Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-01-29

bradfOru, with three groceries an
one hotel, that u drunken row ca
proceed without one of the town OF
icers trying to quell it. All tia
can be said, we have Il law abiding
set Of officials. JUSTICE.
We think "Justice" il scarcel.
just in some Of his assertions. |
"Justics" wishes to have our officer
do their whole duty, why does no
"Justice" complain of those of whom
he speaks 7 1t is just as much hi
duty as it is q town officers. lie
our correspondent produce the evi
dence required by law before tn
Grand Jurors and our word for
the law will be enforced. Thi
hanging back by temperance PEG
pie and trying to get some one els'
to pull the chestnuts ont of the fire
lest they may become unpopular il
not the way to inaugurate TEN
perance movement.
But supposing the sale of ale ant
cider could be stopped in our vii
lage, it would not prevent such s
scene as that of Saturday, for it is
known, that the liquor drank that
afternoon was purchased out OF
town and brought in here and dis
tributed in walls around among a
few men who were posted. AS we
said last week. we think there should
be an officer specially appointed to
look after such matters,
Since the above comments were
written. we have received the follow
ing communication from legal
gentleman, giving what the statute
says about the matter:
MR.. EDITOR: | notice in Your
last issue, all article in which YOU
make some suggestions about pc
lice force in our village, and as it
seems not to be generally under
stood that we have now force suf-
ticient in mAmbers and with ample
authority, l venture to make a sug-
gestion or two.
We have now in and near the vii
lage, six special constables, appoint
ed by the selectmen under the stat
ute, and clothed with all the author
ity of regular constable, and who
are sworn to execute the duties OF
the Office. They were appointed just
before the last Orange County Fair,
and their term OF office is for one
year, unless sooner removed by the
selectmen. So it would seem that
we have enough in numbers, but eli
ther they do not understand the et-
feet of their appointment to that Of
fee, or else they are not the right
kind of men for the place, as the
row carried on for two hours on our
principal street, recently, with no
Interference by any one in authority,
would indicate. Some of them at
least l am satisfied, think that they
have no authority to act unless call
ed out by the selectmen for some
special purpose; but the statute
says: "Such special constables
shall have all the powers of the reg
ular constable of such town for po-
lice purposes, and shall be subject
to the same liabilities" In such
cases of breach of the peace as the
one above mentioned. the statute,
says that any such officer, "within
the limits of his jurisdiction is here
by authorized, empowered and re-
quired on notice or knowledge of any
such unlawful acts" to command
the disturbers of the peace to dis.
perse, and if they do not, to arrest
them and take them before Justice
to be proceeded against, according
to law. And if they do not do their
duty in such matters, they are liza
BILE to the penalty of the law. Y.
Two CIVILIZATIONS. The Washington cor
of the Springfield Republican
writes
"Take one little incident of the debate on
the relative humanity of North and South
in the war, Blaine brought the documents
h>u hat al ofh 1nolh IL,
by two or three Georgia regiments to chase
down Union soldiers escaping from the hor-
rOrs of AndersOnville, and Hill ad nitted that
it was true, as if he saw nothing out of tho
way in that. But it illustrated the difference
between the two civilizations born of
slavery and that of freedom. One makes
use Of bloodhounds and the lash and the
DO wie-knife; and the other Of the spelling
book and tho newspaper. And, though sla-
very is abolished, yet the Southern people
are still not more than half civilized. And
these dcbates-ns matter who starts themup,
or for what purpose-these debates tend to
s how the difference between the two civil
shrewd observer of political offences when
he remarked that "the wea kest part of Mr.
COx's speech was where he sneered at the
colored people )" for. added the speaker,
"these persons are no " citizens. and are en-
titled to the same treatment as other citizens
What noble sentiment was that But little
Sam Cox has too small soul to appreciate
such y sentiment. There were 65 "Confeder
ate" soldiers before him, and in their presence
Mr.. Cox lost his manhood, forgetting the
great world outside. He turned upon the
poor five or six colOred members and attempt
ed to ridicuc them Did meanness ever go
lower than that! But Cox always was cow
ardly. When Butler SO freque4tly put his
hand upon hun in former years, Sammy
would always run over and attempt to pro-
pitiate his ponderous foe. And, after calling
Blaine "a hyena" five or six times, Cox ran
ever to Blaine, and apparently would have
embraced him if the ''hyena would have
permitted it,