The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-11-02

the propriety of Furnishing murder,-a crime
which if Sacred History can be relied upon
dates back to the second generation of man.
Is an evil the less dangerous that it is $50.
cial evil ."
at cannot be prevented or cured by harsh
remedies" The same objection may be urged
against the prohibition of any crime. As
long as human nature is SO depraved it can
not be prevented without "harsh remedies"
at is easy to asgravate it." Will a man be
more likely to commit larceny or any other
crime when he is sure penalty awaits him
These assertions are effete, worn out Facts
have long since given them the lie, and none
of late has had the folly to reiterate them
But the law does not "lessen by one gill the
quantity used" Where then is the oppress-
ion If no man is restrained in his "inal-
ienable right of getting sloriously drunk" We
cannot see that there is any abridgement of
rights.
The assertion that there is no diminutioE
in the amount of liquor used, is-we will say
for courtesy's sake-a mistake. AND though
it were true it initiates against every previ-
Gus assertion-and the whole article is one
of unsupported asserveration. The logican
not only commences at the top and builds
downward, but when he reaches the base, re-
jects the foundation, leaving his structure
pendent in the air.
We admit that the traffic is not wholly
prevented but it is partially checked, and we
adopt the old Scotch proverb, Better small
bush than no shelter" 1t does not reflect
upon the law that wicked and unscrupulous
men will violate it.
We are told that "men are driven to evade
it" This is simply teaching the criminal to
say, You must not punish me for violating
your laws !: if there had been no law should
have violated none the fault is not mine, but
that of the law makers"
Ten years ago,when Vermont had license
law as efficient as such could be made-and
it is this old law which the opposers of pro-
hibition would substitute in its place, forget
ting how strenuousy they formerly opposed
tit was of no untrequent occurrence that
drunken man was seen Keeling through our
streets or PROSTATE bv the way-side Every
village and hamlet had its decayed dwellings,
and out houses, with their Keeling fences and
patched windows through which ed the
dirges of desolation and penury. The bar
room and tipping shop were centres of at
traction.-midnight broils and neighborhood
quarrelS and litigation were as frequent as
they are now re,and public days were times
OF dissipation and riot. Now drunken man
is hardly to be seen from January to Deem
Der. Our state and county gatherings are as
orderly as could be desired-no squalid novels
fringe the outskirts of our smiling villages,
but sobr;ety. thrift and industry are univer-
sal. And our prohibtory law is the magi-
clan which has wrought the marvellous trans
formation.
Not only has the question of its expelien-
CIV been settled, but that of its constitutional
ity. And this has been more frequently ag-
tated thar any other constitutional questi on.
The courts of nearly half the states as well
as the supreme court of the United States
have sustained it. The objection urged a.
salnst it, was that the state had not the pow
er to contscate the property Of its citizens.
But 1t was held that if the state had the pow
er to levy fines, which was never denied. is
had the power of confscaton which was
simply levying fine upon specific article
instead Of upon the estate at large. This
law did not originate in Maine, though of
the states ii was the first to enact it. More
than five hundred wears ago. in the reign of
Edward H.. as early as the year 1918, SIM
liar enactment was passed in England. A
bout one hundred years later, during the
reign Of Henry W., another involving the
same constitutional question was enacted
u, Evidently every sovereign state must exer-
else It's discretion in determining what acts
will corrupt public morals, impoverish COM
munity and destroy the public peace and
provide against such acts. This question has
been settled beyond appeal.
But underlying all objections to the law,
we see lurking here an attack upon Governor
Fairbanks. Any defence would be tacit
admission that one was necessary. These
personal attacks have for long time been
the pastmc ofthe Patiot We call to mind
those troublesome Cow Boys of two years
ago who set themselves up for weekly demo
lition. They used to remind us of the great
wild boar which we read of in ancient nor
thern mythology, which, though killed every
day for the gods to feast upon, came to life
every night.
The Patriot as the representative of one
wing of the shattered Democracy, evidently
felt called upon to criticize the message of
our Republican Governor. How far it made
duty of inclination, which men are apt to
do in matters of doubtful propriety, or how
far we are to regard this opposition to the
law as part of the Democratic creed, We are
left uniformed.