Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-03-19


porlant committee was SO badly intoxi
Gated that they were unable to do business.
with one exception, and he one of those
despised colored individuals. What a sad
commentary on our political honor! Is it
any wonder that there is bull-dozing in
Massachusetts or South Carolina? Is it
any wonder that the peoples money is
being stolen by the cart load by credit
mobelier rings, when we send that class of
men to make laws for us9 1t is not nee.
essary TO 90 so far away from home AS
Washington to find intemperance and all
the evils attending it. Neither have we
to look to the remote parts of the state for
1t. 1t is currently reported by those who
should know, that there are over thirty
places where intoxicating drinks are sold
in the capital of our state a place of
about three thousand inhabitants; one rum
hole to every one hundred inhabitants
men, women and chil3ren) selling in de-
lance of the law. Is not this sad state
OF affairs? Is not every one of us respon-
slble for this ir a measure? Cannot every
one of us do something towards stopping
so extensive liquor traffic so near our
own doors? Is there not some one who is
helping to support those vile places that
we have an influence over, that we Can
persuade to be temperance menp If So
we are not doing all we can for good. i
venture 10 say that ten men of means and
influence can us etfectually stop this traf-
tic in this county as any other crime can
be suppressed. There are places where
drinks are not sold.
Vineland, New Jersey, with its ten
thousand inhabitants, pays less than one
tenth us much for its police force and its
overseer of the poor us the small town of
Warren pays for the support of the poor.
We see the same results in Greeley, Col
orado, and other western towns where they
have adhered strictly to the prohibition of
intoxicating drinks. Is it not reasonable
to suppose the same remedy would pro-
duce like results in ther places? Neither
Vineland or Greeley is the garden of the
world. One is Il sandy plain and the other
IA part of the great American desert, where
to raise the poorest crop requires irriga-
tlon. In each of these places the poorest
Of its inhabitants are not compelled to go
" Over the hill to the poor house" with
their temperate habits. Neither do they
have to contribute many of their hard
earned dollars to build jails and peniten
tiaries, while we meet the tax gatherer
upon every corner, and continually grum-
BILE of hard times, and shall us long us we
prefer to pay out our money to satisfy our
bad habits, instead of paying it out for the
benefit of morality; ten thousand dollars
paid ont for II court house, while u small
sum asked for in the interest of morality
is paid with frown.
Fifty years of temperance preaching has
not raised the standard of morality so high
as 10 need no more of it. As soon as
strong drink destroys one generation an.
hereditary appetites, and so the evils of
one generation are handed down to the
next, and the evil still marches on. 1t has
taken large number of centuries to wipe
out the dark age of the world, and | fear
ii will take more to abolish the effects OF
the drink traffic. Perhaps there are no
people in the world whom we look upon
with more distrust and dishonor than our
fellow citizens in Utah; and not but few
places in the world where the climate is so
unftvorable for prosperity would be select
ed for II colony to locate. Still the Nor
mons flourish to II wonderful degree in that
once barren valley. Is it reasonable to
suppose if the followers of Joseph Smith
and Brigham Young had taken along the
still that it would not have starved them
out and driven them to more fertile lands
A people with temperate habits can sup
port several wives and numerous children,
while the drinking man raises upa fami-
ly for the poor house and penitentiary.
Statistics of crime tell too plain II tale
to be refuted IE II lecture delivered by
Judge Davis in New York q short time
ago, he cited the following: A committee
of the commolious house of commons in
reporting in 1875, said that of twenty eight
thousand two hundred and twenty-nine
commitments 10 the goals during the three
previous years, twenty-one thousand two
hundred and thirtysix were committed for
drunkenness or crimes perpetrated under
the influence of drink. The statistics of
crime show Il similar ratio to that which
prevails in the mother country, and in the
dominion the report of the mass state
board of charities in 1869 says the pro-
portion of crime traceable to this great
vice must be set down rs heretofore-iour
lifths The inspector Of state prisons in
the same year gave the same proportion
AT the second point Judge Davis pro.
ceeded to show by facts equally well au.
thenticated that when, by any means, in
temperance is diminished crime falls of
in the same ratio. In Ireland. before the
had enrolled more than two hundred and
fifty thousand names on his pledges o
fatal abstinence. Now note the statistics
of crime us given by Lord Marpeth, sec
retary for Ireland: In 1887 the entire mum
ber of murders and murderous assault.
and other crimes against the person, o.
various grades of violence, was one thou
sand two hundred and ninety-six; in 1881
ii was one thousand one hundred and fifty
eight; in 1882 it was one thousand ninety
seven, and in 1910 it was only one hundred
and seventy y-thrce. The persons impris
oned in Bridewel, the principal city pris
on of dublin, fell off in one year from
one hundred and thirty six to twenty three
and the Smithlield prison actually closet
for want of occupants.
The figures show that under the prohi
bition law Of Connecticut in 1854 Grim,
decreased seventy five per cent. Wher
license was restored in 1873, crime increas
ed fifty per cent in Il single year Under
the eXistin9 local option law in the cite
that have voted against the traffic in Ii
quors, commitments for crime, in New
London, for example, and the arrests hav
averaged from thrty-iive to fifty pc
month for intoxication. but in November
under the new law. there were but six.
Volumes might be written of statistic
giving like results, but it seems needles,
us it is only repeating what has been SAT-
II thousand and one times before; hardly
man, woman or child but has heard it owe
and over again, but still the tide of intem
perance flows on; and still the cry comes
| How are we TO stem this fearful tide
The seems but two ways-one is to put til
drink beyond the reach of those who lis
it, and the other to place man on highe
moral plane, beyond the reach of drink.
People must be educated TO know tina
these milder drinks are fireing the appe
tite for something stronger. The fire one
kindled, although only with shavings, re
quires II constant feeding. These litte-by
Titles fire the appetite for more. Me
who are grumbling the most about har
times, and high taxes, and moneyed nc
nopoles have squandered their earning
for strong drink; men clothed in rags an
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