Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-02-09
Communications.
wRIrTRN ron TUE VERMONT pHDEix.
TE.uP


that had for long time been started but
If the article in the PHGNIx of Jan. 10Th,
under the heading of illegal vs. Moral
Suasion," Is n specimen of its theory, its
efforts for temperance reform will be as fu-
tile as an attempt to tame hyena. Expe-
rence and close observation for more than
quarter Of a century, has fully convinced
me that the only effectual way to stop the
Incorporate use OF intoxicating drinks is to
stop the traffic in the Same as beverage.
The sale of intoxicating liquor is the
foundation of drunkenness and the source
of all the evils resulting therefrom. This.
then, should be the first aud foremost con-
sideration of those who would effect a tenn
i porance reform; for 1t is perfectly useless
| to preach temperance, or TO portray the
evils Of intoxicaton in any community
where liquor shops are kept open for the
Unrestricted sale of intoxicating drinks
and nothing seems more idle at this age of
| the world, than to think of stopping drunk
| ennoss and the traffic in that which makes
drunkards, by what is called "moral sua-
SION
Let MS look the matter square in the face,
/ anu uTSl Sclllt lnp IutStlO1 III tuC lSHl VI
our own experimental observation, wheth-
err the selling of an intoxicating beverage
is, or is not, benefit to the community
and to the State? If il is right, and tends
to promote the interest, the happiness and
social progress Of human society, 1t is the
| duty of the people and the State TO clear
/ the statute books of every law that tends
| to restrict, or in any way hinder it. But
| if, on the other hand, ii is wrong. if it ieop-
drdizes the interest, social happiness and
prosperity of the people, if the evils result
| ing therefrom overbalance the good, it is
clear that it should be prohibited by law,
and that the law should be enforced with
adequate penalties, like laws for other
crimes and offences against the interest,
the peace and welfare of the Stae for we
cannot, If we would, escape the result Of
| principle.
D.. But the "Good Samaritan" wants to know
what we have been doing these last fif-
teen years with law upon the statute book
which cannot be successfully enforced, and
excaimS, "Where are we as State today?
with open bars and free rum everywhere"
If the "Good Samartans" think of ei-
fectng u temperance reform with "open
| bars and free rum everywhere" their
hopes are very likely to prove abortive.
| If we want to remove intemperance, we
| must strike at the cause-lay the axe at the
root of the evil-annihilate the fountain
from whence it flows, and tine stream will
dry up.
Aga.n, the "Good Samaritan" contends
that no law may infringe upon individual
rights. He says "this is a land of large
| personal liberty and among the inalena-
BILE rights of the individual, is the right to
wrong ones self" We.do not admit that
theory. The individual forms part of So
ciety, and if his interest comes in conflict
with the welfare of the community, the
| law may infringe with impunity for the
community has rights, and among them
the right to protect itselfagainst the wrongs
of an individual is not the least important.
And if the individual forms a part of the
community it is difficult to conceive how
| he can wrong himself without inhicting an
| injury to the community, which he has no
right to do.
Now we would inquire in all candor,
what have the moral suasionists done with
their "rcsistless weapons of hope, charity
and love-" since 1896, when the temper
ance reform was first agiiated in New Eng
land, and a Hewitt, Beecher ard Kit
trcdce first raised the cry that we were be-
coming nation of drunkards and with a
noble impulse formed temperance societies
upon plan similar to the Good Samaritan
organization. The friends of temperance
rallied and put forth an effort worthy their
cause pledges of different kinds were in
stituted, and succeeded to some extent in
eti'ecting Il reformation; but in all these
forty-siX years of moral suasion we have
not succeeded in Kidding the country of the
intemperatc use of intoxicating drink.
What hope have we then for the future?
! II for nearly half a century these weapons
have proved powerless in the hands Of the
ablest and best advocates in the country, is
| it not fair inference that some other course
must he adopted to suppress the inOrdinate
use of the intoxicating cup?
While the sale of liquor is profitable in
dollars and cents, and the law remains
dead letter upon the statute book, we shall
labor in vain for reform by the means indi-
rumseller that is not imperyous to entreat-
les o the suffering wife or lamishing chill
dren, and we will show u prodigy man, or
one entirely out of the course OF things.
They stand behind their bar and laugh at
our efforts to stop their trade, or even harm
them in the slightest degree, by the forma-
ton of temperance societies, or Good Tenn
plar or Good Samaritan organizations.
There is nn possible way to reach them but
by force of law. They are rs impervious
to the appeals of humanity as the blackest
midnight is to the light OF the sun. Prose-
cute and tue them few times aud they
will see it is Improbable business and dry
up their bar. But while we suffer the sale
with impunity, ii is worse than useless to
preach moral suasion, or think of reaching
them with the "resistless weapons of hope,
charity and love" When Neal Dow first
conceived the M1ine liquor law in 1851, ii
was denounced by the same class ofsqueam-
ish opposers as barbarous. unconstitutional,
and an abridgement of personal rights and
the right of property; and the knights of
the grog shop, with their retinue of adhe-
rents, marshaled their forces against il,
the true friends of temperance stood firm
in its support aud more than confuted the
vocilerous eloquence of those whose craft
was in danger. As time moved on, the eff
iciency of the law for the purposes de-
signed became more and more apparent,
and its practical workings in Maine en-
couragcd other States to enact similar laws.
And no sagacious observer will deny that
whore it has been enforced most rigidly,
the best effects have been realized in sup
pressing the use of Intoxicating liquor and
the injuries to society resulting therefrom.
This law unQueslionably constitutes the
most important era in the Temperance re-
formation known to history lis bpnef-