The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-12-18
TO THE FRIENDS OF TEMPER
ANCE IN ADDISON CO.

At a County Convention held in Middle
bury. on the 10th inst, when the proceeding
nomination Of County Commissioners for the
year ensuing was made, The undersigned were
appointed to address the citizens of the COun-
| ~ in relation to the ruinous consequences OF
authorizing persons to sell Intoxicating
| liquors, TO be used as beverage, or in Other
words to be drunken when not needed; aud
also 10 take such other measures as the in
terests Of Temperance shall require.
| 1t has been proved, that system Of licen-
SEES, even under all the prudential regula-
| tons, that Legislators have imposed, has not
STAYED the progress of intemperance; and
that, in those parts Of the country, where IL
ceuses have been Withheld, the tide Of inebri-
alton has been wonderfully checked, and pau
perism and crime greatly prevented. Shall
we 6ot derive wisdom from the experience
ofotbers In this County the experiment of
licensing the sale of Intoxicating liquors has
been tried and the evils Of intemperance, ex-
cept as checked by other means, have become
appalling. 1t is now proposed, rs remedy
to have licenses wiihholden, except foT me
dicinal, chemical or mechanical purposes, as
they have been in Massachusetts. wherethe
experiment was tried by portion of The State,
with such cheering results, that finally every
County has adopted the system.
1t is not our object the present week ~
call your attention TO but few topics. We
desire however as proposed by the Conven-
rion to call the attention ofth various Tenn
perance organizations Temperance friends
in the County. The time for action is short.
In less than three weeks we shall witness
a result, that will be most cheering, or: espe-
cialIy to large number. whose friends or
neighbors have suffered by the license system,
most appalling. Al such crisis. it is ex
pectcd that every Temperance Society and
every Temperance mar will do his duty"
Great care should be taken that none Of the
friends of Temperance are deceived and
thrown over to the wrong side by false reports.
1t has already been said most untruly, that
our object is to prevent the sale of liquors to
be used even for medicinal, chemical and me- !
chanical purposes. Ifthere are any individ- !
uaIs in the country, cherishing such SEMI !,
menis, we have certainly no sympathy with !
them. One Of our number was member Of
the Committee. who nominated the Commits /
siouers, and well recollects, that, in the pri- |
vate session Of that board, it was stated, in |
answer to question on the subject, and ap- /
Pdreutiy Win Tue dCquieScchCC VI al PteseHt,
that none Of us thought Of restraining the
sale for medicinal, chemical. aud mechanical
purposes. Such men were nominated, and
one of them was present, as it was under !
stood. would in every town, at least SO far |
that the whole county should be well accom-
modated. license such sale; and also such inns
as would afford to travellers everything they
ever enjoyed except those liquors. which it is
settled are never needful to persons enjoying
full health, and cannot be freely Sold as |
license. Except restricted as we proppse,)
and must allow, without jeop-
arding the interests Of a certain portion of the
whose welfare we feel hound to
consult.
The sentiments of those who nominal
ed the Commissioners were so well un.
derstood. that as honorable men they
most unquestionabIy would have declined
the nomination, If they had not concur.
red substantially in the views Of those