The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1845-01-16
WALTONS' VERMONT REGISTER.
TIA few copies can be ornd in the front Room olthC
Post OhcC rrce IL -2 cents.

TIA few copies can he iornd in the front Room Of tho
Post Office. Price IL l-2 cents.
THE QUESTION AND OUR POSI-
TON.
The question which has agitatcd the
County Of Windsor, for month past, is
settled for the present Had it been left
upon fair and open ground,a we present
cd it at first and ,hc lrcemcn OF the county
have been permitted to come to the ballot
box in their own way and express their
opinions calmly, the strife, contentious
and unpleasant agitation which has been
experienced, would have been avoided
OF this truth we think all our readers will
be convinced by reviewing the whole
subject in controversy, from the position
we took in the AGE, of December s. to
the close of the campaign. Our position
was, as follows viz:
The QUESTION is now fairly before the
people. Let US have fair eXpression.-
If the real friends of temperance, in look
ING about them, and marking the cXtra,r-
binary changes in public opinion upon
the soul-destroying use Of ardent spirit,
and which has been achieved solely by
persuasion, become satisfied that they
can advance the cause still more rapidly
by bringing the law to their aid-why, SO
be it. All We ask Of them, is, to weigh
the matter well, before they act. In
temperance is an cyil--but how shall we
correct it; that is the question, The
cause has prospcred in the statc-how
shall we best still further advance it,
Friends of Temperance! you who have
no political Or personal ends to be served
by the temperance cause, the whole qnes-
ton is in your hands, Act caImly--act
deliberately, and for the good, the last
ing good ofthe cause
We stated the Question in its true
light, expressed our own feelings upon it,
and requested our readers to act dclibor-
ateIy ard Understandings. We were
not ignorant ofthc fact, that among the
good friends Of Temperance there was
some difference Of opinion, in regard to
measures best calculated to promote the
great ends in view, viz. the ultimate dis
use of ardent spirit, as beverage IN
decd, the differences of opinion are wide
extremely so in some instances. Some
temperance men are for legislating
vigorously; others, for removing all legal
restraint in the traffic; and others still,
for lcgislating as fast and as lar,as pub
lie opinion will bear, and permit the law
to be carried into execution, as laws in
general are, to the violation of which pen
alties arc affixed. We belong to the latter
class.Wc would not attempt to force Publ
ic Opinion by law; but, sustain by laws
adapted to its moral attainmcnts. We do !
not mean that no laws should be enacted, !
simply because they moy bcyiolatcd; but,
no laws, the obcious icndcncy ofwhich will
be to prockc rioiaijoas and iacrcoSc the
eoils Mcy pretend to diminish
That We have uniIormcrly presented
the question at issue, in manner
that it might be fairly understood, we re-
fer to any paper IN which it has been
by us. Nor should we have had
any occasion to pursue the subject, after
what was said in the paper OF Dec. ),
had not Haskell's Mercury, cditcd by a
restless demagogue, who had just mount
cd the Temperance hobby for political |
conc out upon us with the
loulcst aspcrsions; distorting our position
and representing us as being in favor of
intoXication and all concomi-
tant evils! and all this abuse heapcd upon
us, for occupying the same ground in re-
gard to Temperance and the means best
adapted to It's favorable results, that the
wisest, the most prudent and judicious
men have, in all our societies and Tenn
Derarco Conventions! We were indig-
lan' at the unproyoked assaults, and
urned the weapons which were aimed at
our head, upon those who welded them;