The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-11-12
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TUESDAY. NOVEMBER IL, 1872.
The Prohibitory Lava Finality.


"The prohibitory law, as it now stands
on the statute book, is stringent enough,
and where there is a strong public opinion
to back it, is enforced with no difficulty.
1t has been approved by the Republican
party, at its late State Convention, and
there is general disposition to accept Of
it as fnality. But any attempt to make
it an engine of oppression and inquisiton
will at once lead to an excitement, which
may result in an agitation which may
materially effect the stringent features of
the present law. Let well enough alone
is an excellent maxim"
We do not, of course, hold any paper,
or the editor Of any paper responsible for
all that its correspondents may write.
And so we would not be considered as
charging the Vermonter with the doctrine
of this extract. Yet, as the conductors OF
public press, aud as claiming to have
watchful eye TO the well being of society,
and especially as interested in all that
may influence this section Of the state, we
must enter our protest against what we
regard as the false and injurious views
we have quoted There is look about
them which seems fair enough-fair
enough when it talks about the stringency
of the prohibitory law, and about its hav-
ing been approved by the Republican
party, and fair enough, when it adverts
to the possibility of its becoming "an
engine Of oppression and inquisition" &C.;
but when all this is said, as it is, in pre-
JUDGE of the movement for state police,
as if that system of police would convert
the law into such an "engine," and such
an "inquisition," and violate the agree
ment entered into by the Republican party
at its late State Convention, it is both
significant and fallacious.
1t is fallacious, for "the proposed con.
stabulary bill before the legislature" is
designed to do nothing so far as the pro-
hibitory law is concerned, but what that
law itself proposes to do. If that is ian
engine Of oppression" and the like, then
the police bill cannot be held responsible,
for it only propose to enforce and execute
its provisions. If the Republican party
approved of the prohibitory law, they
approved Of its being executed, unless
such an approval was the voriest farce, a
mere blind, intended solely to influence
favorably for its party success, the tenn
perance men Of the State during the late
political campaign. To approve it as
law and not design to execute it, or aid
m Of ~
mere abstraction, is a most unworthy aud
contemplate specimen of meaningless
clap-trap, and only consistent with most
dishonest, political shutting In the name
OF the Republican party Of Vermont, we
enter our protest against any such con.
struction to be put upon the deliberate
and solemn action of the convention. To
approve the law we understand, means,
and only can mean, to approve, by any
legitimate means, its execution, and, if,
by executing its provisions there be any.
thing oppressive or inquistorial about it,
the law is to be held responsible. Its
execution by state police, don't erect it
into ian engine of oppression > all
oppression" if there be anything about it,
is in the law which the State has enacted,
and the Republican party approved.
But any one can see the real drift and
significance Of the above remarks of the
correspondent of the Vermontcr. And
that is, so long as the law isn't enforced,
and temperance men are contented,
whether really pleased and satisfied or
not with it is dead letter, an effete
statue, why, we rumsellers and their
Rymroth;po-S "-o. TLis 10 . iLruU fvm the
remark about the "disposition to accept
it as fuality," with opposition to the
"constabulary bill" The writer, doubt.
less has great fear, "that if the State
police law is carried, the temperance cause,
instead Of progressing, will be liable to
drag" No doubt he is very "fearful y
But then, every man who has attempted
to put the prohib;tory law ia execution
in this locality, knows, full well, that with
the present degree of public sentiment on
the subject Of temperance, he subjects
himself to social ostracism, which either
damps his energy, or compels him to be-
come real martyr. Every man, every
individual, who practices total abstinence
as personal virtue, has a right to de-
mand that the State, as his greatest and
chiefest earthly guardian, shall also
practice its total abstinence, which is
nothing short of the suppression Of the
sale of intoxicating drinks, or the enforce.
meet of the liquor law.
"If the old thing" says this writer,
meaning the prohibitory law, "does work
we'll, keep it up" but if there is to be a
new deal in temperance legislation, a
great many of the wisdom and virtue,
will favor judicious and stringent license
law" That is, if means are to be taken
to put the present law in force, and make
it what it was designed to accomplish,
what its provisions say it should do, what
Vermont legislation said, in enacting it.
it ought to do, and meant it should do
why, then, we will abolish it, and put in
its place, what the experience Of two
hundred years has shown, means "free
rum,"-Illinois and Connecticut, and the
the popular and far sounding names Of
John b. Cough, Gen. Gary, and Geo. w
Bungay, to the contrary,-ifthey are to
the contrary-Dotwithstandng
Such them, is the position of certain
so.called Temperance men," They evi.
IDENTIFY are perfectly contented with the
present posture Of affairs in the State, SC
far as meddhng with them, by way Of
suppressing the sale of rum. They talk
to be sure, "of strong public opinion,
70 "enforce" the law of prohibition, but
remind one of Chrisi's language, so terrib,
ly denunciatory of the "hypocrites" of hil
day, "For ye shut up the kingdom o.
heaven against men, for We neither 90 il
yourselves neither suffer yc them thai
are entering to 60 in" There may b,
thought, to be great force of argument il
skulking behind the names of the thre.
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