Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-03-16
THE pRoHIBITORY LAW.

1t is claimed by many that this law is
unpopular, but we find that the people, in
oil the counties in the state, except this
and Chittenden, have elected temperance
Commissioners or men in favor of the en-
forcement Of the law. Does this look as
though the law was unpopular? And
will any one pretend that if all the voters
in this county had come to the polls, the
result would have been what it was. Then
again Mr.. Raymond claims to be tenn
perance man, and all the reason we have
to think otherwise we fad in the charac-
ter'of the men who urged his election in
this place. The fact that he claimed to
be a temperance man would influence some
to vote for him, who otherwise would not.
On the other hand, men of doubtful char
acter are said to have urged the election
isofa Mr.. Whiting; and further, many
thought Mr.. Whiting too relaxiin his su-
pervision of the doings of his agents, and
Il so did not work for him as earnestly as
they otherwise would have done. II IT,.
All things considered, the result in this
county is no test of the popularity of the
law, even in this county. ,,iG e.l ba
.a We have the testimony of a quite prom
inent executive officer, and one who, we
q should judge by his antecedents, is no
friend to the law,--that if faithfully en-
forced, the law would be much more pop
ular than now. If there is any want of
popularity of the law among temperance
men, any reasoning. man can see that it
arises from this fact; and if there is any
lack of respect for it among those not dis
posed to obey it, can any one doubt that
this is the reason for it? Enforce the
law and it will have friends and popular
ity enough. Indeed, we claim for it both,
now. If asked where they are, we refer
you to the reception proposition for its
repeal met at the hands of the legislature
last fall. 1t was only by threatening to
resign and 60 home, that the mover of the
bill could get the courtesy of a hearing,
nearly the whole House being disposed to
dismiss the matter without consi deration.
Does that look as though the law was un-
popular, or had no friends? AS to the
result in Chittenden county, its friends
claim that another year will tell differ.
cnt story. . a".a1 a- .t .'
It is claimed that the law cannot be
enforced, but any one can see that if a
few men only in community use their
best endeavors to sustain any law on our
statute books, there can be no difficulty
in bringing upon its iolators all its ter
penalties. - -ssrwa ..'E
We have the testimony of gentleman
living in this county,than whom none have
better opportunities of knowing. that upon
the first enactment Of the law, hotel keep
ers and others interested in the sale of
liquor, expected and prepared for its en-
forcement, and did not entertain hope of
being able to escape the penalty for its vi
olation. Bars were cleared away, and
dances and parties were conducted without
any show Of the ardent. No one pretend
ed to doubt that the law could be enforced
then. AS to the possibility of doing SO
now, a gentleman living in this county,
and as good judge of such matters as
the next man, but no friend of the law,
no more than two weeks since said that
with the aid of but few determined men
there would be no difficulty in enforcing
any law in our statute book. ,...
Why, then, we are asked, is not the
law enforced I? Simply because these few
few are not to be found and they are
not to found, simply because, having en-
acted the law, and elected the peccssary
officers for its enforcement, they imagine,
Or try to believe they have done all that
is necessary. They do not realize that it
is not only necessary to face the enemy
with terrible array of law and penal
ties, but somebody, must do the fighting.
somebody must watch and give the
alarm but, not being directly interested,
there being no loss or gain to them invol-
we'd, they wait for somebody else to do the