Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-11-04
The Judges Plea.

At Morris, Gruudy county. Illinois. three
saloon keepers-one woman and two men
were arrested and indicted for selling liquor
10 minors. As usual iu such eases the liquor
sellers were lavish in their funds in aid
of their unfortunate co-workcrs, and emf
nent counsel was employed in defence of
these dcstroycrs Of the bodies and souls Of the
young and rising generation. But the proof
Of their guilt was so fully demonstrated
that the Jury were compelled to pronounce
them guilty. Hon. j. y Reading, the pre-
siding judge, in prunoumcing the sentence ui
the court used the following language:
The jury having found You guilty Of
selling Intoxicating liquors TO a minor, it
remains for the court 10 pronounce the sem
tenceof the law. The penalty of this oiiense,
fixed 10y the legislature, indicates that it con-
sidercd the crime 10 be of q serious char
acter. BY the law YOU may sell to men. and
to women, if they will buy You have given
your bond, aud paid for your license TO sell
to them, and no one has the right to modest
/ You in your legal business. No matter what
the consequences may be-, no matter what
| poverty and restitution are produced by
| your selling according TO law, You have paid
/ your money for thi, privilege, and YOU are
/ licensed to pursue your calling. No matter
/ what families are distracted and rendered
miserable, no matter what wives are treated
| with violence. what children starye or noun
over the degradation of parent, your bust
ness is legalized, and no one may interfere
with you in it. No matter what mother
may agonizc over the loss of a son, or siste
blush for the shame of brother You hav,
the right to disregard them all and pursu,
your legal calling you are licensed. lot
may fit up your lawful place of business
10 the most enticing and captivating form
you may furnish it with the most elegan
and costly equipments for your lawful trade
You may fill it with the allurements o.
| amusements you may use all your art TO in
duce visitors you may skillfully arrange
aud expose to view your choice wines am,
most captivating beverages You may theI
induce thirst hv all contrivances to produc,
a raging appetite for drink and then YOU
may supply that appetite TO the full--be
cause it is lawful You have license. lol
may allow boys. almost children, 10 frequen
your saloon they may become witnesses O
the apparent satisfaction with which thei
seniors quaf the sparkling glass; you may
| be schooling and training them for th'
| period of twenty-one, when they too car
| participate for all this is lawful. You MAY
! hold the cup to their very lips; but you
must not let them drink-that is unaw
/ full, But, while you have all these priv
| ileges for the money which sou pay, this
poor privilege OF selling to children is de
MED you. Here parents have the right
to say, Leave my son to me until the law
| gives you the right TO destroy him. Dc
not anticipate that terrible moment when
can assert for him no further rights of pro
lection That will be soon enough for me
for his mother, for his sisters, and for tn,
community to see him take his road tC
death. Give him to us in childhood, al
least Let us have few years of his young
| life, in which we may enjoy his innocence, Il
repay rs in some degree for the love ant
care We have layished upon him This il
/ something You, who now stand prisoner a
the bar, have not paid for; this is not en-
/ bracod in your license. You have you
bond to use to its full extent, but in thu
/ taking your pound of flesh You draw the
/ blood and that which is nearest the heart
The law, in its wisdom. does not permit this
and you must obey the law. BY the ver
dict of the jury you have been found guilt,
OF trausgressing the law Its extreme
penalty is thirty days imprisonment in TIA,
county Jail aud 500 Gne its lowest, ter
days Imprisonment and $50 fine.
" For this oifense the court sentences yol
to ten days Imprisonment in the county jail
and that You pay fine of S75 and costs
and that you stand committed until the fin,
and costs of this prosecution are paid"
As may be imagined, the delivery of sucl
a sentence produced considerable commotiol
being praised as the best temperate
speech of the season.