Moreover, we stand on
the defensive. We seek not to infringe others
rights, but TO defend our own. Our rights
have been invaded. We have been, and still
are, taxed in consequence of rum that others
and not ourselves, have drunk. Taxes for the
support of paupersm and idleness occasiOned
by inteinperance, have been imposed on Us
against our will, and we have paid .ihem. Our
fathers rebelled against Great Britain because,
among other things, her government levied a
tax on tea, which they and their families drank.
Our ancestors would not bear such burden.
They denied the right or justice of imposing
il. And shall we, their sons, tamey submit 10
be taxed for the rum-drnkng of other men?
Are we not justified in using the tongue, the
pen, and the balot-box 10 rid ourselves Of this
unjust and oppressive burden, and to secure
ourselves against like imposiions in future?
To those who advocate the giving of licen-
SEES, we say, secure us against the expense Of
pauperism and idleness and crime occasioned
by intemperance, before you ask Us TO vote for
granting licenses. Defend our sons from the
temptations Of the grog shop before you ask Us
to open IL. Protect our wives and daughters
and sisters from the insults OF the drunkard be-
fore you ask US to aid him TO obtain the mad
dening draught. Guaranty to US the privilege
OF living in a sober, orderly, law-loving COM
munity, before you ask Us to open the food
gates of every evil and misery and crime, that
can be named. Talk TO US about your liberty,
when you have secured to us our rights.
But what do you ask US 10 do! to legalize
the sale of alcohol, that you may have the lib
erty to drink III Then we ask you TO disbur-
den us Of the taxes rum-drinking has already
imposed on US. Do you ask us to grant the
monopoly of rum-selling TO few individuals,
that they may gil their pockets with the pro6isi
by those profits. DO you ask us TO enrich the
few? We ask you not TO impoverish the many.
Do you demand Of us the liberty TO sell rum,
and make men paupers' Then we demand
that you give bonds with sufficient surrtrs, that
we shall never be taxed for their main anance.
Do you ask Us TO open fountains Of poverty and
wretchedness, and crime, and disease, and
death at the corners of our streets and along
the public rood We tell you plainly we can
not do il. These fountains of evil have been
open long enough. II is time they were clo-
sed. We cannot be guilty OF such wrong to
ourselves. We have iemes whom we love
and must protect. We have sons TO whom we
are looking for succor when the feebleness of
age shall come upon us, and we cannot be the
instruments of exposing them TO such peril
We look around on socety--we count even
INV Wuitc we utc WIitiIR, IldI score OF Iami-
lies reduced to great want and poverty by the
intemperance of fathers and husbands. We
look round again, and we count twice that
number of widows who were left in poverty
and wretchedness by the intemperance of hus-
bands who went down TO an early and an un-
honored grave. And with these cases before
our eyes, shall we he asked 10 vote for the con-
tinuance and multiplication of such miseries
and woes? 'sls there no flesh in mans obdu-
rate heait," that he should wish to perpetuate
the inexpressible evils of intemperancei Are
men so selfish as to desire the means of CRAFTY
ing their own appetite at such risk and such
an expense to their fellow men? Is this ''li5-
eroiiiy?" Must men be so "iiberap' in inflict-
ing misery on others! so iiiiberal when asked
To refraiu from sef-graificaiion for The benefit
Of society,"
We do not believe that the citizens of Wind
ham County are about to commit an act so SUI
icidal so destructive TO the best interests Of So
ciety, so injurious TO the welfare and prosperity
Of the County, as TO elect Commissioners who
will grant licenses for the sale OF alcohol as a
drink. They know too well the evils already
inflicted on this community 10 be Instruments
in perpetuating them.
MANY CITIZENS.