Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-07-14
WHERE DOES THE BLAME LIE I

UOTlug tVWHs, dIlu were snockeu dI tHe
crime; but if we take up daily paper,
we shall learn that every day has a rec
ord of crimes and horrors, that make
the blood run cold. If we visit the cit
les and some OF, the states less favored
than Vermont, we shall witness poverty
and degradation, unknown here. But
we need not 60 from home to witness the
painful sight of the surrender of strong
men into the hands of subtle and pow
erful enemy, that will destroy reason,
kill out all the nobleness of the soul,
and make the man worse than brute.
We can witness in our own streets
spectacle that ought to arouse the pity
and the Indignation of every respectable
person, in the ruin of the character of
young men and the consequent sorrow
and shame that this is carrying into,
otherwise, happy families. Shall we
dSh WudG IL 10 OHdO udS CducCu, duu 10
causing so much crime and sorrow in
the world one word answers, rum. We
have seen enough of the depravity of
human nature to know that young men
even, who have not acquired the habit
of drinking and are not goaded on by
the strength of appetite. will invite up
on themselves all the miseries that rum
drinking entails, in spite of the tears
and entreaties of friends, the example of
besotten men and the prompting of their
better natures Older men, who might
have been still respected and useful cit
liens, will trife and parley with the
habit until they entirely lose self con-
troll and surrender into the hands of
their destroyer every tender emotion,
every noble sentiment, every power Of
reason and every principle Of self-re-
spect, which they once possessed, and go
down to an ignominious grave, bringing
sorrow and disgrace upon their families
and friends. The rum seller will see one
after another Of the patrons Of his bar
90 down with tremens and fearful dis
eases, and hear the wall of sorrow that
comes up from orphans and widows and
feel no pity for the friends of the poor
victim, whom he has murdered; the sons
following the terrible example of a faith
er, are brought low by that incurable
disease, drunkenness, and in the agonies
of despair, bewailing their lost condi.
ton, they call upon him, who has been
the cause of their ruin, to cease from
the work Of murder and spend the re
mainder of his days in making atone
ment for his sins, and he promises tt
heed their dying request, and ther
breaks his promise. When this vendel
of poison overcome by the effects of hi
own intemperance totters over the grave
but still continues in his nefarious prac
tice, unheeding the solemn lessons of hi
life, we know there is no hope for hin
and little for many of the victims of hi
glass and decanter. 5.st.e
Who is to blame for all this? No
the rum seller, not the drunkard, no
the moderate drinker alone, but tina
class of temperate, order loving citizens
who have within their own hands tn
means to put an end to much of thi
crime and sorrow. They must bear
portion of the blame, and ought to fee
that the blood Of, the. injured must b
upon their heads. We have the Law
the power of moral suasion, and lndivid
ual influence to stay the evil. Shall W
do our duty? We should use mora
suasion and inculcate the principles {
temperance, by constant agitation of th
subject, until moral sentiment is sucl
that all respectable citizens look dow
not only with scorn, but with no fol
bearance upon the drinker. We woul
restrain by pledges, oaths and the infl
ence of secret, or other temperance soc
cites, such as we are able, and then tul
to the majesty of the law and visit upc
the manufacturers, the vender and col
sumer of liquor, all the punishment TIL
the statute will permit. No communit
is secure from the incursions of the ru
seller, and no person is safe from tenn
tation and injury if he vends his poist
in that community, and it remains f
the temperance men to stamp out al
destroy every concern where liquors a
sold, and drive out Of the business
out of the country, every accursed ere
ture that would live by the sale of rul
1t is not difficult to shut up bars, al
suppress the illicit sale of intoxicatil
drinks in Vermont, and if these qui
towns allow hotel keepers, agents
other persons to vend rum, so that '
shall be disgraced on public days, t
Sabbath shall be desecrated, and t
nights made hideous by the brawling
drunken men, the shame is our ow
We hope that the temperance men in c
cry town in this vicinity, will not
wanting in courage or desire to P
down the few rumsellers that are n,
disgracing the community and scatt,
ing misery in our midst.
We are in receipt of catalogue fir
the St. JOhnsbury Academy, which sho
the institution to be in a very fouri'
inc condition Tho ranutation of n