Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-01-15
LOCAL INTELLIG EN- CE.

An AIniSG or NIRTuE.-"What is sauce for the
goose is sauce for the gander." This honfely adage
once had some general application in the admins
tration Of usce but in these latter days it seems to
be practically overlooked, witness the following
case in point;
Sometime last week m agent Of H. T. Ross extern
siyely known the "Soap man., appeared in This VII
lagc ssuel his posters aud programmes announcing
free lecture md the sale Of soap and other articles,
and hired the Town Hall for the purpose Indicated
The manner IN (which Mr. Ross proposed to dispose
Of his soap and appeared from his announce
ment was substantially follows: A box Of soap con-
tanning ten cakes, the retail price of which has uni
formy been cents per cake was sold for one dol
lar; the purchaser having the privilege Of selecting
one out Of mass Of envelopes without uumber or de-
vice containing an order for he delivery to said rur
chaser Of the soap Of article therein specified for
nominal consideration Daring the sale on Friday
evening one purchaser selected nm envelope which,
upon being opened, found to contain an order for
watch upon the payment Of five dollars for tho same
another contained an order for raZor for ten cents.
Upon this principle Mr.. Ross has sold his soap in
many different States, and in many of the principle
villages in this State.
During the evening Of Friday md considerable
portion of Saturday, Mr. Ross conducted his sale rs
above without molcstation or warning, But when in
the midst Of his lecture saturday evening, while the
hall was well filed 10y our citizens, he arrested
upon complaint duly made 10y the grand Juror for q
violation Of the statute against lotteries, and held for
his appearance at an examination to take place on
Monday. At this examination the facts attending the
sale Of the soap, watch aud razor, appeared as above
recited. Mr.. Ross made statement by leave Of the
court corroboratng the testimony introduced by the
government and explanatory Of the principle upon
which his sales based. lie urged in his defence
that hr OF any violation of the statute
and that his sale arranged no, tocorAct with
the laws Of this any otlRr State. After drlibe1-
ton the court came to the conclusion that the spirit if
the letter Of the law had beer violated and there
fore held him in the Of $50 for appearance at the
proper tribunal
The above are all the essential facts in the case
That the sale Of soap and other articles conducted
by Mr. Ross, substantially violation Of the law
is matter upon which there is great difference of
opinion The propriety and utility instgating such
prosecution is subject upon which the sentiment
of this community is more nearly agreed. No one of
wishes 10 encourage open or secret violations
of the laws Of the land; but there are many enact
mens the statute book that the general sense OF
the community has wisely thought best 10 let lie dor
mant believing that the evils there provided against
! can be best remeded by other Among these
are the statutes against driving for pleasure the
Sabbath against profanity, the keeping of cards and
dice, playing billiards, betting elections, &C.
In a case like the one under consideration, where
| the matter charged can be an offence only by imp
cation and when the worst it is less clearly illeg
than the frequent exhibitions and transactions
aged aided and abctted by these decentralization
SENATORS of the public morals and guardians of tho
interests of the village, it would seem that much
more gentlemanly would have betn to have
first informed Mr. Ross Of the law and the consequeu
attending its violation, had Il been thought bes
to have taken any notice Of the matter whatever. W,
speak advsedly when say that tablcaux vivants
private thearicals, the operation of "gra5-bags' ant
the sale of ring cakes religious fairs and iesti
walls, more clearly and emphatically violations O
the provisions Of the very chapter Of the statutes un
der which Mr. Ross arrested ard held to bail than
his sale of soap and ewelry. Yet these have sepa
men who now look with such holy horror upon Mr.
Ross sale. We have no more Interest in the on
than the other but we cannot see Epon what principle
the public good requires that the should Civ
bonds 90 to Jail a criminal and the Others be al
lowed to pass current very moral and viruous
Private interest may perhaps solve the difficulty.
Such occasional airing Of virtue and morality
refreshing to witness. 1t reminds Of that class
men described inimitably by Butler who, to gain
reputation as model of virtue,
"Compound for sins they are inclined to,
BY damnng those they have no mind to-"