Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-12-18
For tho Watchman and Journal
TO THE FREEMEN AND FRIENDS OF
rVEMpEp ANTE IN NASIIINGTON co

IL HE FhGEMEN AMI Il hlENDEo VI
TEMPERANCE IN WASHINGTON co.
The day appointed by statute is at hand when
you are again called upon to assemble at the polls
in your respective towns, and declare by your vote,
whether not it is your will that individuals shall
be licensed in various parts of the county to sell
intoxicating drinks as beverage. FreeInen OF
Washington county, why should this traffic be en-
couraged? and why should certain individuals be
allowed, in consideration of paying few dollars
into your treasury, to have the exclusive privilege
of conducting tins traffic? If the traffic in ntoxl-
eating drinks is fair and honorable business, why
trammel it by monopolies? If the business is fair
and honorable, and useful why not let all who
choose enter into fair competition IN it If it is
a fair and honorable business, why is one man to
be licensed to enter it, and another prevented from
entering it? Is this the way you treat the business
Of selling bread stuils, or dry goods? or the way
you treat the business Of selling wood, or hay, or
fruits, or any other article? There may be no OBJ
lection to making it necessary for man to be IL !
censed by law to do business that is honorable |
and usefu-that is, tax his business for proper rea
sons but it would be an anomaly, in this country,
to see a man licensed to sell bread, clothing, or
any other useful article, to the exclusion of others
that might apply for license on equal terms! Now
the greatest advocates for licensing rum-selng do
not profess themselves in favor of licensing every
body that appies-their declared object is to res
train the traffic. Why, then, if the traffic is right
and honorable and useful to community, is any one
l IL,
pay the price of license? But if you acknowl-
edge, with us, that the traffic in and use of intoXi
eating drinks are in their tendencies evil, directly
evil, and certainly evil, and that you would confine
the business to a few in each town, in order to cir
cumscrbe the evil, where is your consistency? If
the business is iUrong, why license any body to
conduct it? Have you natural or an acquired
right to license any body to do wrong? Do you
diminish your guilt by combining the evil to few
by your act, when by your own act you might pre-
vent the evil from being egalized? Is my guilt
less when | commit small sin than when | com
nit great one? Certainly not,-my guilt is no
less, though my sin is greater Why, then, we
ask, shall an honest freeman of this or any other
county cast his vote in favor of licensing few
men to do that which he would not for the world
have every body do, if they chose and that too,
because the tendency Of the thing is evil? Now
it is not expected that the above reasonngwll have
any weight with the man who denies that the ten
dency the direct and certain tendency of the traffic
in intoxicating drinks, is evil. 1t is not supposed
that man has been convinced yet by all the suffer.
ings of wives, nor the tears of orphans, nor the
wretchedness of parents and friends, the guilt
of drunkards, that in the sad business of selling
rum there is any evil tendency We appeal to
such men as conscientousy believe the traffic in
liquors is not only unfair traffic, rendering no
equivalent in the article sold for the money receiv-
ed, like as when exchanging the counterfeit money
for the true you give that which has no intrinsic
nor representative value for that which has but to
such know, also, that untold sufferings and
rows flow directly and indirectly from the business
ineetably.
But you say, perhaps, men will have intoxicating
drink and its sale had better be restrained, by put
ting it into the hands of respectable men, and SC
diminishing its use, than TO leave it open to all.
Have you right to do evil that good may come
Have you a right to encourage man to do little
evil that greater evil may be prevented? that is
have you right to choose between moral evils
either in kind or quality Have you q right TO say
to feiU men, you may do that which is wrong il
fact and effect, professedy to prevent larger nun
70 Der doing the same? We utterly deny it! If the
traffic we speak of is in any way injurious legti
mately to community, and no corresponding goot
can be affirmed of the business, you have no mora
IL right, inherent or acquired to countenance it il
[c community. And can any good be reasonably af
firmed, arising from the traffic in intoxicatin!
"A drinks as a beverage!
- But you express your doubts, perhaps, whethe
D. public sentiment is sufficiently matured on thi
a. subject, to carry out the execution of penalty 70
H. selling liquors contrary to law. If that is So VIII
, \ is not the objection good against the license o
:" some, and the refusal to license others, which
Us now the case in this county? But would inquire
of what is public sentiment? Who constitutes it i
is this matter? Suppose majority of the freeme
a. of this county say by their votes that license
shall be granted within the bounds of the count
ia to sell intoxicating drinks, is not that expressln
nd the public sentiment of the county? And if Sc
it, what have you to do but express your will, an
h. let every other freeman do the same? But is
possible to convict men of violating the law, aftt
OF they are prosecuted for the offence? We answe
m If the offence be proved against man, and the r
his ers VIII not pronounce him guilty they perure
,le men, and the responsibility would fall their
X, pate, not on you nor on the law neither would
he mar the reasonabeness nor righteousness of til
ell law Public sentiment in this State is in favor
the prohibition of the vsfic in intoxicating drink
1t has been expressed in several ways most INTEL
gbly. |. The passage of the law in 1914 givir
so the fIeemen of the several counties the privilege
declaring their will in regard to the traffic with
oSt their bounds, far as it went expressed such
raj sentiment 2. The vote in the State at the ele
inc ton in January showed majority in favor of pr
H. hbtng the traffic. 3. The unsuccessful attem
' at the hast session Of the Legislature to repeal Il
to law, and that too by an Assembly elected amid Il
excitement created by the operation of the la
,llv most clearly indicated the type of public sentme
at in the State in this matter.
bv There is public sentiment in the State preva
on ing in favor Of prohibiting the traffic, and all tn
be is necessary under our present law to place tt
anv State on the same height with Massachusetts Al
ned Connecticut, is to embody that public sentiment
IRA the polls.
and But will not moral suasion do better to destr
med the evil deplore than physical coercion throu
,rtu the arm Of the law? Moral suason has done mu
eJ for country within the last fifteen years to d.
nsb troy the evils of the traffic and of ntoxcati
ter drinks. 1t has induced thousands of conscienio
I to men to abandon them altogether. But there is
the certain class, who may be called the residuum
for the evil, in this business still, who deaf to
last appeals of moral suasion, and lock their hea
has against an thet can DC sara 10 the,n, ana TAKE
* Of uge WIN ihel gods oehlhd lne smeiu OIL your
lie" cense' Ihere Is class OF men, VINO can ne
be induced by all the cries, and signs, and stuff
i'' ings of an injured community to give up this bu
tant ness while money is TO be made in it 1t is Of
no by the stern arm of the law that they can be
nave rested in their injurious work, and be constrair
toes T..-....1'.a IN, H.
the nolls on The frSt day 81 I6n"or,, and cast "