Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-12-25
To the Electors Of the County Of Windham.

duties at the approaching election of County Com
missioners In the exercise Of the elective fran
chise on that occasion, you are 90 incur weighty
responsibility as the result Of ne election will az
feet, in greater or less degree, the interests NOR
al, social, and pecuniary Of every member of the
community. BY 1t you will decide whether the
traffic alcohol, with its host of attendant evils
shall be licensed for another year. or whether the
sanction Of law shall be withheld from that traffic
and those who choose TO continue it, in violation of
law, shall be lei exposed to the mered indignation
OF honest men, aud the punishment which the law
metes out to Ks usnsgressors. In view of this re.
SUIT II Is important that you act deliberately I'M
derstandingly, conscienuousIy Deliberately be-
cause the act cannot be recalled, nor its effects
arerted Nnderstandingly because it is the prerop-
alive OF rational man to have reason for the faith
which is in him, and the manner in which that
faith developes itself in works; conscentiously
because you must answer for it, not only at the bar
oil public opinion, bat OF higher tribunal which
will hold you responsible for every vote you cast
as well as for every other deed you commit De-
string to act IN this manner ourselves, we come be-
fore you with an exposition of the principles which
guided that Convention in the nomination of can
didates for County Commissioners and by which
they believe the citizens Of this County should be
actuaed in deposlting their votes for those officers
The points now at issue between the opponents
OF licensed rumselling and its advocates are but
lew. The arguments which the latter have advance
ed TO support their cause have been demolished one
by one, till scarce a wreck is left behind They
now resort to rhetoric than to logic they ap-
peal to the passions apd preudices rather than to
the understandings Of men. They thus conquer
by numbers those whom they cannot vanquish by
sound, convincing argument On the other hand,
the friends OF temperance, while they are not des-
titute oil arguments addressed the finer feelings
OF the heart rest their mainly on the inynci-
BILE logic OF facts and Of self evident principles
1t is fundamental principle in all social organi-
cations, that the interest of the parts shall yield to
the welfare Of the whole when they come in con-
flct Every one necessarily gives up some of his
natural rights when he connects himself with soci-
ETY., and the good citizen readily allows his private
interest TO suffer, if necessary to shield the public
from harm. We wish to believe that all whom we
address, admit the truth of these principles and
will act upon them at the coming election 1t is
not to be denied that if temperance commissioners
are elected in this county, the interests of ndivd-
uals may be affected injuriously the profits of the
retailer and innkeeper may be diminished, and ma
ny who have acquired fondness for alcoholic
drinks may be compelled TO forego the accustomed
gratlhcation of their appettes. While we admit
all TINS, yet we affirm as tenable position, that it
Is the duty oil these very men TO vote for temper.
ance commissioners. 1t is the natural right of the
former 10 sell what he Pleases to whom he
pleases. and OF the latter to buy and to drink what
he peases: but when the exercise of these natural
rights proves Injurious to the public of which they
are part It becomes their duty, and as good citi-
zens they should deem it their privilege, surren-
der those rights. IT, then, we can establish the
proposition, that the sale aud use of ardent spirits
as beverage, is Injurious community and
should therefore be discontinued our task will be
accomplished.
Whatever may have been the public sentiment
at any past time, is now hardy enough to
deny that Intemperance is a most prolific source Of
evil The most deluded votary of alcohol is the
swltest witness against it, and though unable to
resist the aurements of appetite he is painfully !
conscious Of the wrong he inhcts on himself and |
others by its indulgence. The rumseller himself |
does not defend ntemperance, but declaims against
it with as much apparent sincerity if he were not
accessory TO all the evil which he deprecates And
In maintenance Of this proposition, voices are dali
ly heard from the miserable home Of the drunkard.
nom the jail, the state prison, and the poor house.
Prociaiming with trumpet tongues, that inemper-
ance occasions the larger part Of the crime suffer-
ing, and pauperism in the community
The existence and magnitude of the evil being
admsted, the question arises what remedy is appli-
cable and efficient? To solve this question, the
best powers of some of the best minds in the cou-
try have been exerted, since the commencement of
the effort to relieve our land from the tyranny of
intemperance. The first remedy on which reliance
was placed, and which did not wholly disappoint
the expectations Of its advocates, was moral sua-
sion, addressed to the unfortunate victim of alcohol
with the view OF Persuading him by force Of reason
to relinquish his cups. Has this proved itself ade-
quate TO the work Confessedly not Ii has in
deed done much good, and the annals of the late
Washingtonian movement furnish cheering evil
dence that moral suasion has rescued many a slave
OF alcohol from his long protracted bondage. But
moral suason has been demonstrated TO be neffi-
cient in influencing the minds of MANY 1t has
done It's work, and its mission is apparently fulfilled
For many years IT has been the principal agent of
the friends OF temperance, and its capacities have
been fully tested till most of the good which it can
do in this cause has already been accomplished
Those who are accessible by moral means have
been feached, but there are many, too many, whose
minds are besotted aud their moral perception
deadened by long saturaon with alcohol till truth
is as poweress to affect them as arrows were to
pierce Leviathan Of old So long as the means of
indulgence are within their reach they will drink.
though bankruptcy, disease. and death, are at the
bottom Of the bowl.
III these considerations are true, land who can
assert to the contraryO il is apparent that the
temptation must be removed, or the evil will con-
tnue TO exist and the efforts of the friends of re-
form VIII be abortlFe. How, them shall the temp
iation be removed! In other words, how shall the
traffic in alcohol be stopped Shall the rumseller
be appealed to, by moral suason This too, has
been tried, and if il was inefficient with the rum
drinker, it has been perfectly impotent with the
Fumseiler. He has already been addressed times
and ways without number, with the hope that if he
did not yield to the force of reason and the die
taies of his moral sense, he might at least like the
unjust Judge be wearied by our continual coming,
and grant to our perseverance,. what he denied to
the justice OF our claims. He has been repeatedly
arraigned at the bar of conscience which t;il