Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-12-26

luS inc suuStauSS VI VAC A'fSAN - -N''
w. W. Atwster, the Secretary and Gen.
ersl Agent OF the State Temperance So
eiety, made at its recent annual meet
ing
In entering upon the duties of my Of
fee at the beginning Of the present year,
sn important neld OF labor appeared be-
fore me. More than 100 auxiliary So
cieties werr "a be visited and urged for
ward In their work-others were to be
formed-lectures were to be given and
sermons 10 be presched-Sunday schools
to be addressed and counsels TO be given
to various organizations, All the con-
ventious-ecclesiast and political as
far as possible were TO be attended and
the temperance element was to be made
TO hold its power, and as far as possible
to increase its controlling influence over
our political sspirauts, and the moral
sense of our State was TO be aroused on
the great question; our temperance law
was to be INDICATED against the shrewd
designs and subtle reasoning OF corrupt
opponents, who would II possible, de.
ceive even the very elect. In the pursu.
auce OF this great work, q lively inter-
est has been manifested in may por-
tons of the State. Several new aux
lliary societies have been formed, and
many names have been added to the long
list already pledged to our cause. 1t
may now be estimated that we have in
this State not less than % 900 names Of
members Of our temporal organization
pledge TO total abstinence, in addition to
the tens OF thousands who practice 1t
without having had time to sign its
pledge.
In addition TO my labors in the depart
ment OF moral effort, have given special
attention to the manner in which our
town agencies have been conducted. Our
county commissioners, believe, have all
been elected as temperance men, yet,
in some cases, improper persons have by
false representations secured the appoint
ments as agents who have proceeded to
sell on their own account, without any
contract with the selectmen, thus eX-
posing themselves to the penalty of
common rumsellers. In other cases
selectmen have been Indifferent or have
acted in collision with the agents, in s
willing violation of the law, and have
exposed themselves to penalties by max
ing contracts with agents by which their
compensation depended on the amount
of their sales, and by which they we re
induced to increase their sales to increase
their own pay. This evil [ trust has
been materially checked.
At & meeting of the executive commit
tee near the beginning of the year, l was
instructed by them to make special ef-
forts to secure the enforcement Of the
law against the sale of intoxicating
liquor in our first class hotels. The
charge has been repeatedly made that
the friends Of our temperance law wee
partial in it's enforcement, securing lis
penalties on the poor and letting the
rich offenders go free. But during the
past year it has been fully shown tina.
this law knows no respect of persons,
Early in the past winter associations
began to be formed, aud continued to in
crease in numbers, the object of which
was to protect the tempted, and espec-
tally the youth, against the temptations
of liquor saloons and hotel bars, by a
=
These associations consist usually OF
twenty substantial business men, often
embracing some of the most influential
and wealthy citizens. They have been
organized in St. Adams, Burlington
Vergennes, Rutland, Bennington, Brat.
tleboro, Bellows Falls, Mortified, and
some other places, The first Of these
was formed in Bennington, where the
people had become alarmed at the grow
ing evils OF the traffic. A committee
consisting Of some of the most thorough
business men of the place visited all the
| rumsellers OF the village, and notified
them that the traffic must wholly and
Immediately cease. No compromise was
proposed or accepted-uO quarter given
and no respect Of persons shown. The
dealers at once submitted to the resist
less decree. The results were most sal
utory ;-several weeks passed, as was
informed, before any signs appeared o.
any further violation of the liquor law
and when the first person was found in
toxicated-a boy IA years OF age-tht
dealer who furnished the LIQUOR was
promptly punished
In some places where these asS0Cia
tons have been formed, hotel keepers a.
first threatened to close their door:
against the travelling public, by way o.
retaliation, if they were not allowed t.
aid in corrupting their guests by selling
rum. In one place only, however, SO ia
as | have been informed, was this threa
carried into execution. The dealers il
st. Adams had been warned by Ions
list of names Of business men published
in columns in one Of their newspaper
at the foot Of plain notice, requesting
them to stop the traffic, and assuring
them that if this advice was not fol
lowed the law would be thoroughly en-
forced. After months of probation hat
followed Protective Association wa
formed, composed of some of the ables
and most worthy citizens of the place
They published notice that they wer
ready for action against all offenders WHIT
should continue the traffic there ate
the date of the notice. This warning
was treated with levity, and the wori
was commenced. Papers were issue
against the various dealers, but tn
keepers of the Weldon House-the flnes