The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-02-24
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N I D DL Il b U R Y
Tho Better Remedy.

III presents picture Whlch VIII very well
represent many other places in the State.
But the remedy which "Citizen propo.
ses is the same practice which has time
out of mind been proving itself as ineffec.
tual as it is cowardy and contemplate
Nh EDITOR Il wish to call the atten.
i on Of your readers to some of the sights
of our village. A few days since, man
beastly intoxicated was seen in the square
of our village, at midday, rolling on tho
ground. 1t seems that in the effort to
procure his bottle he had inserted one
hand 50 far into his pocket as to throw
him off his center, hence the overthrow.
Such scenes are disgrace to the place,
and if there is any law against such pub
lie exhibitions, let it be enforced, and the
subject made to understand that such be-
haviour cannot DO tolerated. As the VIC
timiser is virtually out of reach, let us
see if stones thrown at the victim will not |
avail. Were this an insulated case we !
could pass it by but it is an almost daily |
occurrence, the Sabbath not excepted. 1t
is but few Sabbaths since we saw the in
ebriate holding his bottle to the sun, ex.
ultingly fathoming the contents. Can
such state of things exist and the com.
munity prosper think not. CITIZEN.
Now we will wager our head against
half penny that Citizen" never had
any desire to get within reach of the "vic-'
timizer," for any other purporss than to
getlhis drinks.-that, like many an other
conservator of the public morals, he finds
it much more convenient to throw stones
at the helpless victim than to put himself
to the trouble of bringing to justice the
gully author of the disgrace" There
is, we think, good reason to believe that
he regards the victimizer with tender feel
ings, and that he frequently finds him nec-
essary to his own happiness,-that he re-
CARDS his business when properly conduct
ed as a very laudable one, and that he
looks upon the miserable victim who has
abused hi. privileges as the culpable par
ty. He evidently thinks that to throw
stones at the inebriate and heap upon his
PROSTATE and helpless character an indsf.
mite amount of contumsly !; to inquire if
the law makes drunkenness penal offence
when he knows it does not to talk about !,
somebody's enforcing law against inebri-
/ ty that does not exist, while he assumes
that the "victimizer" the real fountain Of
all the evil is above reach to make some
reference to the sanctity Of the Sabbath
and express through newspaper his opin.
len that such excuses are prejudicial to
the prosperity Of the place is sufficient to
clear himself from all responsibility in the
matter.
We give the letter above not because
there is any novelty in it but because it is
a succinct expression of the temperance
principles of those who do not desire the
Punishment of intoxicating drinks, but
merely that the use of them may be re-
strained to their standard of respectable.
ty. 1t is not strange that one who feels
the frequent use stimulants necessity to
himself, and the places where it is vended
convenience, should feel annoyed and
irritated by frequent and gross exhibitions
of intemperance, for be cannot be indif-
ferent to the fact that it lies directly in
the path he is travelling that he may come
to that himself. Such exhibitions, too,
do much to bring into disrepute the bust
ness of his friend the Seller, and to make
it more difficult for him in a respectable
way to get his rotations
If it were possible to rid the world of
intemperance by abusing drunkards, it
would have been done long ago, but it
never will be so long as the victims of it.
only, are made the objects of vindictive
attention. For or own part We regard
the inebriate as an nafoytunate man. as
much so as that man, who, pursuing his
way to Jericho, fell among thieves.
We believe that if the " citizens of Bel
lows Falls or any other town in Vermont,
would, instead of throwing stones at su h,
uniformly approach them with the spirit
of the Good Samaritan, they could very
soon find way 10 reach " the " victim
izer." Let this course be taken let sv.
cry exhibition of inebriety be made the
basis of prosecution Of the soulless Sc
ducer, and the disgraceful sights, which
seem to be an eys-sors to +" Citizen !"
will be rare indeed.
The only reason why intempsrsnes is
not measursbly banished from Vsrmont.is
because many who would DO thought re.
spectacle find it more inconvsnient to kick
the PROSTATE drunkard than to take rea.
sonable, legal and just process to reach
the "vietimizer."