Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-07-03
TEMPERANCE SCRAPS.

The people of Mississippi are trying q
Temperance experiment upona large scale
They succeeded, some time ago, in inducing
their Legislature to pass law that no lieen-
Sc hall be granted to sell liquor except the
| pc tions therefor be signed by majority
| of the electors of the vicinage and by two
thirds of the women over eighteen. The
women, therefore, have it in their power to
render any traffic whatever in ardent spirits
unlawful. We are bound to assume that
they will use that power to the fullest ex-
tent. The question will then remain as to
whether an entire stoppage of the sale can
be effected, and there well-defined doubt
arises, for we do not believe Mississippi Is
any better than other States in this respect.
The Rhode Island prohibitory law forbids
the sale of liquor except for mechanical,
medicinal and sacramental purposes. The
Mayor of Newport says that the community
is much divided regarding the policy of
such statute, and he is pleased that its en-
forcement has been confided to officers for
whom he is not responsible.
The temperance folks of Troy N. Y,
have an ableally in Police Justice Donahne,
who lets the sots brought before him off if
they sign the pledge. A whiskey-loying
Irishman, who had got drunk and abused
his wife, was before the Judge. the other
day, hut with true wifely fealty the woman
pleaded for the pardon of her husband So
the justice relented on condition that Pat
would sign the pledge, but when he was
about to administer it Pats heart began to
waver, and he said ''Say, judge, I'll take
it if | can take two drinks day" The
justice would not allow any proviso, howev-
er and gave him the iron-clad oath. which
he promised TO keep.
The San Francisco Chronicle says Of the
local option election in Oakland The
whiskey cohorts were demoralized early in
the day by the vigOr of the attacking Anna
zonian forces, and when their general, Rev.
Mr.. Hatch, was taken captive, led into the
temperance tent, and there adorned with
anti-license badges, ribbons, rosettes and
bouquets, until he looked like wandering
moral rainbow of gorgeous colors and beau
tliul maxims, they gave up the day as lost. -
An incident of the crusade at Chicago was
the formation of n cooperative temperance
association, which the I'rljEne represents as
meaning ito serve God and mammon by
promoting total abstinence and cooperation
at the same time \ man who wishes 10
buy paper Of tacks or bar of soap is to
be made to take the pledge with ali due
Solemnity. The formula will doubtless be
somewhat in thi, style Clerk Qoquitur).
'Tacks, sir? Yes, sir. Hold up your right
hand. You do hereby swear that you will
never taste, touch or handle intoxicating
liquor. 50 help you God The taeks are 10
cents -
\ Temperance crusade of some kind or
strict police regulation, are needed in the
metropolis particularly on Saturday night
and Sunday When liquor dealers are per
mitted to serve out to drunken customers
Their vile poison without 4 care for the con
sequences, it is time for stringent excise
law to be put in force, Il far as such dens
are concerned. We should then he spared
the disgrace and shame Of n regular list of
murders and outrage ioreyery Sunday morn
ing.-N y HraH.
Mayor Stokley, of Philadelphia, tramped
through the streets of his city on 4 recent
sunday Ia instruct himself as Ia the notori-
ous and almost universal violation of the
Sunday law for closing the liquor saloons.
He found the grog-shops everywhere in full
blast. He said, properly enough, the police
were to blame, and particularly the lieu-
tenants, and that hereafter he should hold
each lieutenant responsible for the violation
Of the law in his district There are other
places besides Philadelphia where the law is
virtually dead letter and where the author-
tie~ might be more vigilant.