The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-08-31
Essay.

10, 1875.
So little has been said in the discus.
Sion oil the temperance question in general,
respecting the remedy and the best
method to stay the swelling, sweeping
tide Of lntemperance, that propose to
occupy the small space of time allotted to
me, in brief statement of some of the
means and measures, which in my iudg.
ment will do more than somo others to
arrest the progress Of this gigantic evil.
1t is said by some that we must 90 back
to the first and most powerful weapons
adopted by the pioneers in the temper.
ance reform that never can we reach
the enemy or strike the fatal blow at the
heart Of this evil until we shall succeed
in persuading men to resist the tempta.
tion, renounce the use and respect and
obey the law made to suppress the traffic
and uses of intoxicating drinks. In
other words, moral suasion is the great
remedy, and any effort to force men to
obedience results in the Matching of q
thousand evils worse then the one at.
tempted to be cured, and absolute rebel.
lion against the law and its execution.
Take for example our present liquor law
Its enemies say it is an outrage upon
personal rights, disgusting in its provis
ions, wicked in its execution and wan,
ton infringement upon absolute rights :;
that it fosters and encourages perjury,
and spirit Of shrewd craftiness that it
draws out and displays, nourishps and
encourages the worst passions Of the hu.
man heart. All this may be true to
limited extent, but the same might be
brought as charge against almost any
criminal law. Undoubtedly the thief and
his accomplice consider the law punish
ing that crime great hardship and an
infringement upon their personal rights.
But it is too late to raise the cry
against the law to prevent so popular
a crime as larceny, and it is not too
late to raise this cry to the intelligent
people Of the state of Vermont against
our present liquor law as long as we are
convinced that the indulgence IN the use
of intoxicating liquors is the cause of the
committing Of large majority of all
the crimes enumerated upon our statute
books. But there is force in the plea
of moral suasion, and while yet there is
work to do in the temperance reform
we must not relnquish our efforts to
persuade men. The great triumphs Of
the world are those that succeed BY
awakening the conscience ,enlightening the
understanding and bringing the reason
into subjection and rational submission
We gain ground in any reform only as
public opinion and sentiment is in its
favor; and while we rejoice in the fact
that the people of the state of Yer
mont are sound upon the Temperance
question and the prohibitory law, We
should not ignore tho necessity Of con.
slant agitation and earnest work with all
the means in our power. We have
everything 10 encourage us. The times
are propitious, the movements arc grand
Heretofore this whole warfare was left
for the men; it was not supposed that
the ladies could exert a powerful inhu
ence and accomplish much and even
more than had been effected by The men.
No, no 1t vas not womanly for her to
lift her voice against this destroyer Of
her earthly happiness. She who day by
day and night by night quietly submit
ed to be the victim of intemperance, who
had watched through the small hours Of
the night for the return Of her husband.
who had started in life with bright
hopes and dazzling prospects, who had
day after day and night after night
brooded over the wretched condition that
had come, or awaited her, until her cheek
had grown pale and her beauty vanish.
ed, runtil her home was hovel, and her.
self end children destitute of food and
%RS'Td did TsGGa%3 sG% Sdf Tf TqhsSs hsS lss shs it was
was added to the great weight of her
burden, when by the help of God she
went forth to battle against this gigantic
evil, to wage eternal war against traffic
that had been her greatest curse. She
prayed, ,supplicated and demonstrated with
the dealers in this destroying element,
until they came forth from their subter
reanean dens trembling as did Felix be.
fore Paul. Was she mad? Was she
seeking for conspicuous notoriety? No
Was she dreaming Yes, her visions were
of the future reformation of him whose
love and protection she had a right to
claim. But not alone in the means first
adopted by the ladies should we look for
the triumph to be achieved BY her aid
much time has been lost to the cause in
not making her a principal means of re.
form in the temperance ranks. Who
does not know that she is the educator
of the race, and when once initiated and
earnestly working and moulding the
young mind into an utter hatred Of the
vile stuff, and total abstinence principles,
her lessons will not be forgotten. but re.
membered and practiced, so that the son
entering into life, will be schooled in
lessons of temperance and sobriety.
The daughter shall scorn to count as her
companion and friend the young man
who is not free from the vice OF in.
temperance, and as a consequence, be
who would be representative man must
be of the same faith and practice. So that
he who is ambitious and seeks for Office
and emolunent must be man of the
strictest temperance principles. When
men and women and the church learn
that no great progress in moral and So
cial reform can be accomplished without
the cooperation and labor of all, then.
and not till then, shall we begin to take a
step towards the kingdom of Heaven.
Brothers and sisters, let US work earn
estly together, giving each other the pre-.
ference as the case may require. |
think you will all agree with me when |
say, that the ladies in most cases have
done the most to reform those addicted
to intemperance. Let us never for n
moment waver Sisters, YOU have
great work to perform. and with you
there is great power Of influence Let
us all do rioht and foar nof