The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-03-05

the accumulation Of interest One of them
~, Rev Ebrnrzrr Al,.n ir, who oliiciatrd
IT Mr. Webster, funeral III. X.
For lnr Cal-Ioniau
II the people are true to themselves, mex.
September will send the Vermont Liquor Law
to slumbrr with its ancestors. the Alien and
S.t.ltion Laws. md tn" old Blue Laws OF
Connccticut."- P,,trt"'.
We confess we DO not quite understand the
Patrio'', theory Of appealing iran the people
70 The pcnil=. When Philip of Macedon, i'll
a fit OF in;oxica;ion. pronounced an unjust
Judgment upon u woman. she rXclaimed.-
II appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober"
Doe. the Patriot propose to reverse the pro-
crdure, and appeal from the people sober to
the people drunk In no other way can the
decision of the people on the Vermont Liquor
Law tc reversed That decision was sobcrly
Ina4c. All the arguments that its friends and
is enemies had to offer were presented to
the people through the press, and from the
lips Of the orator. Every man in the State
who had an opinion on the subject and thought
his opinion worth expressing, had an oppor-
tunity Of expressing it at the ballot-boN. The
aggregate of that opinion i, decidedly in favor
Of the law in other words, the people have
laid Let the Vermont Liquor Law stand
On the Statute Book"
Under our form of government. 1.-THE peo-
pie" il synonymous with the majority OF the
people" And this majority need not be a
majority Of AL who have right to vote. ioy
10 man can be compelled either to have an
opinion or to express it. 1t is sufficient that
majority of those who choose to vote pro-
nGrnrr IN favor Of a man or a measure The
Patriot then uses the word people as a dem
a9o@ue would Use Il, in addressing that por-
ton of thc people who can be Influenced by
appeals to their passions. their a7petites. their
prcirdiccS. or any other low and unworthy
motives. Ifthe people-thc real pcople-the
majority Of the pcople-''provc true to them
selves" and the legislature proves true to the
people. the Liquor Law will not he repealed
until that far distant dav, when. according TO
The H,'nd"n P"r. the redemption "f Yer
mont" viii be accoi. plished by the Vermont
Patriot.
The Yer, object of submitting the question
10 popular vote was to prevent the further
agitation of the >nl.ject. The balance of pow
er in the Legislature was held by men who
were willing the people should have the law
if they wanted it. and were unwilling to force
the law upon the people if they did not want
it. 1t was almost universally understood i"
and about the Legislature that the vote OF the
people WIS to hn regarded as instructions TO
the legislature I'thc people vote ives" the
law was to 20 into effect: ii they voted no"
the operation OF the law was postponed till
AFTER another session of the Legislature. for
the very purpose, and no other. of allowing
the LEGISLATURE TO repeal the law As instruct
=,
.'''' WISH VI,
Legislature 10 r,i'"al the law. in violation of
the instruction, OF tie pcoplc: II so. it had
better renouncr its cltint. to be called liam
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