Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-25
Report Of the Executive Csnsnfttee
10 the Vermont state Temperance
Society. 49, % - =. ~ ~ -. = 5,ttJ


! rneI :, as we'll as occasion for regret, ane
certainly very much reason for renewed
and more vigorous effort on the part Of
/ the society and friends of temperance il
our State. +. f.yy7, 80 is,...,..
4. Some of the causes of congFatulation
are, the knowledge that our work is one
j which has the approval Of God and al
the wisest and best men in The State;
that it is recognized by the public con
science or moral sense and sentiment OF
/ the people as just; that the laws of our
commonwealth which relate to the snb-
iect, are in our favor; that for twenty
1 years the prohibition of the nun traffic
has been the settled policy of the State !;
| that to-day we are stronger than ever be-
fore for the accomplishment of any
! project which the best judgment of the
! people shall dictate, for the suppression
| of the vice of intoxication, and the crime
| Of selling Intoxicating liquors; and final
| ly the agencies of moral suasion are hap
| PLY combined with the effective use of
| legal enactments, IN the methods now
most employed and approved in the en-
deavor to suppress this giant evil. And
| there is another encouraging sign that
| the temperance reform is progressing,
and securing a frmer hold upon the
hearts and consciences of men, TO which
we will only refer. If we rightly read
| the signs of the times, that powerful
agency, the constabulary police system,
which has, for several years, been used
with such great success in sister State,
is growing in favor among our staunch
temperance men. and is likely soon to
become incorporated in our laws.
The numerous and in many places en-
thusiastic gatherings of earnest temper
ance men and women, during the past
year, have been of great service in arous-
ing the public attention, and in bringing
the people into sympathy with our OBJ
iect and work Many of these meetings
have been held under the direction Of
Good Templars, and especially in con-
nection with their county meetings
large and enthusiastic gatherings have
been secured, by which healthy senti-
lnent has always been promoted and
sometimes, perhaps, created. In some
places the temperance people have been
doing a very effective work through
Good Samaritan and other town and VII
lage organizations. In q few places the
ladies have organized distinctively, and
there may be noticed some of the best
effects Of temperance effort. We only
wish we had more of this form of work
to report. County societies have, in
some INSTANCES at least, made their
power felt for good, by meetings, resolu-
tons, the action of committees, and in /
various ways The TempIars of Honor
and Sons Of Temperance have also, we
are Informed, done very good work in
some places. The members of all these
organizations are recognized by our con-
stitntion as members of our common
State society.
In prosecuting the work specially per-
tanning to this society, it seemed to your
executive committee, proper that an
agent should be employed, as has been
the custom IN former years, to lecture
and organize local societies and do all
the appropriate work Of his Office, pro-
vided suitable person could be found !
who would be willing to engage
IN the work on such terms as we were
able to offer Accordingly in January |
last, Rev. p. N. Granger was elected
and duly commissioned as general agent |
for the society for the ensuing year.
Since the time of his acceptance of the /
ardusus work thus imposed upon him, |
he has been laboring with zeal and |
fidelity which must have been born of q |
high sense of responsibility and a clear |
recognition of great need. And we |
desire at this time, to express our appre- |
citation of the efficient service which be /
has rendered in laboring for the cause of !
reform, everywhere and in all circum-
stances, even when annoyed and some
times almost thwarted by the eEnbarrass- i
ments arising from the unfortunate re-
latiohs to the society of former ageRt.
His own report will show the nature 1
and extent Of his labors.
One of the chief emharrassments in
our work has been the.want of a fnsn-
cial basis of action. Having no money
in the treasury and no pledge on which
reliance could be placed for future need, |
the agent employed could have no assur-
apce of compensation from any other
source than out of the collections he
should make for the society-which.
with any solicitor of our present agents
characteristic modesty, must be made
quate. 1nis, together with the circum-
stances under which he took the field,
subjected him to annoyances which the
society should seek TO remedy hereafter,
il this form of labor is to be employed.
If some financial basis could be devised,
we think the efficiency of the society
would be greatly increased.
Among the agencies for carrying on
our work of reform, the press, when its
influence is rightly directed, must be ac-
knowledged as among the most impor-
tant, aud we take this opportunity to
make this public Acknowledgement of
the valuable services to the cause of
temperance which has been contributed
by many of the newspapers of the
State. And especially do we commend
to the favorable consideration Of the
temperance people of the State, the
Vermont Witness, published at Burling-
ton, by the secretary of the society,
which makes a specially of this subject
in all its departments, and is fearless in
advocating all right and in opposing all
wrong.
With such means in operation, we
have reason to thank God and take cour-
age. The cause is His and He will bring
it to sure and final triumph. We know
the cause for which we labor is just, and
the right must prevail. In this conf
dence weappeal to all friends of the great
reform to do all in their power to aid in
the overthrow of the monster evil. Let
us strive by moral and Christian influ-
ence and legal power-not by prayers
alone-but by money and work and
votes The rum demon will not die
easily or willingly. The drinking Gus
toms of society can be reformed only by
long, patient and earnest effort, and the
use of all the agencies at our command.
That intolerabe nuisance, that hell-born
agency of destruction, the rum traffic,
will yield to nothing else than the
crushing machine" of human law, or
divine judgments. But its day of doom
approaches. Let US learn to labor while
we wait.
For the committee,
LYMAN e. KNAPP, Chairman.