Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-01-04

Eiutusu Neil-0en@s 1t was our dUtY 10
guard the weak and the youthful from
the fascination Of drink, by prohibiting
the sale Of Intoxicating drinks in our VII
lage2 We had as much the right to do
this, as the right to restrain or prohibit
the snle of poison. 1T was a measure Of
self-protection as legitimate as any ether.
Who was 10 be wronged by it? TIE
man who, too idle to work, sought to I've
by corrupting his neighbors, and sowing
broadcast The seeds of vice, crime, de-
prayity and eternal death? No-not
even he was to suffer wrong. Better
fai,eyen Cor him, that he should be COM
PEELED 10 do service in society in.order to
get his bread. In every view therefore,
the restriction I then urged was The right
one. But you, my fellow citizens, called
my reasoning f;1llacious, and me visionary
or tyranical.
swell, in the twenty years which
have passed since I first advocated an en-
tire restriction Of the sale here, have
seen more than twenty Of our most prom
ising young men-some Of their gray
haired fathers are here to-night--thrust
down into drunkards' graves. Why, my
friends, he spoke now with a sudden,
indignant energy" one Of those young
men, with his intellect undimmed, would
have been worth a thousand of the mis-
cradle wretches who destroyed them, and
for whose maintenance you SO generous
/ ly provided the trade of dram-selling.-
How my heart swells and throbs, and al
most sufocates me with Indignation at the
very thought. But ah, how inpotently.' .
Mournfully, very mournfully and low,
were these last words.
"Well, my friends" " he resumed after
pause, "to support the idle, vicious
dram-seller, you sacrifice the rising hope
of your village. Unto the bloody No
Ioch you brought your sons. For twenty
years I have set on the bench, and I viii
say now before God and man, that in
nine cases out Of ten, every crime and
outrage which has taken place within
that period. in this county. was tracea-
bic, directly or indirectly, to the use Of
intoxicating drinks.
And the history of crime all over our
land gives but a parallel testimony
And yet the rum-scllari is protected in his
rccursed traliic-is regularly licensed to
destroy the bodies and souls Of your
neighbors and children and If We all,
whose hopes IL LIE are blasted by the
evil, lift our voices against It, and ask for
its suppression by the firm hand Of The
law, we are branded with coarse epithets,
and called visionary and fanatical die
turbers of settled order, &C.
"Show me any good that has been
dode in P, by dram-drinking.-
Show me a man made more thrifty and
virtuous-a better husband, father and
citizen. Bring him here tonight and
let US look upon him. Where is he:
Alas, he is not to be found You cannot
show the good, bat tie evil God help
us-it is everywhere.
my friends, you all know that and
mine have been cursed with this curse;
but how deeply, few have Imagined
Let ne lift the curtain for you tonight
lift If for moment, and then let it fail.
forever. Three sons grew up 10 man
hood. True hearted, clear minded, toey
were, and full Of promise for the future
One studied law, one medicine, and the
other chose the life Of d farmer. used
no intoxicating drinks in my house, and
yet these three goodly sons sleep IN
drunkards' graves. Beyond my oun
house / could not protect them. Temp
tation was on every hand-temptation
sanctioned BY law, and made re speelable
through the blind favor Of men whose
position gave influence to their precept
and example. Like other young men,
they had their weakness; Ike other
young men they moved pleasantly along
in the smooth current Of the world, al
unheeding The danger by which they
we're surrounded, until resistance to tie e.
downward course was hopeless.
Three years ago tic eldest was
thrust from one Of our taycIus 1t q late
hour in the night and falling upon the
pavement received a wound on iAe head
tliat producedinsaDily. Hois since dead. !
Tic second after six months abstinence,
was enticed INTO the SAME den Of evil, by
some wicked men who knew ltis veal
ness. lie fel never to oriae again. Tn.
happy young man How bard b. a.la.-'
eled with Id appetite. Oh, igB bitterly
have 5een Ain aeep i0a au ly I
Laye heard ii.m pray Ia t'e .a.ely aislit