Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-01-31
For the Newsdealef,
.sTO WHOM 1T MAY CONCERN"

i I
> tel keepers. and grocery men. and request
them to discontinue the illegal sale of In
toxicating liquors. 4....> .#;,r.
This was done in quiet, inoffensive
manner. and general compliance prom.
Used, apparently in good faith. with, per-
haps an exception. in 5ne or two ipstan-
ces, where a little mental reservation was
slightly d!scernible. 1t soon became ev.
ideh', however, that either their memories
We're somewhat treacherous, or. the force
Of habis, hitherto unrestrained. was 100
powerful to resist. Somewhat to their
disgust. and IA good deal to their indigna-
ton. they were proceeded against result.
ing III moderate fines and costs,-they all
the while protesting that il had oil the
appearance Of prosecuting worthy class
of men engaged 10 a worthy calling.
1t was declared to be the first lnterfcr.
ence in a career of thirty years of pru.
dent '.prudr"t" rum selling. Their at
tention was not called to what had been
the result Of that thirty years experience.
10 have inquired where were the compau.
ions of their boyhood aud early manhood
to say nothing of ones OVID kindred
aud household--wouId, doubtless, have
awakened painful remembrunces of the
past, but contributed little to the present
OF future. The Object now in view was
to prevent. if possible part of the his.
tory of that thirty years being repeated
in the lives and fate Of our own sous and
citizens. .... ....
From the first, it has been well under.
stood that to successfully carry out the
object of the League" would require of
its friends, patience and perseverance,, and
Of the authorities willingness to do
their plain and known duty two things
very essential. but not always to be bad
by the mere asking 1t has been equally
we'll understood. that INSCRIPTIONS, aspir-
ing men. intent on schemes of their own,
at whatever cost to the well being of so.
.iesy would lend themselves to do the
work that gave surest promise of success,
and that consequently little could be ex.
pected from them. a t.5
1t was believed also. that powerful and
active interests here. would resist any
attempts t ab.te or check an evil,
that many believed to be fearfully Oh the
increase. Added to this was the stereo-
otyped and ever repeated cry that the zeal
aud rashness Of temperance men were do
ing the Cause more harm than good--that
moral suason was the thing aud that legal
suason was not. .G +. r.
In this connection, it will not do to
omit mentioning another thing that has
|
stood in the way. 1t is the charge con.
stantly being made, aud generally be.
'ieved to be true, that liquor agents were
'busing their trust, in selling and furn.
ishing 70 all anxious iuquirers, without
distinction. With these hinjrances to
meet. not to mention others, there is no
difficulty in understanding why the or.
,.niz ,tion has numbered but few or that
lis success has been but partial.
Nevertheless some good has been &C.
;omplished--our enemies themselves be-
'ng judges. aud the belief at first enter.
Gained. has been strengthened, that any,
hing like unity Of pun pose on the part
If the professed friends of temperance
;ould hardly fill Of realizing its desired
end.
Respecting the matter of liquor agents
alluded to. it is quite certain that if the
state OF things complained Of. continues,
al cforts against other violators of the
law will have to be abandoned.
There are too many lodges connected
with the sale of liquor by authorized
leale's. to render it in any way profitable
o NEEDLE with it.
The remedy is in the hands of the vot.
crs Of this county, and can be applied
whenever the friends of the Vermont
Liquor Law cease to act with their
accustomed supinencss and inactivity and
exhibit in some degree the zeal and encr.
gy Of its cuemics. #" r#... sal gg.
There have been fifteen prosecutions
and fines amounting to about one hun.
dred aud S!f;y dollars that have gone into
the State Treasury, provided coinmunica.
tion has been kept open between that OF.