Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-10-19

10y some was intended as a reply to our article !
of two weeks since Oh the liquor question. is
so entirely deYoid Of all argument, so utterly
ignores and avoids every point at issue. so
begs the whole question und is
withal so weak and insipid. as to render an
answer to it on the basis Of logic aud good
sense entirely impossible, even if one were
deemed necessary or advisahlc-which II not
the case as We have already taken up and
fully discussed every mootod point The tone
of the whole article is that of II man who has
been met and vanquished Oh his own ground
III an up-and-down argument, and II plain
statement of facts and reasons. and who seeks
to hide his consequent discontinue behind
string of weak plattudes and volley of base
less personal insinuations kind of warfare
III which. We confess, We have neither expert
ence nor ability. DESTROYS as We arr. how
ever. of giving the writer every possible grain
of credit and comfort il the premises we mus.
admit that he has done his readers an essen
tiaI and valuable service 10y reproducing in his
article many of the best points of our own for
the benefit of tn very limited nrmh who
had not already seen them in TIE PH2NIx.
The angry and even maliciou,. seusity,uess
which the Record writer shows in regard to
the consistent and unbemished Temperance
record of the editors of The PHdNIx we can
account for only ON the suppostion. painful
it is, that his record on this point does not
compare favorably with ours In this unhap-
Ply position he has our sincere sympathy. and
in rendering him our coincidence and advice
we can only say that, while whatever has
transpired in the past is fixed and cannot be
wiped out, his only safety for the future lies
in present genuine repentance. and in the
careful avoidance for all time 10 come of all
snares and allurements outside the straight
and narrow pa ., W, should even advise him
to follow our example and positively forego
the custom of taking IA little wine at par
ties :" we think it would be better for him
also. to avoid lager, even for his ''stomachs
sake :" and he certainly should show more
sense and principle than to fill himself with
cider for his often infrmiiies." Seriously
speaking. does the writer of that article feel
that he has in any wise turned the edge Of our
argument on the point of the wholesale de
nuncation of earnest temperance men. who
do not pronounce the prohibition shibboleth.
as rum men" and friends of intemperance.
by any such attempted personal thrusts as
those referred to. OF by insinuatiOns rs TO the
influence Of TIN PHRNIx on the Temperance
question; If SO whnt shall we say of Il pub
lie writer who. one week arrogantly sets al
opponent down as friend Of liquors. Hem
and intenlperance. and the next. having been
squarely met by an argument on that point
attempts to hide his discontinue with weak
talk about going with til, crowd" and the
current. with 'four-fifths Of the people" at
his back In this respect he is equally and
| precisely consistent as he is when he bold
ly affirms in one ill-considered article that our
village officers have nothing whatever to do
| with the control of the local liquor traffic
while in succeeding one, having probably
obtained some new light ON the subject. he
TRANQUILITY admits that he is glad 10 have the
village bailifs hold the liquor traffi- in check
III - degree"
Il. regard to the unblushing charge of the
| Record writer with respect to the connection
of the editors OF THE PHHNIx with tile Re
form Club movement, it is only necessary. so
far as those who have any knowledge or in
| terest in the matter are concerned. to say that
| it is a pleasure to us to remember that THT
PHOENIX was properly and consistently repre-
scented in the Reform Club from the time of
its institution TO the day when its existence
became a dead letter. Our only regret is that
such course should not have been taken as
would have continued and perpetuated the
| unmistakabte influence FOR good which the
/ club ,xerIed during the Arst months Of its Up
Grafton. But while We can thus edectually
| meet the writer's accusation on this point il
may, perhaps, be impossible for us TO success
fully parry his home thrust TO the effect that
We have practically ignored the subject OF
temperance" in the columns of our paper VT
must, nevertheless, be allowed to say that, sc
fur rs our knowledge extends, the utterances
of The PHGEIx on this subject. whether orig
inal or selected, have never been of that mild
and favorless character that it was found nee.
essary to give the column in which they APP
peared special heading of Temperance, il
order that the reader might distinguish then
from qpack medicine pufis, or other advertis
ing US seems to be the case with u certain
journal OF our acquaintance.
1t is with no little amusement that we hay,
noted the lahored way in which this write
wriggles through full third part of his some
what lengthy article in an attempt aat to dis
pute our carefully considered statement as t,
the actual state of public sentiment in Brattle
boro relative to the best method of cuntrollin,
the liquor traffic. None the less amusing i
the would-he oh-hand way in which he trie
10 aet aside the testimony of Mr., Bliss, afte
being squRrely met on that troublesome pom
amusing because from the very manner O
his attempt the writer shows thu; h. know
nothing of the person Of whom he is talk
ing,
In only one respect docs this article requir
serious answer so far us We are PERSONAL
, concerned, and .this with reference to on
, standing on the fence" waking up a
length, etc. On this point We only desire I
say that, while the movement which has fun
/ nished the basis for this discussion lay in il
. apparently quioscent state during the summer
and doubt was generally felt whether e,
/ treme measures would be adopted, there WI
no cause nor reason why We should make ii
I subject Of public talk or argument but whe
the plan had developed itself We felt that III