Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-25

The Chronicle objects to cur calling its editors
" old fogies," and goes out of its way step or
more to sheer at the article in the Freeman, two
weeks since, upon the abolition Of alcoholic Ii
quors, saying that it " contains nothing specially
new on the subject, it having long been known
that most of the liquors sold are both manufac-
tured and drugged." Now we think. from its
course in this mattes Of abolishing alcoholic Ii
quors, the Chronicle shows that its editors and
itself ore decidedly old fegy, in the present ac-
ceptation of the term-far behind the times,
and far behind the position which temperance
men have good reason to expect from q papersot-
ting itself up as u leader and model reformer
But we object to these model reformers With
the position which as an independent religious
Journal the Chronicle should maintain, the dis
cussion of &he question of the abolition of alco-
hol would assume a respectful show of accom-
plishing the object sought after--some harmless
substitute for the use of alcohol where it is now
deemed necessary, and its final abolition every
wheyc. The Chronicle should be above party
trammels---aboye the fear of the scorn or sidi-
Guile of some not yet prepared to adopt the reso-
luton. 1t should be leader, not milestone
about the neck of Advance and Progress.
We heartily thank the Chronicle for unwit-
ingly teStifying to the truth Of our remarks, by
saying that il has long been known that liquors
were drugged, &c. ; but why does the Chronicle
persist in opposing the discussion of the question
of abo]ishing alcoholic liquors, which the reso-
luton of the State Temperance Society was in
tended to cali out? And if most of the liquors
sold are drugged and poisoned, why not abolish
them in toto, at the risk of some small mechan-
cal or chemical inconvenience, rather than see
hundreds and thousands perish from its indis-
crimate use? Why support law which forbids
people drinking liquors, and still tempts those
who have insufficient control over their appe-
tites by tauntingly displaying it in the rum
shop, the medicine cordials, the workshop, and
lastly in the silver goblet sparkling in the hands
of the minister Of God, in his holy sanctuary !?
Is it wrong to use large quantity of wine !:
to drink a small glass of it in your family gath
erings? Yes, say the Chronicle and every moral
and Christian paper in the country. If it is
wrong to do this, is it right to take swallow
while gathered around the Lords Table? Is
not the principle the same? Is this wine that
we shall drink by the glass, " manufactured and
drugged," and that which is drank in the
Church not drugged? Is it right to tantalize a
weak minded Church member with just a taste
of an article which ruined his youth, now he
has reformed? Can any member of a Church
say he does not drink who sips little each
month? If it is poisoned, is it needful and use
full?
But we learn some of the reasons for the
course the Chronicle is pursuing, relative to this
matter, in some remarks in that paper, January
oath. 1t says:
GAS prohibitory measure, the resolution, it
was urged, would 60 to overthrow the existing
law, as the community were far from being pre-
pared for such step. IF it is difficult to carry
into effect tho existing law, and rightly control
the matter of agencies, much less could a law
be executed which prohibited the use of alcohol
for any purpose whatever. Men opposed to the
existing law may be in favor of such q measure,
but it is, we apprehend. only with view to use
it for the purpose of overthrowing the law, and
to bring about unrestricted use and SALE
Now these reasons are just no reasons at all.
Policy in temperance is, like policy in any moral
question, compromise of rights deviation
from truth. But we hardly think it attributable
:. to the Chronicle that it is governed by pohcg
even, in this matter; for certainly did it know
its own good it would be the leader in more de
cided, more earnest discussion and action, upon
both the Anti-Slavcry and Temperance reforms.
But being willing that free discussion, pro and
con, upon all interesting subjects, should pre-
vail, and that every one should have the oppor-
tunity to state his own position, we ask tbt
Chronicle to give its reasons, if it has reasons
why alcoholic liquors ought not to be abolished
and why the present s.not fit time for dis
cnssino thn n1pstiOn