Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-10-20
TEmpEtAMEE.
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC AND
THE LAW.

The friends of temperance and good
order in Vermont have begun to bestir
themselves of late, in view Of the fact
that our prOhibitOry law is openly and
fagrantly violated, especially in our
larger towns and cities. Rutland. St.
JOhnsbury and other places in the north
part Of the state, have entered vigorous
ly upon the process of enforcing the
law. and in Windham county, Bellows
Falls and Brattleboro have arraigned
the liquor dealers before the county
court and fined them in sums differing
according to the offences committed. In
many of the smaller towns the law has
been enforced for number of years past
to such an extent that no liquor is sold
openly, and the clandestine sales cannot
be very extensive. There are clear in
dications that the same will soon be
true Of the larger towns.
The noble stand recently taken by
some of our Vermont judges on the en-
forcement of the prOhibitOry law, cannot
fail to give encouragement to the friends
Of the cause. Judge Dunton, in his
charge to the grand jury at the recent
session of the Rutland county court,
with reference to the prohibitory law,
spoke as follows: "The law is openly
and dA6ontly visl~t~1, s--A----s--.--->Gr.-
GERS. whose duty it is to see that it is
properly enforced, regardless of their
official oaths and their duty to the COM
munity and the state, connive at its
violation, and do just enough to encour-
age the illegal traffic, instead of sup
pressing it, as it is their duty to do. 1t
is no concern of yours or mine, whether,
in our opinion, this law is wise one
or not. 1t is upon our statute book,
and so long as it remains there it should
be enforced. The open and notorious
violation of this, or any other of the
criminal statutes of the state, tends to
lessen the respect of the people for law,
and to produce lawlessness, demoraliza-
ton and crime. .4u
1t can hardly, however, be denied that
the selling of intoxicating liquors, to be
drank as beverage, is great evil and
one that ought to be suppressed. 1t has
been called by distinguished either
of this country, 1.-The gigantic crime o.
crimes" 1t is, to say the least, the
great cause Of pauperism, misery ant
crime, and is the greatest enemy of do
nestle happiness and social progress
and therefore the best interests of tn
state and community require that thi
law, chapter "a of the general statutes
should be enforced.
The amount of intoxicating liquors
including malt liquors. sold in this state
although less in proportion to our in
habitants than in many of the othe
states. is very large. The cost or valu
Of the same, sold in this state durinI
the year 1870, as shown by official sta
tistics, was So. 7S6. 900, an amount mucI
larger than was expended for breadstuff
during that year. and the sale of intoxi
eating liquors has not probably mater
tally decreased since then"
In view of these facts the Judge pre-
ceeds to enjOin upon the grand jury tn
duty of presenting by indictment al
violations of the law proven before them
and Of seeing that law is thoroughly er
forced. accepting of no promises, an
allowing no offenders to escape the pei
alties which the law requires.
Judge Ross of the Windham count
court takes similar ground. In recer
charge to the jury he stated substar
TALLY that the enforcement Of the pei
alties of the law is absolutely necessar
to good government. This duty und,
our government is in the hands of I'll
people. We have no king or emperor
attend to this duty, and if it is not dol
the officers appointed for that purpo'
are responsible. Moreover, the failu
to execute one law weakens the pow,
of all law, and tends directly to anarct
and confusion. 1t is not the busine
of juries and courts to put nOLe pro
equi upon cases brought before them f
trial, but to see that the law is faithful
carried into effect, and offenders COZ
PEELED TO suffer the required penaltie
Such words are authoritative and wi
have an influence. When the learn,
expounders of the law come out square
in defense Of the enforcement, Of Il
prOhibitOry law, and give such go
and substantial reasons for its enforC
ment the flimsy arguments which '
frequently hear in defense of the bu
ness of liquor selling will have but litt
weight with sensible men.
The count