Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-12-25

What then shall be donel There is no alterna.
tive but TO adopt the means which the present Il.
cense law has placed within our reach. When
moral suasion has failed, let legal suasion be en-
lployed. Elect commissioners who will withhold
license from every one who wishes to sell alcohol
as beverage, and thus remove the shield which
has hitherto been interposed between him and the
retribution he richly merits. If then, in defiance
OF public sentiment and Of Legislative enactment,
he persists ia his nefarious traffic, let the strong
hand Of the law be laid upon him. Visit him with
the punishment which the law provides for trans
gressors. and let him have Justice without mercy
who has shown no mercy" If this fail to remove
the evil, it must continue till rumseers cease to be
| actnaed by avarice, and rumdrinkers by appetite.
Bot while advancing these sentiments, we arc
met by the appeal, "Be liberal. License discreet
y and iudiciousy, and the public will receive no
detrlment" The past year has given us an insi gh
into the meaning Of the terms "discreety" aud 'iu-
diciously," as used by our opponents. In Windsor
county, IL is discreet and judcious" TO license
much larger number Of rumsellers in 1916, than
had been found necessary in any one Of the prece.
ding twenty years In Washington county, il is
"discreet aud judicous TO license all applicants
against whom no opposition is made. In Wind
ham county current report SAYS il is discreet aud
Iudcious' TO license all who apply, and lest some
who intended to apply may have forgotten, to sign
licenses in blank and leave them with third per.
son, 10 be filed out for the benefit of those who
may wish to obtain them when the commissioners
are not in session. All this may be very "iberal,"
but whether It be discreet and judicoSs," Judge
ye.
From another quarter our ears are deafened by
the cry Coercion, coercion. You cannot force
men TO be temperate. Say TO the rumseller DO
not sell but not you shall not SELL f" WHY is
not coercion as proper for rumseers as for Others
who infringe upon the rights of the public and
humanity? The law of this State innicts on .h,
vender of unwholesome provisions a heavy fne, vel
no one doubts the policy of that law, or cries ''co
ercion" when it is enforced So he who sells o.
circulates obscene books, or any publication 'tend
ing TO corrupt the morals Of youth" is punislabl
by fine or imprisonment. Who can gainsay tn,
expediency Of protecting the morals Of youth b,
such an enactment When these offences are Wis
tied by severe penalties, why should rumselling 90
unpunishedl 1t destroys health more than the
sale OF diseased provisions it corrupts morals
more than the circulation of obscene books. Even
handed justice should provide like punishments for
like offences, and the moral sense of community
should uphold executive and judicial officers in adj.
ministering those punishments. The solution Of
the mystery why the nmseller disapproves coercion
where himself is concerned while in other cases il
appears expedient and desirable, may perhaps best
be found in the old coupet,
''No rogue eer Eel, the halter draw
With good opinion Of the law"
Unless what we have advanced can be painsayed.
1t is the imperative duty of every citizen TO support
at the coming election, the nominees Of the tenn
Perance convention. But TO portion Of those
whom address, these considerations should come
with peculiar weight, namely, to those who have
long prolessed to have al heart the success of the
temperance reformation. Friends Of temperance,
the crisis which you have long labored to produce
mas arrived. You have been engaged in preparing
the public mind for the advent OF law like the
present. Now that you have obtained the. law, will
you suffer 1t by your apathy and lack Of interest
to become nuhy! Much Of your previous la
Dor mas ehded where 1t began-in talking of the
merits of your cause. You have talked long
enough, it is now time to act II you neglect 70
act, will you not deservedy incur the mputation of
oeing mere Missionaries, forming theories in which
you have not sufficient confidence TO reduce them
TO practice dreamers specializing on abstract prin.
ciples, but negecting 10 make those principles sub
serve any valuable purpose Such will be the in
ference drawn, and justly drawn, from your mac.
lion. Do you sincerely believe that the cause in |
which you are engaged is righteous one Then
show your belief, not by naked assen, to the mer-
It's OF the cause, but by hearty effort TO promote
1t, by zeal proportioned in some measure to the
value oil the object at which you aim.
1T were well if the friends of temperance would
take lesson on this subject from their opponents
These latter need no urging to induce them TO do
their work Like the silyersmhs Of Ephesus.
there is no small stir among them when they per. |
celve that their craft is in danger They rally in
defence OF their principles with an alacrty which |
should put to the blush those who are engaged in a
better cause No trivial matter cold, storm. or in
disposition, detains them from the polls No OBJ
ectlon to the political or religious creed of the |
is of sufficient weight TO distract sin
gle vote. They march in an unbroken phaanx of |
men really interested in their work. to meet adyer-
'arIes who lack discipline, union and enthusiasm.
md the result Of the contest is not at all 10 be won
Tered at. Their victory in this county last year
vas owing to this cause almost exclusively The
'ote then given was indication of The real
strength of the parties but the friends of temper
lnce were not at the polls, while its enemies we're
Shall it be so this year,
The attempt to throw of responsibility is idle
L cannot be thrown off, He that is not with ms il
against us. The vote which is withheld from the
temperance candidates is given to their opponents.
! is an established principle in ethics that he, who
oreseeng an evil has power to prevent it, and does
lot, IS accessory TO the wrong How many professed
rends Of temperance by doing nothing were ae- |
completes in the election of licensing commission.
'rs last year, Many more, it is to be feared, than
ire willing TO admit it, But whether they admit ii
'r not, II is true that the moral character of their
neglect is perfectly concident with that of the acts
II their opponents. Let it not be so this year.
BE willing TO meet the responsibility which YOU
'annot evade, and let each act il the success of
he cause depended on his individual exerton.
Finally friends Of temperance, stand FAST
luit you like men. Be consistent in principle and
n Practice do your whole duty honestly and
earessly, that when the result of the election is
made known, each of you can have the satisfaction |
II saying, 81 have done what could TO effect the
yood, or to avert the i'll :"