The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-07-14
CORRESPONDENCE.
Our states Attorney Column.

Editor Of The Register.
In the REGISTER Of July 9TH, | notice
a communication signed "A total absti.
nence man, and voter" With your
leave | propose to review this communi.
cation, and although would not take too
much of your valuable space,I would like
to crave tho indulgence Of enough to pre-.
sent (if the author pleases,) the radical
side Of the question.
We think this classification of the sup.
porters of Mr.. Lncia and of Mr.. Chap.
man as radicals, and as conservatives, las
these terms are usually used) very well
taken, though perhaps if the use of con.
sentative means to preserue the liquor,
or the right to sell and drink intoxicating
drinks without let or hindrance, it is rath.
er twisting Of the word from its best
meaning.
Washington and his noble revered as.
socates were radicals, and the Tories of
that period styled themselves conserva.
tives. Seward, Slade, Sumner, Giddings,
Lovejoy and Lincoln, were radicals, while
those who opposed their efforts to make
our country homo for freemen only, and
all men free, were conservatives, and the
history of the world shows, that all men
who represent great political, social, or
moral reforms, are generally called radi.
Gals, while those who try to oppose or
delay such reforms, take to themselves
the names of conservatives.
The great stress n "total abstinence
man" lays upon the fact that he heard
some radical temperance man call those
who oppose Mr.. Lucia rummics, seems
from my point Of view rather weak and
far fetched, though perhaps as good as
any argument he could bring against the
reelection OF Mr.. Lucia. How tom
perancc man who has always been ex.
tremely radical may feel among those who
are practically opposed to temperance,
am sure | do not know, but | can well
imagine under like circumstances should
not like TO be called by any extreme
name, and | do not think it in good taste
or generous for any radical to apply any
terms to a straying or crriug brother who
has wandered from the good radical TEN.
perancc paths, that shall make him fee
any more degraded than his position
would naturally cause him to feel, aud
really hope we shall not hear good radi
cal temperance men making use o.. such
degrading expressions in the coming cam
paign they are too much in keeping with
the tactics of some of the conservative,
who make use of remarks tending to max,
it appear that Mr.. Lucia is less worth,
of being supported because he has lost at
arm while calamity defending his couu
try from being destroyed by conscrvatiy,
slave-holding men On the whole, mos
of the voters Of Addison county will b.
likely to have quite as much contidene,
in Mr.. Lucia's courage to wage wa
against the violatcrs OF law, as they hav,
in those who have preserved all Of tbe
members by prudently staying at hom
, when their country was in peril OF bein,
, destroyed by the conservatives aforesaid
Really the most of those who bring thi
charge Of calling all those who oppos
. Mr.. Lucia rummies, are only maxim!
, cheap martyrs OF themselves.
: The in,inuatioh that few radical tom
; pcrance men have got together and un
dcrtaken to dictate what the whole part,
, shall do, is a mistake i! | understand tn
matter Alright. The only possible groun,
for any such charge, is the fact that at
, regular called meeting of the Addison
) County Temperance Society, that societ.
, took the ground that Mr.. Lucia must AN
would be sustained, in the noble stand h
t had taken in the prosecution of the viola
r tors Of the liquor law, by all good TEN
} perancc men. To this proposition Their
was no dissenting voice, and it was re
, solved TO do it as the right thing for any
| and all good temperance men to dc
, There were many good temperance me
! present, including the editors of both tn
e REGISTER and Termonter, but if re
S member rightly, there was not dissent
( ing vote from any one. If this was tn
settled purpose Of the temperance party
f agreed upon by Il full meeting what sens
. is there in any such charge as a "tota
S abstinence man" brings of few gettiu
+. together and debating what the Who'll
C party shall do, and taking away the RICH
e Of any as freemcn.
If standing by aud supporting the ma
who has stood by temperance aud the eS
$ ecuton OF the laws, without being awe
$ or intimidated by the bowls aud threat
i OF those who have been piuchcd, ho
weakened the party beyond recovery ic
r this campaign, then he it so ; but | thin
i time will disabuse "a total abstincnC
!. man" Of this, as well as Of a number {
other erroneous ideas he seems to hay
imbihcd from his rev found conscrvativ
q friends.
c The assertion that mo man will dal
y to assert that Mr.. Chapman is not just 1
strong temperance man as Mr.. Luc
!. will hardly stand Mr.. Editor dal
to assert that he is not, and | only nee
n to bring one witness TO prove il, and thi
. ono is "a total abstinence man, and
voter" When he says iii tho tempe
n auce party had put Mr.. Lucia into II
- field as the radical temperance caudidat
. and Mr.. Chapman as the conservati,
, candidate, which is the true platform Fl
!, these gentlemen" he gives all the ev
dcnce We need, to prove that Mr.. Cha
I man is not as strong temperance ina
I as Mr.. Lucia. | bring no charge again
If Mr.. Chapman's private habits or prime
10 pies, but when it is asserted that he
70 as strong temperance man AS Mr.. Luci
!. it is well to inquire what public sent
d lnents upon the temperance question
u represents, anu when we iud that h
a. constituency embrace all those direct
n opposed to practical temperance all wl
3. have violated the liquor law. az well
in their customers, all must see that the
A. facts arc additional reasons and proc
" that Mr.. Chapman is not as strong tea
a perance man as Mr.. Lucia, whose co
of stituents are temperance men, aud tel
K perance men only. What the temperan
/ party should want 10 put into the tic