Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-09

-uU pages, neat specimen vi tNPo5'"P'Ji
and worthy of notice for the obvious care IN
the preparation and intent to be iair IN the
presentation of its contents. Its anthor we
see, in some notices of the book, alluded 10
as student and young man. But
Rev. Edward Everett Hale, in a recent re-
view Of the book, speaks of Mr.. Weeden as
"a manufacturer who employs many work
men," and lone of the most active practical
philanthropists of the City of Providence
and this description is doubtless correct.
The author is evidently gentleman OF ae-
tive mind, of considerable reading and
something of philosopher. withal. \ more
accurate title for his essay would have been
the immortality of Prohibitory Liquor
Laws, " since he reaches, by reasoning which
seems to himself satisfactory and conclusive,
the conclusion that the making OF prohlbl-
tory laws. so-ealled, is ''immoral law
making" We have read his book with care,
10 see if we could find anything in it
which ought to modify the opinion We have
50 often expressed, that our Vermont pro-
hibitory law is. for Termonf-and without
claiming perfection for it,-on the whole
better law than any substitute for it that
has AZ yet been proposed That opinion,
however, remains unchanged.
Mr.. Weeden bases his argument on fire.
propositions. a. follows
|. Temperance and Abstinence in regard
+, liliurS are not convertible terms. They
represent two distinct principles Of living.
These two principles should be equal before
the law Of the State
Granted. The author elsewhere explains
that by abstinence, he means absolute
ab-.aining even from medicinal use of alec
hol. Bat with a less rigid definition of the
word. We should not quarrel with this pro
position.
il. The true province of legislation lies in
the ID .>e OF liquors or in the abuse OF the
drinker. The Use of liquors belongs to the
individual and lies beyond legislation.
Granted, al-,. Of course any use Of liquors
W'"'" 'i''i'9 ana Ia 5''' V,'','' '
lare OIL oo'le'!' mus ''' '''''''' d." AUS
III. Prohibition i based on the theory
that all use ofliqulr,. exeep. for medicinal,
mechanical. chemical Ut artistic purposes, Is
wrong. This theory cannot be established
either by science or ia the facts of the liv-
ing of the people. \ law 50 badly conceiy-
-. -. .ir.l.l ., :. d, N,
1..,'..,'...,,-.l..;. c.-.o.,b;h;,;,n so-
III .a.,,.,l...; aa1 IN roint If
r IL .-I l.,. f.. r. ,rabil;tor,.
H.. =; III. c,.r o,Iy c,n,slsl by Mr.
.,..4...;l. ..-;o,..,r.r,,..e are
- tt,t ,l.. ,r,ti. in li.norS
.l. 49,. nh ,...-...,,,cs ami tin.
..,...r ,.,..l,.;... ,,i.;..;. t.,. hoo, reached
,. .I....,l.. anil ,,l. favor sn,b
i..-.,. q .,..tr;.t;,,,
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-,
,'''' observation-disclosures.
.-..,....,.. 49,,
''''~' Wv "
~ n,,......-.f. ,....,,,;-.. tho
r,r,r,I law. -r,t.rl .,',,.. in (. and it has
/ hiiri The statute are not executed in
any TAR >eii-e OF A. 'iA'F penal LAWS are
80
i'''''''''" ''''''''''' " .'''' ''' 49, ~
''''Sln@' '''' '''''.'' as. ~ i'''''''" 30.
lr''i'"'''"' 81 ''''''' " 'i''.' - "'' t'o"''''
'i'n' j. moi Su'' Il '''"'''' >'' ''H ID ''
sad IA vermont at least 'la' our ID" j.
noi eAr'H'ei' IL is 'A'''''' ''' " general
thing according To- Tue l'e'ai'hS 'ohll''on
ct public sentiment In The smaller 'l''aEe>
answering We" IT. purpose "nlc I'LL '''
larger towns the enforcement is hIi"I ana
uncertain, as the community is reused to ac-
tlon by th1 PlnpeFi'n. crime ana d'inoraii-
|ti'n arising from incompetence OF SINKS
INTO careIe~-n'7- ana 'e'AArsy' Ia 'Ae re-Ae-
ton FROM special effort. That on the whole
the pr'h''''ry A"F are better executed
throughout Ne" hnsi1nd than stringent
license I'"' are executed ia States where
license prevails, We have no doubt whateVer.
Ana 'h'7 'eiei i confirmed ny MI iiale IN
the not nnlrlendly notice oil tins very DOCK
to which We have alluded. Mr.. Hale says
"our own conviction Is distinct. that every
system OF what Is called license III the east
ern States has hopele-~iy broken down 1t
Is sad ana we believe that IN hiIeen years
oil Such system IN b ''''h' no one person
was ever prosecuted I'r violation oil TINS
elaborate system OF lAw,-so completely dc
1t become dead letter W e have very ut
tie doubt that as machine the prohibi-
tory law works better than any system
when went before H. We nave penal
laws ia 'llis STATE mol NaI' as wen executed
a. the prohiDit'ry ih"-ihat against proiane
swearing Tor instance
'. Laws nI-grounded ana HI-execnted
'''''' '''' 10 - ''''''''' anu ~ '''' ''''
such laws are Dad enough no doubt : but
thiN author has NOT succeeded IN showing
that every prohIbitory law Is such.
Mt " eeaen goes on TO elaborate ms prop
o'i'i'hN al greater length thAh we can Ioi-
low hAt he nowhere e>tao!iSAeS' 50 lar a.
We can sec his 'hird ana iourtn propositions
winch are Tie N'pu ones oil ms argument
In ldct he makes repeated concessions !
the abuse oil liquors AT once carries the IN
dividuaI beyond himself, and creates the
right "t social interference. lie admits
taht t'e 'raih' IN liquors Is dan
ygrOu~ one. lie admits that 1.-THE