Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-05-20
Watnhman s. Journal.
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1874.
Published by request.
The ProhibitOry Law.
SERMON, PREACHED AT NORWICH, VT, SUNDAY
MoRNisoi APRIL 10, 1874.


specting the enforcement Of the prohibitory
law. ! assume, here, the previous and accom-
panying duty of moral suasion, with the basis
Of the total abstinence pledge. OF this have
already spoken to you. | would remark, how
ever, that we may now use this power with far
more hope than formerly. The law enables us
10 riyet, and 20 to hold firmly the bolt of moral
suasion. When the intoxicating cup was ac-
ccssible at every grocery and the open bar dis
played It's tempting array Of spirituous liquors,
the pledge, signed ever 30 honestly and intel
ligently, was comparatively powerless as re-
garded the drinker This temptation must, so
far as human power eau do so, be removed.
Every possible barrier must be placed in the
way Of the raging torrent Of appetite, until the
grace of God, aiding the daily Strengthening,
God-giyen will Of the man, shall bring it into
subjection Such a barrier the aroused public
sentiment Of Vermont put up, when it caused
the prohibitory law to 20 on to our statute
book Speaking through the majority Of her
ireomen, in plain language, whose authority
rests not alone on the heayen-impanted law Of
selfdelenoe, bat also on the golden rule of Him
who came not n destroy mems lives, but TO
save them, our good State said to every dealer
in alcoholic liquors " You are hereby pro-
hibiled from selling this poison, excepting for
its legitimate uses The moment this became
the law, there was obviously such encourage
mcnt to work with the pledge as there could
not be before It is true, sad reaction fol-
lowed but it wns only incidental to the weak
ness Of human nature. The enacting Of the
law was absurdly hailed By many as the dawn
Of the Temperance millennium, and as the signal
70 cease oil effort in this direction We are
convinced Of our mistake, and have come to
recognize the truth, that the law is only an
instrument, a blind force TO be used intelli-
gently, indeed, but only blind force, never
theless Prudential, moral and spiritual con
siderations alone, can affect the man, and
reach and legltimately control the will and
this, through the avenue Of the reason and the
affections We are now more fully awake to
this truth and never was there greater reason
Tor courage and hope than at this hour, in the
persistent use Of the total abstinence pledge
In considering our duty in reference to the
lprohibitory law, shall spenk not Of its details,
or Of the practical carrying of them out but
rather Of underlying principles, the forgetting
or disregardng Of which doubtless accounts for
very much Of the difficulty We seem to find in
the matter Of enforcement. The FIRST and fun
damental principle is that under God, 70 whom
alone all power belongs, the people, here, are
the rulers Our government is Of, and for, and
/ by the people So it comes to pass that the
sovereign, the governed, and the makers and
executors Of the laws, are all equally citizens
This is to be borne IN mind when we are con
sidering our duty and our power in reference tc
any law Of our code. 1t concerns only our
selves. No one is more interested than another
1t is a family matter. 1t is for our interest il
each Of these different relations that good law
be enacted, and that they be faithfully admin
lsiered. 1, is plainly 50 a. regards the legisla
tor and magistrate their good name and thei
honor are at stake. And the private citizen J.
surely bound equally by these consideration
and by all other, to obey the magistrate be ha
placed over himself, and to observe the law
be has, through his representatives, made 70
himself. Hence, to olude or TO help elude a
officer, whether by active opposition OF by fail
ure to render active assistance or to eyade o
try to neutralze or nulliiy law, directly o
Indirectly, is surely strange proceeding 70
any one, under government like ours. 1t
not only contemphbly wicked, but absurd
inconsistent. 1t is to stultily ourselves. Yet
in practice we come across instances OF JUS
this singular and most unfortunate lorgetiul
ness OF this fundamental principle OF our gov
ernment. A familiar illustration is at hand /
the working OF our law concerning taxation
Briefly stated this simply requires money t
be paid, according to the most equitable al
rangement which imperfect human wisdom ca
devise Tor the care and protection oil our per
sons and Of our estates HE necessity Tor sue
provision Is obvious Economy, conVenlcnc
and safety demand H. 30 we nave made "a
law, and we appoint, at our annual town mee'
ing, certain oihcers, whose duty Is TO 70 lrol
house to house and ascertain the amount q
care and protection each citizen needs in othe
words, how much we individually own to
protected and taken care Of. Now it cannC
be denied that the reception these men somC
times meet, as they call at our homes in the
official capacity, would lead a stranger to SUI
pose that, so far from being our fellow citizen
whom by our votes We have requested, an
sometimes even urged, to do work for /
which we need to have done, to save our ow
time, expense and care; doing it, too, for onl
nominal pay and doing that in which the
have no more interest than we have; say,
stranger who knew nothing OF the relation
the parties, would suppose that these Office
were agents Of some foreign government, sci
TO pry into our private affairs, unjustly exac
s ing from us all they could and that, cons
4 quently, it became our duty, in simple sci
defence, to resist them at every point, and
every possible expedientto to conceal our proper
-aiterward congratulating ourselves that th'
obtained so little; somewhat as we would To
? at the departure ofa burglar who failed to
at the most Of our treasures. Very huml
aung' under the circumstances as well as !,
consistent, is TINS not o'erura"n picture in
Z practical ana reaiy suioiuai incons's''u'
SHOWS l'seii most prominently Wherever
enforcing Oh Ia" seems niore u''oo''y W
lec' our pocKeus' OF 10 restrain our person
liberty, or 10 uemahu Individual ac'ion Ut u
so a L