Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-16
For the Freeman.
An Appeal.

The Ladies' Temperance ASSOCIATION
To the Citizens of Montpelier:
In thus publicly addressing you, this As
ISOLATION has for ito object no boastful state
ment of successes achieved, but rather q
plain showing of endeavors, to which you are
respectfully invited to give your attention.
Formed upon the recognition of " intem-
perance as the greatest evil which can exist
in any community, deploriug its existence
AMI alarming prevalence in our midst, be-
lieving it the most fruitful source Of all vice,
immortality and misery, undermining both
the moral and physical nature, the members
of this Association pledged themselves both
Individually and unitedly, both directly and
indirectly, to earnest and persistent effort
for the suppression of this evil and the
promotion of the cause of temperance.
To this end Sunday evening meetings were
established and have been continued one
year" free to all for the discussion of the
subject of Temperance, in order to awaken
in every individual deeper interest in the
cause
While to the more radical of our temper
ance people we are indebted for generous aid
in sustaining these meetingr. and gratefully
appreciate their labors in other directions
for the promotion of the cause, with pain we
are obliged to confess our failure to enlist in
this effort many of our citizeus of talent and
influence whose cooperation would have given
most wholesome impetus to the work.
Besid,s these and other efforts to keep the
subject in agitation, this Association has
endeavored to accomplish some measure Of
reform through petitions. A committee OF
ladies were sent to all proprietors of restau-
fermented liquors, asking them to sell none
to boys under twenty. If in all cases COM
pliance was not positively refused, facts
Immediately and since following prove the
request to have been frequently ignored.
A petition signed by nearly four hundred
women was preeented to one class of liq-
uor dealers asking them to abandon all
traffic in intoxicating liquors excepting for
medicinal and mechanical purposes, (there
was then no town agent,) but not one OF
these would thus pledge themselves.
Of the more privately personal work of
the members of the Association we cannot
speak-hoping for Gods blessing upon
efforts We Relieve to have been prompted by
Himself.
Resolved to still prosecute through ali
moral means any phase of this work, that we
as women can properly undertake, we are
convinced that one great remedy lies beyond
our reach, and we appeal to you as law
abiding citizens, that you no lo:ager tolerate
The lou sssness of the Iouor .raGc.
We appeal to you to demand of the officers
OF the law an im2a, .iol enforcement of the
same, against the sale of celiqLOrs prohibited
by our statutes, ale, beer and cider not
excepted.
We further appeal to all persons owning
real estate, that they lease not the same for
the purposes of this traffic. We as women
who earnestly desire that this evil shall be
uprooted and done away, ask that you,
having this power and therefore great re-
sponsiblity, Will give this very efficient
all to the work?
We desire also to cal the attention of our
citizens especially those in authority, to the
great number of restaurants and groceries in
our village, these mostly, being places-as
we have abundant reason for telieving-for
the sale OF n'oxicating liquor as well as need
full and harmless articles of food, and there |
fore more than the public good demands, far
too many for the coed of the younger por-
ton of our community, ouriyouths and boys.
We ask that some measures be adopted, by
which to lessen the number of these places |
of temptation,
Further, we ask for continued and still
more general co operation of all Christian
people, believing that at this hour, no work |
calls more loudly for laborers in the service
of the Master
BIZ ORDER OF ASSOCIATION.