Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-07-05

=. % reduce It to comparative insignifcancc
Du' OF late years, we have practically hat
LITTLE else than the statute in the books. |
had not been enforced, and the reason giyer
has been that there was not public senti
g ment sufficiently strong to secure its enforce.
ment. 1t Is not the question whether thi.
Is the best possible law, on the subject.
The question is, shall we have this
law or none and every man who
iaYors legal restraint on the sale of liquor,
unless he regards the law as wholly iniqui-
tous) should be in sympathy with tins move
ment. We have had officially published the
past week, civil enactments forbidding the
sa'e Of fireworks and the use of firearms in
our city-cln those who favor such legal
restraints to prevent an evil, consistently
oppose legal restraint upon much greater
evil?
Bus those who undertake the enforcement
Of such laws must have something more than
vague sympathy. Some Of them have al
ready suffered opprobrium for dong their
duty. The opponents Of the law SPEAK out
| Let christian men do the same, and show to
those who eudeavor to secure the execution
/ OF the law that the churches are with them
Key. j. II. WORCESTER, ID. D., was then
introduced and delivered a very strong and
cheering address. lie commenced By recalling
the days when the question of Prohibition
was at stake, and when the churches met as
now to give their aid to the cause. lie re-
laembered preaching to them sermon FROM
the text " Ride Irosperously because of
Truth We did ride en- prosperouslY but
victory has Its perlls, as well as defeat.
Partly from the impression that the law
would execute itself, and more because anO-
thcr great contest has had our interest and
efforts, Temperance effort has slackentd
Such reaction is not strange nor should it be
discOuraging- Truth has ever this advant-
ase-its success so works good, and its de-
feat 20 works evil, that both vIndicate the
truth and lead to new triumphs. while no.
thing works 50 strongly in the end against
a great evil, as its temporary success.
1t was so with slavery. 1t is so with
Intemperancc The friends OF Temperance,
Rev. Solon ". Bush, of Boston. formerly
pastor Of the Unitarian Church in this city.
was called on and spoke effectively. That
Prohibition Is a barrier to the use Of liquor,
was plain from the fact that sill the liquor
dealers inMassachusetts were banded together
to break it down. lie believed the moral
power Of Massachusetts, would conquer. lie
fel. still more sure that the moral power Of
Vermont, would conquer, And he urged
his hearers to % boldly into the work and
make the fight not an Antietam but Get
tysbursh.
Mr. Henry Role alluded to the recent de-
cisious of the United States Supreme Court
in favor Of the prohlbitory law. These had
settled the last legal objection, and the
friends of the law had now only to enforce
It. To do so thew must begin in the pri-
mary meetings, and BY securing the nomina
.ion Of officers who will execute tie law.
Is it was, the law was doing good.
Nr. j. D. KIngsland, said he had till re-
GENTLY always resided IN New York State.
lie had always believed in Prohibition and
nothing had shaken his belief till he came
10 Burlington. He had had more trouble
with drinking among his workmen and seen
more evil from rum drinking in Burlington
han ever before, and unless the law was to
be enforced, he was in favor Of some different
nc. But he believed 1t could be enforced;
be for one was willing to join any who
would undertake to enforce it, and to do so,
not BY 6ts and starts, but steadily and per-
'cveringly till it shall become a ruinous bust
ie,s to all engaged in it.
Mr.. Lyman Clark Of West AIeriden, Conn.,,
and and showed that there was much less
Iriuklns now than in the last generation,
md with some excellent words urged to re-
iew,d and more persevering effort.
Charles Wainwright related a recent case
If reform Of a confirmed inebriate, effected
through the efforts Of Temperance AssOci-
.tion.
Lawrence Barnes wished to say that he
vas for executing the law, or repeating it.
lie wanted no dead letter on the statute
books lie was for sustaining the law, and
,lccting men to Office who will enforce it.
Professor NJ. II. BUcKHAN, said this meet
rs evidently ''meant business persistent,
lold. manly effort to enforce the law. And
t should be our aim to show the men who
.iJla;e it, that we DO not hate them but
hat we are forced to action because We can
iot zee our young men ruined, families beg
,arcd, and jails filled, by the use Of liquor.
Zach one OF Us has something to do, and
.houll d. It in a spirit Of love.
The meeting then closed with the Doxo-
ogy.
/, was a most timely, influential and va
lablc meeting Mr. Worcester's address
-ai.s like a trumI,; call to new and cheer
ul aud Triumphant ehJTt- Mr.. hingslands
remarks were also especially effective aud
9uc Of them must have brought the blush
f shame to the face OF every citizen who
las the welfare and fame of our city at
lelrt All the speeches were excellent, IN
.Iirit. And those who have undertake to
,uiJrce the law can 60 forward, satisfied that
hey shall have the hearty backing ofa large,
and earnest portion of our COM
nunity.
The Senfinel says the Democratic State
Convention was "a very far from being disor-
Ierly, as has been absurdly and falsely re-
.res,ntcd in the Republican papers" But
tic Sentinel doesn't explain how 1t is that
lie demoe, etie accounts Of the convention
happen to make such prominent mention of
unkind feeling, " acrimonious debatcs,'