Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-05
THE RUTLAND HERALD
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1873.
rcrPEnANCE EXPERIMENTS.

ton and proof in our genera history,
the habits of our citizens and our COM
narrative immunity from crime. 1t is
true. nevertheless, that we have laws,
upon our statute books, which, in some
parts of the State, are dead letter, and
openly violated, while, in other sections,
their enforcement, or attempted enforce
ment, is spasmodic. After offenders of
the law have run riot for months, if not
years, defying the law and the ordinary
sentiments of humanity, some foul fiend-
ish deed will be committed, or some
gross individual wrong suffered, through
this contemptuous disregard for law,
when temporary public sentiment Wilde
aroused, and an attempt made to enforce
the law. The result of such spasmodic
efforts has been apparent to every one,
and could, in fact, have been foretold
by every rejecting mind. Extremes are
hateful TO the people. The sentiment
of the community is conservative, and
nothing is more distasteful to calm OBJ
server than to witness a rigorous execu-
ton of a law, at one time, and then its
open, public violation, at another, with
out let or hinderance, and without so
much as protest from its former en-
forcers The law, so, in turn, enforced
and spurned, may be correct in principle
and absolutely essential to the safety of
individuals and the community, yet this
very course destroys all respect, not only
for the particular law so played with,
but undermines the enforcement of all
other laws 1t may be answered, that
the reason and justification for such tri-
fling is to be found in the fact, that such
laws do not accord with the public SEN
timent, and that no law, however right
in the abstract, can be enforced when
counter to public sentiment. This does
not justify or, even, palliate public,
known, UNPUBLISHED attractions of our
statutes, because, if they are right in
principle, public sentiment should &C
cord, or be educated to accord, with
them; if wrong, they should not have
been enacted, and, if enacted, should be
repealed.
There is-there can be-no question
in the public min,, in reference to the
unrestrained sale of intoxicating liquors.
The effect is denoralizing, subversive of
public order, and a hot-bed of iniquity
and crime. A restrained sale is, at the
present stage Of medical and mechanical
science, acknowledged to be right and
proper How to prevent the spread of
pauperism and crime, on the one hand,
and, on the other, to allow the sale of
spirituous or fermented drinks to meet
the necessity of human society and the
promotion of the useful arts, is a prob
lem that, in its attempted solution, has
so far baffled the utmost efforts of the
wisest statesmen and purest philanthro
pists. The prohibitory law, as it now
stands, has not answered the purpose of
its enactment Whether this failure is
due to the stringency or want of strin-
gency of the law, the fault of the prose-
cutting and arresting officers, or an I'M
sustaining public sentiment, we do not
pretend to say. The most pronounced
temperance men are not agreed as to the
cause, while they are united in the opin-
ion that the results are not such as they
hoped for or expected Their most ultra
opponents are, also, divided in opinion.
They have not the hardihood to deny
that this class of traffic needs regulating,
yet when called upon to suggest RENE
4, 20 Il +I,,
best, provide remedy which would be
more blighting than the existing evil.
The principle aimed at by those who are
styled prohibitionists is, practically,
endorsed by all This underlying prin-
ciple, if we understand it, is to prevent
the injurious use of intoxicating drinks,
so far as it may affect individuals, the
family or the community, and, thereby,
tend TO the decrease of pauperism and
crime. 1t is but right and proper that
all laws, having this end in view, should
have full, free and unrestricted trial.
Until such trial shall have been satisfac-
torily had, let them stand upon the stat
ute book.
A great outcry is, however, made every
time an attempt is made to enforce these
laws. The outcry and protest does not
come from the advocates of the law, but,
strangely enough, only from those who
are undisguised opponents thereof. 1t
has been frequently said, with as much
truth as sarcasm, that certain number
of the people are in favor of the enact
ment of specified laws, but against their
enforcement. This seems to be too much
the case with the matter we are consid-
ering, not only with those who endeayor
to ride upon the wave of public opinion
but, also, with those who daily violate
the law. If the opponents of existing
laws are honest in their belief-and we
are bound to presume that they are-that
the present law is incapable of enforce
ment, obnoxious to public sentiment and
subyersiye of private rights, they make
great mistake In throwing stumbling
blocks in the way of its execution. All
laws must derive their force and very
existence from public sentiment. If
public sentiment is properly represented,
a law cannot be enacted unless ii accords
herewith, except through misapprehen-
sion, moral cowardice or an undue haste
in legislation. If by these means, stat
utes should be passed, the same public
sentiments could and should repeal them.
Laws, which are suffered to remain
dead letter, cannot aid in producing pub
lie sentiment, or have any effect in dis
closing what the real opinion of the peo-
pie may be. A rigid enforcement of our
prohibitory law, throughout the State,
would soon determine whether the prin-
ciple accorded with, or was counter to,
the current popular sentiment. If the
law is obnoxious, this would demonstrate
It, General Grant uttered a statesman
I'LL ,pho,, ~ po;J Iy,or,