Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-11
The Abolition Of Alcoholic Liquors.

Va AAANSAAS3AO
Last week we casually referred to the remarks
of some papers concerning the action of the re-
cent Convention of the State Temperance Soci-
ETY. in adopting the following resolution
Resoloed, That in the opinion of this Con-
ventlon, the sale of alcohol, in any of its forms,
ought not to be sanctioned by law, for any pur-
pose whatever
Now We have no disposition to take issue with
any paper, as to the probable effect the action of
the Society will have upon the present Liquor
Law, nor do we stop to enquire as to its probable
effect upon political parties nor to deny that if
only pure liquors were sold, there wovld seem a
plausible excuse for condcmnng the resolution.
This is not our present purpose. But we shall
briefly consider one great reason why, for the
interest and welfare of the coming generation,
and the benefit of the community at large alco-
holic liquors ought to be abolished.
The time was when only pure Lquors-when
only the juice of the grape was offered to those
who used liquor as Beverage. The time was
when the quantity comon drinkers drank didnot
carry them to an earl grave nor deliver them
over to the mcrcies of all the devils of mania in
potu or drhrium hemens. But how is it now
Even if under the existence of pure, unadulter-
ated liquors it was deemed necessary to use them,
there is, now, good reason why, even at con-
siderable inconvenience, they should be entirely
abolished from the private dwelling, the Chem
lists labratory the Mechanics shop, and the
medicine chest. There may be no doubt but
what alcohol is, to some extent, useful in chem
ical and Mechanical operations, but will that
Offset its use as beverage, which will always
be the result 50 long as it exists in the country?
If every man, woman and child could SO far I'M
derstand their own good as to entirely restrain
from its use, or could we, by any possible means.
confine 1T to the mechanical operations, then we
might let it remain, But while this cannot be
done, is it not better to compel chemists and
mechanics, at slight Inconvenience, to use
something else, than to allow thousand to ruin
not on y their own health and fortunes but that
of a coming generation also, by drinking the
poisoned drugs dealt out as liquors?
But how do we know it is poioned?
We have ample proof to satisfy any candid
mind that NOT ONE DROP OF PURE, UNADuLTERA-
TED LIQUOR OF ANY KIND, HAS BEEN SOLD IN THIS
STATE FOR FIVE YEARS Why, because it can
not be had. We have sufficient proof for ourself
that every glass of liquor sold in this state for
the past FIVE years contained more or less of the
deadliest poison. Not that the poison was put
there for the purpose of destroying our citizens,
although that is the result; not wholly to Gre
ate an appetite for drink, although that, too, is
the effect; but because poisoned article is far
more cheap j Observation-Disclosures manufactured
for one tenth the cost of the pure article. Far
Their than this, the quantity of genuine is not
half sufficient to supply the market; consequent
ly the pure is all wanted for adulteration. An
other reason is, that while the imitation yields
more than double the profit Of the genuine, it
Is safe to conclude that any man who will sell
liquors will not hesitate to sell such as will give
him the most profit.
1t is Il well known fact that where twenty
years ago not one case of deliriun tremens was
KNOWN now the number who can testify of its
delightful horrors from experience, is truly
alarming.
These statement the old fogy editors of the
;, Chronicle, and the fearing watchers of the po-
litical skies-the PhGnir, Free Press and others
whom We have no disposition to name, may
think unfounded and but children of our young,
inexperienced and fanciful brain. But We will,
in due time, bring proof of Yhat we assert; and
then, whether we fail to convince or no, we shall
be perfectly willing to listen to more able minds,
satisfied that the people will award us the honor
eff giving our own private opinion, without any
wish to weaken political parties or liquor laws.
We give it simply as an argument in favor Of
the abolition of alcoholic liquors.
1t will be granted that the remark we have
before made is true, that those who will engage
in the manufacture of liquors will not hesitate
to use such ingredients in their manufacture
as will add the most profit to their pockets; but
ON the contrary will seek with all possible dill
gence for some means of adding still greater
profits This fact admitted, we pass to conclusive
evidence to us, that other ingredients are ussd to
manufacture liquor aside from the grape or by
dstilation, because it can be used. To show
that foreign ingredients can be used, and that
these ingredients are not wholesome nor condu-
Give to health, but poisonous and destructive to
g life, we proceed to facts.
1t was a fortune or misfortune of our boyhood
+, to be employed in a wholesale and retail liquor
mandatory in New Orleans. One reason why
: we never tasted drop of the poison we were
paid for dealing out to others, and why oul
employer never drank it, was that we both aided
in the compound of the ingredients and drugs
some of them of the rankest poison, and theil
q mixture with a small quantity of pure liquor
Q and large quantity of water, by which mixture
S any desired liquor was produced. How this wai
done-in what precise proportions, we were
y never allowed to know, Nor have we Learned
: until quite recently, when copy of a work or
s the subject, similar to one in use, came under
our notice. This work was written by Pierr,
: Lacour, and first published in French, in 1929
by an association of liquor dealers in France
and since translated by gentleman in New Or
leans, and republshed by an association Liquor
8 dealers in this country. TWAS printed by R
. Graighead, SO Vesey street, New York. Tn,
y work contains over 800 pages-2OO pages o
recipes, and the remainder giving directions.
e OF the use of different ingredients in the man