St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-02-23
Caledonia County Young Mems Tenn
perance Society,

CuteuOntdn OF the I'd INST, that there
was holden at Barnet the annual meet
ing of the above society. How it got
out that there was to be a meeting of
the society at that time and place, is a
wonder; for'I had, watched the Gale
dOnidn for iseveral weeks previously,
but did not see any call for such meet
ing, and did not know of it until after
it was held and l presume that not
many of the Temperance people of this
county knew of such meeting until
they saw it in print. 1t may have been
among the advertisements in small
tpye, but we expect usually to see any
thing of this kind more prominently
noticed. Usually it is to be found in
the local columns. Is it not the duty of
the executive committee to make the
call as public as possible, and thereby
get as full an attendance as possible?
Among other things in the report, |
notice the following "Resolution-that
this convention instruct its candidate
for county commissioner Gf elected)
not to license agents in any towns in
the county" This resolution was dis
cussed and passed. Could there have
been more senseless thing than this
resolution? They had previously nom
mated E. H. Stone for commissioner,
and Cif elected) to do what9 Nothing
but nullify law of the State.
The law provides that at the March
meeting there shall be commissioner
elected whose duty it shall be to license
town agents in the several towns to sell
liquors for specified purposes. This is
the substance of the law. Now did
those gentlemen at Barnet suppose that
the temperance people of this county
were going to be bound by this resolu-
ton and stultify themselves in this
way? Did they suppose that the COM
missioner could be bound in this way
We do not learn that Mr.. Stone object
ed to this resolution, and according to
the usages of political parties, it is to
be presumed that he accepted the nom
ination and adopted the platform, in
Guiding this resolution. If he does not
he certainly owes it to the voters to say
so over his own signature.
In my opinion the temperance people
of this county will not elect a man to
the office of commissioner to promote
the rum interest. Nothing would suit
the rummies better than to abolish the
town agencies, the Office of commission
er, and everything connected with the
administration of the prohibitOry law.
There should be in every town Except
few small towns where the people go
out of town to do business) town
agency for the sale of liquors for ne
cessary purposes. If there is not, there
will be much more Illicit selling, and
this will be an excuse that there is no
agency, and temperance people must
buy ut such places or be at very great
Inconvenience in going out of town
perhaps at great distance.
l understand that some advocated
the idea that there should be but one
agency in the county. This plan if
carried out, would bring strangers from
distant parts of the county to the cen
tral agency, and the agent would be
constantly Liable to be imposed upon,
and also be liable to refuse Legitimate
calls.
understand that the convention al
Barnet was very thinly attended, there
not being many towns represented al
all. Under all the circumstances it il
difficult to say what course should bt
taken. l trust that no temperance
man will consider himself bound at al
by the action of that convention. We
can truly say, "Save us from on
friends.n 1t has been stated of late tina
the insane asylum at BrattleborO il
quite full. It is to be hoped that ther'
may be room found for a few such gen
tlemen as managed the affairs of tina
convention. 1t is to be feared that thi
society which has been in existence be
. tween forty and fifty years will no
survive many more such annual con
ventions as this last, unless bette
counsels prevail. TEEToTALER.
st. JOhnsbury, Feb. 13, 1877.