Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-12-31

good ship, fair wind and a clear course, turning |
out Of their course and running her upon the |
rocks. We know that it was denied that the Uni |
ted States Court made such decision, but whoev-
cr will consult our paper, for 1852, No. 10, page
81, whore the opinion Of the Chief Justice "al"v
will be found, will sec that statements arc cor
rect. Our limits forbid us to quote it, but VIC will
do so In our peyt
On the second day of the meeting, Rev.
G. G. Sampson offered the following as an
amendment to DR.. Powers resolution.
R,,oluei--That the sale or furnishing of all Al
coho, in all its drinkable forms, ought to be pro-
hibited by law,
We do not see how the proposed amend
ment differs essentially from the original
resolution. The only form in which Alcohol
appears is q liquid form and therefore
"drinkcJt" form, whether much or little
water or swectening be mixed with it. The
discussion on the amendment did not help
time came on when many must leave, it was
agreed to let the original resolution and its
proposed amendment go over to the next
regular meeting of the Society.
In this connexion we will make only one
remark. 1t looks strange that q voluntary
assemblage of gentlemen, whose action,
whatever it might be, on that or any other
resolution, could carry no other force with it
than the moral weight of their own individ
ual opinions, should be willing to spend the
best part of two days in discussing it, or have
b., Il -
on one side or the other Why not after a
reasonable occupation of time with it, just
stop the talk and take the vote and end it :?
Every orc could see to it that his own vote
was recorded as he might wish to have it.
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEES.
The Executive Committee submitted the
following Report
FIRsT.--IN REGARD TO WORK DOEf.
At the time of the meeting of this society
in jan, Mr.. Hawkins, who for almost n
score of years had been identified with the
Temperance Reformation as one of its most
eloquent, unwearicd, successful advocates,
had Just commenced his labors in the state
He prosecuted his labors almost con-
tinually until he had lectured in nearly all
the towns in Washington, Franklin, La
noble, Chittendep, Addison. Rutland, BEN
nington, Windham and Windsor counties.
The last of June, before he had quite finish
ed the canvass of Windsor county he was
called to Boston by the sickness of his wife,
and Immediately wrote the Committee that
he should be compelled to suspend his labors
in the State for the remainder of theisummer
Early in July he went with his wife to the
residence of their son in Lancaster Co.,
Penn, where in a few weeks, after u very
brief illness, he died. We received from
him no regular detailed report of his labors
in the state, though We expressly requested
it. We cannot therefore speak detinatcy
and positively of his success. But from oc-
casional letters and from incidental informa-
ton received from various quarters, we learn
that in all the counties but the two visited
last, he usually had large audiences and
found the friends of temperance awake and
in earnest. The pledge was readily and nu-
merously signed and societies were formed or
reorganized in almost every town. His la
bors in Windham and Windsor counties
were during the latter part of May and the
month of June. His meetings were very
small and evidently but little was accom-
plished.
Rev. A. j. Copeland has been constantly
in the employment of the society through
the year with the exception of two months
from the middle of July to the middle of Sep
TENDER. lie has labored mainly in Orleans
Essex, CALEDONIA, Orange, Windsor and
Windham Counties. The last two he has
canvassed since he commenced his labors in
the fall He has delivered Lectures, clrcu-
lated the pledge, organized Societies, collected
assessments on the fund, and done what he
could to secure additional subscriptions to the
same. He has made detailed report of his
doings at the end Of each month, and it gives
your Committee pleasure to say that he has
proved himselfa most efficient, systematic and
successful agent. Every dollar that has pass
ed into the treasury during the year has pass
cd through his hands, and nearly all the
definite ana reliable information IN regard TO
the condition of the cause in the State has
come from his carefully prepared monthly
reports 1t would be difficult to find better
agent than he has been.
In addition to these two agents, Rev. 5. W e.
Clemans lubored seven or eight weeks at the
commencement of the year, and R. l.. Perkins
Esq, has delivered occasional lectures.
At the beginning of the year there was a
very general waking up among temperance
men through the State. In almost every
place the Society's agents received hearty
welcome and an earnest cooperation. The
result is that, doubtless, more Societies were
organized, or more names put upon the
pledge during the past year, than for very
many years before. But while this has been
generally true, there have been found some
sad exceptions. In some localities in the
northeastern part of the State, our agent
found the fri nds of Temperance in profound
sleep, the law powerless, and drinking alarm
ingly prevalent, especially among the young;
o,,I ~ ,;s,t ID 81, l.
part of the State he found things in even a
worse condition. He was told that the habit
of drinking in some towns was as general
among all classes. as it was twenty or thirty
years ago. In majority of the towns cases
of delirium trcmens came to his knowledge.
Liquors are sold at nearly all the taverns, and
at many other places; and hardly an attempt
is made to enforce tho law. On the CON
trary there seemed to be settled and de-
termned policy to violate and defy it, In
one town there are not only three rum selling
taverns, but three cider-brandy disiHrlcs,
and in another town adjoining to this, there
is large wh'skey distAlery in process Of cree
ton, which is to consume fifty bushels of
rye or corn per day. Two individuals have
this year raised two the usand bushels of corn
each, to supply this fountain of death. In
reading this report of our agent, it has been
difficult to realize that were reading what
was transporting no'0 in Vermont. 1t has seemed
to us we must be reading the story of past
generation, OF of some other locality, But
no, it is of portion Of Vermont we read
this-of Vermont to-day, Emphatically do
we say with our agent, that If there is
enough strength in the temperance element
in the State TO enforce the law it should be
combined and concentrated upon these local
titles, until the foul stain is washed away 1t
is needless to say the commissioner of the
county is an anti temperance commissioner.
In all such localities the friends Of temper
ance should be assured that they not only
have the warinest sympathies of temperance
men through the State, but that in every eff
fort to enforce the law and to turn back the
tila u..l