Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-12-25
Vermont State Temperance Society.

Temperance society was hClu at DraulOru on
Wednesday and Thursday of last week.
committee of overtures was appointed consist
ing of F. F. Merrill and Thomas f. Powers,
and Rev'ds II. +. Leavitt +. Baou and A.
Copeland The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year -
PresidcRt-Rev. S. Chamberlain, Of Crafts
bury.
TIce PrcSdenis-Mr. N. i. Williston, Brat
tlcboro; DIR. J. Brockway, Montpelcrj DIR. T..
j. Warren New Haven.
Recording and Corresponding Secretary
Rev. II. p. Cushing, Montpelier.
1ica@rc-Mr. c. w. Storrs.
Auditor-Hon. II. Carpenter.
Executive CommiHee-liev. G. c. Parker
Hon. +. +. Merrill, Hon. J. Spaulding, Rev. L.
IL. Stone, Mr.. ]. G. Simpson.
During the morning session of the first day,
DIR. Powers introduced his famous resolution of
last year, viz
"Resotred That the sale of Alcohol in any Of It's
forms. ought not to be sanctioned by law for any pur
pose Whatever
Aside from the election of officers and the
hearing of the report of the Executive Com
/
occupied very nearly the entire session Of two
days. 1t was finally ordered to lie on the table,
to come before the next regular meeting of the
Convention.
We have not room for the full report of the
meeting, and therefore avail oursclf of the fol-
lowing from the Chronicle, one of whose editors
was present and participated in the proceed
ings;-
Comparatively little was done at the meet
ing, except to discuss the resolution Of Dr.
Powers. 1t was introduced the first forenoon,
before the business Committee had reported,
and early called up and discussed in the after
noon. during the evening and until at least 3
o'clock the second day, and until II larger part
of the members from q distance had left, when
, it was put over until the next meeting. 1t was
advocaicds by the mover in speeches in all to
the amount of more than three hours, by Hon.
II. Carpenter of Mortified, Rev. Mr. Bnllou of
Montpelier Mr. Guy Sampson. and few 9TH
ers, and opposed by +. +. Merrill, ESQ, of
Montpelier and the Congregational and Meth
- odist cergymen present generally--so much so
as to call forth from the mover the declaration
$ that the clergy have always been opposed to
y moral reforms and had to be dragged along by
- others.
There can be 10 Objection to discussing this
e or any other proposition relative to the cause
. of temperance TO proper extent, but IN our
, Judgment, an undue proportion OF the time ~
- the meeting was thus consumed TO little pur-
pose, while other far more important objects
At were neglected. IN earnest effort was made
d on the morning OF the last day to bring the
question TO a vote hy moving the previous qucs
u ton which was decided by the chair to be in or
n der. From this decision DIR. r. took an appeal
Of and discussed it with others until after portion
c of the Convention who were for sustaining the
err chair had left in the ten and one-half O'Clock
in cars when the chair was not sustained and the
80 discussion proceeded. II is worthy of note
however, that the individuals who, at North
field, moved and carried through the prey ou'
nr question for the first time it was ever done since
is our acquaintance with it and that against earn
Of est circumstances, now opposed it as out of or
~ der, showing that circumstances alter cases.
he One good however results from the DISCUSSION
T. At Nurthteld the mover of the resolution dis
In. claimed the Interpretation given of ii, that
:. went to the extent Of oitTe 1'rohibitioH. Nov
he acknowledges that that i its import and tina
he is ior going the whole figure.
5 cause must eo CONS wnrin1s ;nes d ~. ~ ~
=. the sale Of 0icoLoi IN all lis forms and of cours
is in al quantities, when the United States Cour
o- has decided that liquor imported into the coun
BIS, try, may be sold by the importer in the cask il
ii, which it is imported. whether he lives in Yer
-, mont or Boston, or any other city; and espec
tally whether the time has come to move for tn
&C attainment OF SO distant and uncertain an obioc
as the reversal Of that decision and we canno
move peg To any purpose in that direction
until that Is done-and neglect to enforce or 4
49, improve our present law which has been SO ful
> ly sustained by our Courts. To do so, seem
4 to US not unlike men who with good ship,
Isl fair wind, and clear course, turning out O
st their course and running her upon the rocks"
It The following extract from the Report of III
ID. Executive Committee, will show what iuforma
IT. ton came to the ears Of their agent, and wha
ne are their opinions in the matter. We give
D. entire with only the single remark that We iea
some one has been tampering with the guihbil
IN ity Of very credulous investigator
= "ln some localities in the north eastern pan
n, of the State, our agent tound the friends G
IN temperance in a profound sleep, the law power
M less, and drinking alarmingly prevalent. eSpeC
,d tally among the Young; and in the last count
of visited in the south part of the State, be foun
m things in even worse condition. lie was toll
that the habit of rum-rlruking in some town
was as general among all classes, as il was twer
II. ty or thirty Years ago In a majority of tn
nd towns cases of delirium tremens came to hi
ny knowledge. Liquors are sold at nearly all tn
taverns, and at many other places; and hardl
an attempt is made to enforce the law On tn
vi contrary there seemed to be n settled and dl
We termined policy to violate and defy it. In OH
uc town there are not only three rum-seng taN
on o ems hut three ciicr-broHdy distWeries, and
no another town adjoining to this, there is u larg
az rhtSky-didW7y III process of erection, whic
'ur is to consume fifty bushels of rye or corn pc
we day. Two individuals have this year raised tw
an thousand bushels of corn each, to supply tn
To- fountain of death. In reading this report
ue' our agent, it has been difficult to realize thi
VI We were reading what was Transporting nor
W. Te,W,0M 1t has seemed to us we must be reaC
10 ing the story of past generation, or of SON
er' other locality. But no, it is of a portion
on Vermont we read ths--of Vermont to-day
ON Emphatically do we say with our agent, that
OF there is enough strength in the temperance ell
'ht mcnt in the State to enforce the law it shoul
asst be combined and concentrated upon these loca
ing tiles, until the foul stain is washed away. 1t
zen needless to say the commissioner of the count
III is an anti-temperance commissioner. In a