The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-01-26
For tie Register.
Which Party is most likely to hold

favor of the liquor law of So
The first is, find it out of my power
to stand by myself The community are
divided into two great parties, and if l
do not elect for myself, others will for
me. If | am not known TO go for the
law, / am claimed as belonging to the
opposing party And With a very large
portion of that party, | have never been
in favor. With very few exceptions they
are the same, and their weapons of de.
fence and warfare the same. az those for
the past 20 years opposed, in turn, to
each aud every effort of the temperance
party. Although l do not now nor ever
did feel bound to endorse all the temper
ancc party do. and although the present
law is not in all respects just as | would
have it, yet, | greatly prefer temperance
mon and measures, on the whole to
those of the other party. | confess it
would not be grateful to my feelings to be
carcssed, or even "honorcd," by all the
drinking and law-despising sons Of Yer
mont.
I'd Truth is in order to virtue. |
think the fact may be made apparent to
all that the greater amount of all that is
lovely and Of good report" is with the
temperance party and if it be true that
they, on the whole, are the best citizens
and truest to morality, then is il most
likely their creed is, on the whole, best ;
and the collective opinion Of that party.
on every matter Of law or morals. would
be most likely to be correct. Wisdom
and goodness are essential to correct O.
pinions. If thus it shall appear that the
temperance party, as a whole, are better
hrcrS thantho opposing party 1t furnishes
to my mind a good reason for adopting
their rte'cs Of laic ami constitution.
Sd Who, then, make up The law.oppo
sing partyl Many of their leaders are
indeed great men and honorable
but in their wake follow first.
and chiefly, the great company Of rum
sellers and rum-lovcrs next in order and
in the same wake, the great crowd of
petty offenders. midnight braw.ers, loaf
ers, carousers gamblers, profane swarcrs,
peace breakers fighters, man-slaycrs, and
criminals of every degree | do not
think that all these are of the party op
posed to law for the maintenance Of
Temperance but | d. think nino-tenths
of them will be found there Does any
doubt it Let US have authentic st4tis-
ties. then. At every conviction for
crime in the state of Vermont, during
the year, let the question be put, Did
you vote for the law against traffic in in
toxicating drinks ? Let us know how
many temperancclaw men are among
the law breakers.
Further, When the next Gems 8 Of
the state of New York is taken. let the
following questions find distinct an
swer: Let the signatures lie obtained
for or against lar, for the entire prohi
bition of traffic in strong drink, and sucl
other queries as shall determine fairl,
to which of the two great parties each
family properly belongs, then
LIST. Ascertain by the appropriate en-
quirics the average life of each party, in
GLIDING their offspring.
victions for crime in each party
Sd. The number in each party engag
cd in honorable productive business anC
the amount Of useful labor performed
by each party.
4th. The amount paid by the rcspec
tive parties for the support of govern
inent, of morals and of religion
Having attended to such statistics, a!
far as the history of the last 20 year,
has furnished them, | am prepared t,
venture the following estimate as neal
the truth The average of life in thes,
states being Is years, more or less, til,
temperance community will avcl age a
bout "a years, and the other party no
over II years The number Of arrest
for crime are as to in favor of til
temperance party. The productive bus
mess and the support to civil, moral az,
religious institutions, at least four to on
in favor of the temperance party. Doc
any doubt Let US then have the sta
tistics. Believing, then, that If, health
happiness aud virtue arc, each and al
shared, to by far the greatest extent. b
the temperance party, am the NOR
willing to receive the law Of their school
Besides,
4th. The action of the nnti-laN part
has greatly confirmed my convection
that they are in the wrong on the pres
ent question. Most of the party hav
always been openly opposed to all TEN
perance measures No.c, they claim t
be favorable to temperance, but thin
the law uyaroraJIe. This looks to
like compromising honesty. They CLAN
great veneration for the constitution
and yet, the constitution of Vermont, il
terms not easily mistaken. demands G
ficient legislation for the promotion c
" temperance" They claim that tn
law is unconstitutional at n dozen points
and yet, not one of them without
precedent, on tho statute book, agains
which they have never complained. But
Above ALL in attempting to show it
unconstitutionality, they FIRST caricdtny
tie lalo, and then point the finger c
scorn at their own caricature, or ma
of straw No one of the party has eve
attempted to show that the law is baC
or unconstitutional, if executed accordin
to the Interpretation of its friends
They intend, if possible, to get up az
ton under it, that shall violate the col
stitution. This they openly announce
This shows that the party are essentia
ly a unit, and that their opposition
really aimed, not at any particular fea
ture of the law, but at all Iaic on tn
subject, and even, at the cause itself
can not, therefore, think it safe to folio