Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-01-24
Vermont State Temperance Society.

ond Wednesday (the 8th) of January, l845, at
10 o'clock A. M.
The convention was called to order by the
President, Erastus Fairbanks, Esq, ofSt. Johns
bury, and prayer offered by the Rev. DR.. Mer-
rl of Middlebury.
The proceedings of the last annual meeting
were read, and the remainder of the morning was
taken up in appointing Committees.
Afternoon.
After some general discussion, the hour for
hearing the Central Committees report having
arrived, the committee submitted the following
REPORT.
TO the Vermont Temperance Society,":
In calling, briefly, the attention of the State
Society to those things which seem to be Of chief
and immediate Importance, the Central Commit
tee observe that the year past has given a new
complexion to our prospects, and opened new
varieties of duty, and at least one new field OLA
Dor. Through the entire period following the
last anniversary the e~xertions of our friends, in
large sections, at least, of the state, have been
put forth with an unusual degree of hope and
vigor. The results, if not so complete as an ar
dent benevolence might have expected, have GER
tainly exceeded the anticipation of those whom
experience has instructed in the righteousness of
the process and the slownes8 of the detail by
which great and good measures are commonly
brought to pass. Our recent experience, never
theless, holds out the promise of some things,
which have been the hope of years, and vorges
towards a practical commentary, In some partic-
ulars, on the trite remark, that endeayors long
persevered in, with but partial encouragement
meet, often, in the end, with sudden and unex-
pected success.
Two distinct adVancements or manifestations
of public opinion-similar in their class, but di.
vers in their forms, and occurring at periods Of
the year distant from each other-may be ap-
pealed to in evidence of the foregoing remarks
In the earlier period of the year the question Of
granting or refusing licenses to vend Intoxicating
drinks was brought, in many towns of the State,
to an express vote; and, in the great majority Of
those towns, the vote was strong and full for re.
fusal. In many other instances the boards Of
town authority a to a similar decision. The
instances ofthis description, without going into
particulars, in comparison with those of the OPP
posite, were so numerous as to encourage the be-
lief that the long continued labors to throw upon
this subject the light necessary to a sound public
sentiment are about to succeed. Still more Wor.
thy of mention is the fact that, at a subsequent
period, the petitions sent to the legislature, III
conformity with the recommendations of your so
- ~ A. au,,,oI v,oo4,,roe I on vu1ieh NAV
ed for so much protectlon-or rather opportuni
ty for protection-as would consist in giving Tho
question of license to the people, in their prima
ry capacity, were answered by enactments at once
effective and consonant to the spirit of our Anne
rican institutions.
In a community SO purely republican as ours
it is the natural and unimpeachable issue of ques
tons affecting the body polite to be brought be
fore the body for immediate adju dication. Blu
out of this republican issue and course of thing
there arise special duties of personal nature
The conscientious citizen, constituting as h
does, one member of the primary and suprem
assembly fer the final adjudication of matter
6 which he p~erceives to involve the public welfar
or detriment, cannot excuse himselffrom being
o his post and casting a vote for the general hal
piness Again, after the adjudication shall hay
. become complete-he will feel that laws and d.
cisions become operative only by execution; an
that the execution of the laws can take place OF
2 ly by the agency of citizens in cooperation wit
courts and ministers Of justice. If barns al
q fired it is republican to point out the mcendlarJ
- in a case ofmurder, it is republican to raise tt
f cry and unite in the pursuit; iftheft and robbel
i and forgery take place, it is eminently republic
q an to bring them to the cognizance Of law: an
,r Oh the same principle and by the same ~necessit
10 if, by the vending of illegal commodities, the Hv
of citizens are wasted and families are robbed
"a wealth and-yet worse-of the domestic pea
which wealth cannot repay it is at once antl-r
publican and indiscreet not to draw the practl
h from its lurking place and cooperate for its co
%viction in the capacity as occasion may direct,
to Judge, iuryman, prosecutor Or witness. Her
then, fellow-citizens, IN contemplating the col
monwealth's necessities and those duties viii
the general happiness enjoins upon the either
let us discern the path of truly upright and no
>, orable action.
10 Soon after the meeting of 1914, the Cent
Committee induced Mr.. Moses F. Parish, ofMI
= sachusetts, in view of the pledges Of action of t
# Society, to engage as State Agent. Mr.. Parl
has prosecuted his labors from that time forwaI
w. and has diligently devoted to our service the a
re pie experience which he brought from his 10
occupied field in the state just mentioned. L
CT an account of Mr.. Parish's Iabors and their
suits, in part, we refer you 70 his Report to t
tIv Central Committee which accompanies this Dc
- ument of our own With respect to our pect
,vo iary agreement with Mr.. Parish, it ought to be
rn- served that the stipulation agreed upon, that
he salary should be paid cut of his collections, v
intended simply to avoid apersonal pecuniary
sponsibility on the part ofthe Central Commit
ant and not to subvert any just expectations VIII
,at might be based either upon the State Soclet
or action at the annual meeting referred to, or
- the ennitable or generous disposition OF the TX