The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-08-19

to nominate candidate just as much as
much az any other party. r. Nj. Clapp,
OF Vergennes, was then called upon, and
made an excellent speech in fnrthorsnce
OF the same views.
Rev. Mr.. Nagll, chairman oil the NOM
mating committee, now made his report,
and presented the name of j. II. Iucia of
Vergennes, as that Of the temperance
candidate for the Office Of states attorney,
reading 10 connection the following as the
report Of the committee
G0alcnca ef tls Mass Temperance Convention
Ynur committee foe' that tie duty which you
haze devolved upon them, viz: of nominating an
individual ns suitable candidate to receive the
sufrages of the temperance men Of this county for
the Office Of states attorney,is most serious one,
and they have given to II their most earnest and
honest consi leration, and they now beg leave
most respectfully to report as follows:
l. We feel, and doubt not that you also feel,
that the next best thing TO having good prohibi.
tory laws, is to have those laws faithfully admin
stered-and that, in order to this, II is eminenty
important, and indeed essentially necessa.
ry, that the Office of stato5 attorney should be
filled bya gentleman who is in hearty sympathy
not only with the temperance cause in general,
but with the principle of prohibitoiy legislation
as q means Of promoting that cause, and with the
laws which have been enacted by the state; and
who, moreover, in the discharge of his duty, will
know neither fayoritism nor fear, but with firm.
ness will make the existing laws as available as
possible for the suppression Of the aeeursed traffic
in intoxicating liquors, and for the due punish.
ment OF any and every man who persists in the
endeavor to carry on that criminal business.
2. In considering whom we might appropriate.
ly nominate q n candidate n recefve fha er fro 10
es of the temperance men Of this county for this
Office, the names Of two gentlemen have been be-
fore u8. lst, that Of the present incumbent Of
the office, Mr.. Geo. L. Chapman. That gentle
man hos had two years experience in the duties
of the office, ana this may be regarded by some
as qualification on hle part for the management
Of such duties. of which we would do well, as
friends of Temperance, to avail ourselves. lie Is
also the nominee Of the Republican convention
for the Office; and many men, we know, who are
honest temperance men, have the feeling that
they must vote the ticket Of their party, as a
whole, however much in their private Judgment
they may feel that this or that man is very un.
suitable for the position, and indeed unreliable
Tor the duties for which be is nominated. And
SO "they 90 1t blinl," as the saying Is. and now ,
some may have the fear that unless Mr.. Chapman
is accepted and nominated by us, we may lose the
votes Of come temperance men which II IL very
Important 10 secure.
Dut NOV u hu ouSct 10 lurse cuuElleT RtlOlf,
while We would speak Of Mr.. Chapman as prI.
vate individual with all due respect, we find the
testimony very decisive to this effect, viz: that
his official management and influence for the two
years during which he has held the office, have.
to say the least. effected nothing in tho way Of
promoting the temperance cause, have, as many
affirm, been positively damaging to the cause
And We cannot therefore recommend that our
cause with the mmeaaurahe Interests II involves,
should be intrustei for another period of two
years to his care.
I'd. The second name is that of Mr. ]. II. Lu.
ella, who has held the Office Of states attorney for
an equal term with Mr.. Chapman. And Of this
gentleman we know and can positively affirm this
much, ]. That he has been for years an out and
out temperance man. decided. pronounced, active,
at home and abroad. 2. That he believes in both
the right and the expedisnoy Of prohibltory leg.
islation as means OF promoting the temperance
cause, and that he has confidence in the prohibit
tory laws, which now have their place In our
statutes. And 8, Tha. In his two years. incum-
beucy Of this Office, he did what he could through
evil report and good report, to enforce our laws.
The state Of the case then, as 1t seems to your
committee, is this: We have before us one man,
who has been weighed and found wanting, and
we cannot, az prudent men, commend him to the
confidence and solicit for him the snfrages Of the
friends Of temperance. And We have another
man whs has been weighed, tried, tested, proyed,
4 IL
Esq, We heartily commend to your confidence,
aud as committee, unanimously propose him as
the candidate to be nominated by this mas meet.
ing for the Office Of states attorney.
And, II this our nomination be approved by
you, and Mr.. Lucia be commended by you to the
temperance people throughout the county, we
hopefully believe that he will be elected TO
Office by such vote az will demonstrate that in
this Centennial year, the friends Of temperance
of Addison county are rallying for the promotion
of that cause, upon the success OF which depends
In al immeasurable degree the good order Of So
cety the welfare Of families, and the salvation
Of souls. And may God speed the right.
lsignsd by the members Of the
Nominating Committed
Iu addition to the foregoing, which is our re-
port proper, your committee wonld respectfully
ask permission to add O few observations, the
purport, aud. NO trust, the propriety of which
will be Obvious az We proceed:
Let. IL may be, AMI very properly may be,
demanded by come, In what respect can 1t be
shown that Mr.. Chapman has proved so unfalthful
In the discharged Of the duties OF his office, par
ticularly in relation TO The administration Of our
prohibiory laws, as to render II suitable that the
friends of Temperance should make an effort to
superseie him, and put more suitable man in
his place
The facts are NJ land, aud The following state.
ments can be substantiated LIST. Mr.. Chapman
has not hesitated 10 declare that lie has no SYM
PATTY with tho liquor law Of our state And the
feeble attempts which be has made to enforce the
law, Notwithstanding the alarming Increase Of
drunkenness In our midst, and, by Inference. OF
the illegal sale Of intoxicating liquors: and, In
addition, the zeal Of the friends Of intemperance
In their efforts TO renoninate and 70 elect him to
the Office Of states attorney-all these thing jus.
tlfy the conclusion that no Is not to be depended
upon for the faithful administration Of that law.
"a, The associations and alinities to which he
readily commits himself. and which sesm to have
acquired the mastery over him, are not such as Ia
indicate that he Is a temperance man In any such
sense as should satisfy the men who are struR.
Cling for the onward movement Of this great
cause, and certainly not Of character 10 Justify
our putting him In an office upon the due admin.
istratlon OF which our cause 50 largely depends.
Sd, And now, as q matter Of practice, Il seems
obvious that In those cases where plea Of guilty
has been entered and fine imposed, there has
not been the purpose on the part Of Mr.. Chapman
to put stop 10 the traffic, but rather to have Il
continue; the Gne being rather regarded as afior-
ding license to continue the traffic, which has
generally been the result. lth, And many cases
Of copplaint from different parts Of The county
and from the city Of Yergenuas have been nsSlso-