The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-11-17
CATRCnIsr AVID CATECHIsED.

disregard while other. open a road into some
very vital considerations, touching this whole
subject of legislation upon temperance. The
doSmaticaI and uncivil course Of tn" S'andUd
has been so constant that we trust We shall
be excused if We do not entertain very high
regard for that sheet, nor coincide with many
of its measures. The Standard pretends TO
be the Sir Oracle Of temperance, and "by ac-
tual correspondence with enterprising tempe
rance mea, in different parts Of the State" "
considers itself qualified to have an intcl!i-
gent opinion in the case before u.s." We do
not aspire to quite so large field, but we do
know "enterprising temperance men" in his
section Of the State are very far from endors-
ing the course Of the Standards: and neither
do they relish its sickening glorifcaton Of
Dr. Powers. nor its blatant denunciations Of
those who do not happen to believe in all its
schemes If the Standard was believed to be
the organ of the temperance men Of the State,
We are persuaded temperance men would be
fewer than at present. As it is, TIE cause is
weakened. and the popularity Of the law i'm
paired by having such an advocate. This is
the opinion held by ninetentlls o! the tempe
rance men in this vicinity, and we presume
the case is the same elsewhere. With the
other one-t"nth the .NondarJ may hold an
exceedingly "active correspondence for
any thing we know or care; but that such
men are ar: 10 be .iuiicious above what the law
allows. the course Of the Nand,ud aLundantly
iisrroves.
The Nou.3,u1 takes issue with our CORES
pendent, OBSERVER. u on the point whether
the people have g settled down upon the law
as i is" This question is easily enough dis
posed of by referring TO the failure @: Dr. Pow
ers' bill in the Legislature at its present ses-
sion. And tie fact that the enemies of a
prohibitory law were ready to vote in favor
of his BILL is satisfactory evidence that they
considered the present law based upon more
enduring foundation than the proposed one
would rest UPON.
- But We are willing 70 90 back still far
ther, and discuss the question whether the
people ought to settle down upon the law is
it is" To this we distinctly say no. There
should be no setting dorm upon any law
which involves principle against which
mems arpetiteS are continually at war. The
&md,u'l seems to say Only give US law
enough aud We will totally ex.irI ate TIE ,raf-
fc in Intoxicating drinks. Such schcm we
confess, looks little Utcpian to our vision.
and we imagine will never be realized so long
as men are human. There are some imnos-
,iole things in this world. Sir CatcchiS'. and
il is unwise to fret ones gizzard ahOTt chem
more than occasion requires. \ good art
u,.icioUs law will do much to corr. Ct the evil
Of drunkenness - good ard iudcous law
and Il tone II p.jl,c sentiment wlich >us'nu.s
he lac and brings to bear upon community
all the weiyh.v Influences which control hu-
man action in other matters will do all that
can be done Such a law now stands upon
the statute book of the Safe Of Vermont Il
doubtless is defective in some points-a as what
law is not - but few amendments would
make it one Of the most perfect laws Of the
kind ever enacted and if these friends :
of temperance would see that such amend
ments are made, Instead of trumping up
law which would in short time ruin all pro
hbltory legislation upon the subject, il would
show more wisdom in them. and be Of more
service to temperance than Ludlow Convcn-
tions, or than cart-Icads Of incorporate S,aml
ards. Such state of things as we have III,
dicated, and such law as few amendment,
would make of the present one. the peopl,
hare settled down upon" and all the bel
iowinss and bea.i6c platitudcs Of the Standard
can not stir them from it.
as much as the Standard deems proper. VI
think quite likely. We have no particular
mission to accomplish in regard to tempe
rance. The range of human interest is
wide one, and one little sheet can not NEE,
half the demands upon its columns, ever
without crowding it fall of matters about
which there is little difference of OPINION
If the Standard prefers another course it j:
no concern of ours, and is more fitting as i,
is confessedly a temperance paper. But even
in its columns it is rare that one can find a
single paragraph Of " discussion" The pa
per is made up week after week, column af
ter column, of three things, namely:
l. Laudations of DR.. Powers cd nauseun.
ii. The longer catechism, by Rev. Melchis
edek IIowler
III. Doughtaces," "demacocues," tools,
toadies, " fossils" funkies," Sc, &c, &c
For discussion" its readers usually ce,
something in this fashion: We merely not,
the heads in the argument
Pro,vstion-Dr. Powers liquor bill is miracle
of wisdom and seven days wonder Of MASTER,
legislation.
Dtmcastraf,cu. - Do vou know a. much as DR.
Powers! Have YOU ever ahored for temperate.
as much as DR.. Powers? Are your loJits bette
than those Of Or. Powers? and 50 on indefinitely
C"fNTy. l. What grea: man DR.. Powers mus
he to have conceived such bill.
CO,,Hrru Eyery l., J,- 1b, dove ,oroo ,r;.l
him are rum-seers and demagoCues.
Sholtun. What an exceedingly acute little Ma,
we the editor o. the Nnndar,') must be to find th
all out without any boy telling Us.
/ There: if we have mt indicated the usua
range Of the Standards " discussion vel
try AGAIN. For the nresenf M. forhaar