The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-08-26
ilSiili.
Prohibition.

For the BfoisTEn.
Prohibition.
MEssRs. EDlToRs Gods book. that
is to say, God through His hook, says.
Giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to
knowledge temperance" The temper.
ance thus enjoined by God is a very rnd.
mental and comprehensive matter, and it
IS OF variable import according to prc.
valling circumstances and necessities.
The temperance, that is to say the TEN.
perance cause, in the circumstances and
necessities now prevalent about us, means
wise and well adapted prohibitory legis.
lation, and the due and diligent admins.
tratlon Of the same. For, about us, no
argument aud no showing are necessary
10 convince men lst That drunken.
meas is a shame and sin, and I'd. That
the drinking Of intoxicnnts is n nigh pre-.
cursor aud sure promoter Of drunken.
ness and that therefore, it should he re
/ garded as shame and a sin. But of the
fact that the sale Of intoxioants is tho
great incentive of their use, and consc.
quontly the great occasion of the drunken.
ness which ensues from that use men seem
strangely inconsideratc aud certainly we
are very far from giving due weight to it.
And consequently from denouncing this
sale as shame and stu and from
branding it as a crime. and arraieninp
against 1t the strong arm Of the law, and
from putting upon those who persist in
the criminal business the burden of civil
penalty and the stigma of social disgrace.
multitudcs hold back, and indeed com l..
paratlvely few, even of those who would
declare themselves well.wishers of their
fellow men, are ready for this, and ready
to commit themselves thus to vigorous
antagonlsm to this most hateful and most
prolific mother of iniquity. But this is what
temperance men must not only believe
aud admit but they must insist upon it
and stand to it, And the fact is, the
temperance cause cannot make much fur.
thcr advance except as this conviction be-
comes broadened, and deepened, and pro.
nounced, and practical and until under the
Indictment Of this conviction, the upright
and benevolent Of society rise in their
might and demand the most stringent
prohibltory legislation, and then further
demand Tor such legislation the most in.
oxorable execution. This is the demand
of the hour And Of every succeeding
hour this will be the demand and the
duty, which must yield to no other until
itself is achieved.
And surely no rejecting man in this
enlightened state Of Vermont needs to
have it proved that {" society" has the
right to resort to such stringent and in.
exorable procedure for the suppression
of this criminal and nefarious business
| will not say one word 10 advocacy Of
this right. take position quite 10 ad.
vance of this we'll nigh mere trulsm in
craftsmanship. And affirm TINT society
has no right not to do first this--no
right to neglec, or to defer for day re.
sorting to, and giving both reality and the
most forclble execution to any and overy
legal measure. however stringent, which
promises to suppress this utterly indefen.
sible traffic Society exists for the pro.
lection of tho persons and property of its
members against ali depredators; and it
is the special duty of society to exercise
a faithful guardianship in behalf of the
young and inconsiderate ard peculiarly
exposed. And is not the seller of intox.
icating liquors, who is thus the reckless
inciter to their increasing USE and thus
tho guilty promoter of drunkenness, is
not every such seller depredator in q
very manifest degree upon the interests
OF society as whole, and as regards
multitudcs, to the extent of reducing them
to poverty and even bringing to death.
To my mind tho point is as clear as the
sun light-not that society has the right
TO- but that she has not the right not to
bring to bear against this most injurious
and most neiarious Of all traflics the most
effective snppressivc influence within the
reach of Der legislation. And she cannot
fail Intentionally of doing this without 10.
curing tho righteous displeasurc of God
Nlessrs. Editors, | kno. | am not
man of belligercnt spirit But | do not
hesitate to say that go for the most
stringent prohibitory legislation. And
when we have wise, and strong, and we'll
adapted laws, go for their memorable
administration. And if there are men
who, after having been reasoned with, and
entrcated, and duly dealt with on the
principle Of charitable forbearence, still
persist in tho shameful. and criminal, aud
sinful traffic in intcxicants whether iu
hotels, or drug stores. or saloons or shan.
ties, then | would have the law, with the
tenacity and persistence of bulldog, lay
hold of such men and give them no re.
lease, not even moments let.up, until
they yield 10 an unconditional surrender
and close up in finaIity their guilty
business
Now, Nlessrs. Editors, let me in con.
cuslon entreat the temperance men of
our county to be mindful of the foregoing
considerations when revolving the ques.
ton whom it is best to have for our next
stato's attorney, and when casting their
votes at the coming election. And may
God speed the right. Con-.
Boiling.