Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-05-03

eeteu IN 'he welfare and faIr lame OF Bur
lington, to protest
True, there is here, as IN many other places,
4 large Catholic popu lation. The constant
exodus of native Vermonters leaves yacan-
cies which are supplied by the Canadians
and lTish, all Catholics. These congregate
largely Of course in places like ;his, where
lumber yards, iron works. and factories give
them employment. Many Of them are sub
stantial and respectable mechanics and farm
ers. Trey raise great families of children,
which count in cersus, much more largely
than IN list of voters. But We are not
aware that they ever act as class in evil
affairs, or that any school district, municipal
er political election was ever controlled, or
attempted to be controlled by them. We
cannot shVt them out Of our State or city,
and would not if we could Their stout
muscles are needed and welcome here, az
long as our native Vermonters choose to
populate the West by emigration. What
sort Of field they offer for religious effort,
probably the editors Of the Waterman
and ReRector know as well a. anybody.
For ourselves We do not suppose
that the proportion of them would
have been lessened materially, even if
our University, Seminarics ard Schools"
had abandoned their proper work, which Is
the enlightenment and educating Of the
youpg Of all denominations and secis, to
take up the business Of rroselyting. Nor
are We aware Of any sense in which the Pro
testant chuTchcs can be said to haye''retired
before tie Catholics. They are here, certain
ly, more OF them than ever before, offering
larger accommodation than ever, having a
larger membership, an earnest and able
ministry. and more active, We believe, IN all
proper Christian effort. than at any former
period.
One would suppose from the Hatchman
& Refoaor's article, that We had here. one
hundred open grog-shops, selling freely in the
face Of the law. But the fact is that there
Is not one of the kind, in Burlington. The
- one hundred places where liquor may be
bought mentioned in the Report, include
the saloons, which in addition to their regu-
lar business in pies and oysters, sometimes
sell little liquor on the sly, IN some dark
closet or underground retreat and the
shanties where the lrishman keeps jog Of
whiskey under the bed and ekes out his
day. work by an occasional stealthy sale.
Nine tenths OF them are Of this kind. The
Reflector calls on Us to D." close them" at
once and forever. Well, they arr closed
have been closed for a month, by threats Of
prosecution; but no one doubts but that in
time more or less of them will be again in
operation. The evil Is one that cannot be
wholly and forever stopped. here. or any
where; but we believe We can say with en-
tire truth that the prOhibitory law has been
more efficiently and steadily enforced in
Burlington than in any place Of anywhere
near Its size, within our knowledge. So as
to the extent Of the social evil - here. The
statement Of the Report, alluded to in the
article We are noticing, must of necessity be
only an estimate, and il. We believe, a wild !
and exaggerated one.
We can appeal safely to every one who
knows our city to bear Us out in the declara-
ton that it is not the Goddess, Sabbath
breaking, rum soaked, vicious community. |
which the readers Of the H'qtciman and |
Reflector may suppose. There is enough |
room for improvement, here, doubtless but |
we know Of no place Of its size, by compar-
ison with which in quiet observance Of the
Sabbath, in general good order. and in the
intelligent and moral tone of society, Bur
lington would suffer We should he glad if
We had more churches and If they were bet
ter filed but We notice that our church &C
now exceed considerably the
proportion to the population which the last
CNncA1 NAAAAtAAo AAA -sAdbSGNAueNAkE anu We
doubt not from a comparison OF the STATIC
tics, that considerably larger proportion
3i the people OF Massachusetts are wilful
lbsentees from church service on Sunday.
han Of the people Of this city.
The truthis,-and one Of the editors Of the
Wafehman & Reflector. who is fresh from
Vermont, should have known and been will
ng to state it,-that startling as are the facts
md figures OF the Report alluded TO, they
IRE for the most part but what a similar
anyass will be likely to disclose in any place
Il equal size. They should stimulate to renew
d effort in the cause Of religion and morality
t home; but call fer no uplifting Of borri-
led hands in Boston or elsewhere. as if We
yere sinners above other men
The ALBANY Journal Mr. George Daw-
on, for thirty-six years connected with the !
.lbany Erening Journal, has sold a part Of
is interest to Mr.. George W Demers, who
u two years has been the principal edi-
,rial writer on the paper, and the entire
ditorial control new passes into his hands,
lr. Dawson, however, continuing his con-
ection with the paper as one Of the pub
shers. The Republicanism Of the journal
as been clear and radical under Mr.. Dem
rs, and it will undoubtedly continue ably o.
nd worthy to fill its responsible position
the leading country organ and expandelt v
the Republican party Of New York -
TIE ExoDUs OF EMIGRANTs PROM EUROPE q,
iere is unusual desti;ution, distress and
arm in Ireland, and rumors of war on the -
ntinent, which have greatly stimulated
ligratIon to this country. A correspon- III
Mt Of the y. Y. Herald, in Ireland. says
at nine steamers filed with emigrants had -,
t Cork within few days Of the date of ii,
: letter, and that several hundreds of go,