St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-10-25
Beware OF the Blackboard Step.

The following article from the taa-
.grsyat,'41iis1, Is as applicable 10 Vermont
as Massachusetts,. and we commend il 10
all temperance people, and especially To
the Legislature, as il l. presumed All ei-
fort viii he made 10 repeal the prollii,i-
Iary law:
The next grand reform has come 10 4
crisis here. and the onlookin- world
should NOW be taught that Massachusetts
takes Hv St3S bEcssrzrd We sincerely
hope that no Bull-Rm fia,co will To-
Necessary 10 rouse the friends Of urdlr.
progress, and suffering humanity 10 the
desperate nature oi the struggle between
License and Prohibition. The grinding.
crushing expressions of the rum traffic
have been long and internal. AMI good
men must DESTROY IL or IL Nill destroy
them There Is no VIA MEDIA. no posi-
hle comlpromlse, no escape. The de-
ciSive lbattle has come, and II l. better
every w:ly 10 make II sharp and guick.
let every voler IN the temperance army
do his duty now. We have come 10 an
other Geiiysburgh, and we have bceu
qlitr long enough IN selecting and f,rgi-
/ fEing the only telralle ground H,re w
mu,i stand. and hreasl. and lreak the
iury Of .hie invasion OF appetite, lust and
greed oi gsin.
Weespocially be- lilai no riisht minded
F, thinker, lo temperance man, shall bc de
oeivcd hy any plausible Theory OF licrl>,.
Ii an effective licell,c system could h. de-
Hisc'l, Il would Ice opposed and fought rs
iierccly a Prohibition now l.. lu sci.
the >o-called ProlIilGtorv law / unly n
stringent; lio,li~,, law. Il allvn- sanl
| provides Tor lLc free surl ample sale ,i
alcoholic liquors for al chemical, mclsci-
nal, mechanical, .i'il ,acran,rll,ll l,arl,o-
*, II J. only The dangerous alru,e. tie
rulnous misuse, thai l. intended 10 To-
prohibited Ii, In the necessary iul,er-
lection Of all human law and IL algli-
cation, some few pclsonS find wlial they
deem harmless preferences nlt,rfercd with.
they should rsmemhcr thai tins l. true uf
al laws that are efficient against inveter-
ale ahuse> and GRIMES. Ii thcy are not
willing 10 yiold these mes~euiial pr,i,g-
encc- for the sake Of the safety of tens
If thousands, what claim, can thlv lav
10 anv decree OF benevolencc. or ev,u Of
commcn fellow-lcclins VII they d.
ieT1Hinelly hold open the fiuod-caIc, ui
cyrry vice and woe, Tor ile saAc ui a
supposed harmless gla-> Of ale and oder,
now and then Must powder AM
poi>,ns lc uGrcsIrictvl IN th,ir tram
porr, sale and uSe, le~t a few WISE and
safe men should bc put 10 a little incml-
renience. Must immoral book ami
Picturcs 20 unprohibiiel, because = iey
sax men are determined 10 indulge their
renture>ome preferences Must lhicYc-
and robbers 60 unchallrn.,d. l,.-i eulur
honest person might he arrested or hi~
house searched.
Ii should be wcll considered thai, prac-
tlcally, any license law hes stringent
than ihc one muw on oar statute book
would legalize u dangerous and ruiuouS
abuse and - make all the people rcspuu-
side for the results. How often. and
for how many years have hes stringent
license law been tired, and all IN yaiu,
| lhe time has come when the certainty
ot the fearful abuse oi any such law
/ would make IL enactment a urayc CRIME.
such / the full AMI firm cunyicli,ll IN
our churches and l,y multi;uies OUTSIDE
of the churches. Hence, with such
law, there could never :lslin be peace an
our churches Ror iu our politics; nothing
but conscientious, persistent, eternal IL
iaiion.
1t should also Ice We'll remembered that
ANY license law except tbs proliitory
one, amy license law that would satisfy
the persons who are now veNins heaven
and earth for a change, would necessarily
be SO eguirocal, eyasive, and uncertain
a. 10 become 4 slam and 4 mockery.-
Let its advocates agree on such a law.
pui il vn paper, ard 20 before the l,eg-
! pie, and explain and advocate II if ihcy
c;n and dare, No, no, tn, very un-
certainty II what they desire, and hope
10 satlSfy the community with.
The so-callol IrohihitoIy law /, ,iul-
pie, definahle, cloar, bold, AMI iinuCga-
ble As 4 mountain, and can be enforced
Anything short OF L must be plant,
tru>ttul, AID depcndeni IN a Thousand
ways upon appetite, cupldity- and ca
PRECIOUS judgment yIl 20 o,ozt,na i
an OLD Roman maxim applicable 10 all
human nature Where The law Is uncer-
tam there Is no law; and every good
man Thai ARRAYS himself against the pro
hibitory measure al tins iuncture i
practically allying himself with the d.
ieI1niineily iawles,, the di,obcdicnt. the
ungodly, ami The wicked IL must hc
80 He cannot help II, There are
times when many man i compelled 10
60 little faster and 4 little farther tlIan
he likes, OF inilict AL irreIGlrable INJURY.
Alively convict in an Indiana iail rush.
ed out Of the door Of his cell as II VAS
opened 10 lei in his supper, turned the
4 / -. -, IL, II 81 - -. -