The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-01-30


take the following extract: -
The writer is one of those wicked F."
Democrats, and was never a member
of any temperance organization
Neither has he ever "signed the
pledge" But lie lives in The world
and Keeps his eyes open, and SO doing
he is obliged TO admit that the temper
ancc legislation of Vermont has been OF
great benefit to the people of the state.
1t is open TO the objection which every
law is open 10 when it represents the
opinion and will of majority only,
and is opposed by considerable mass
of public sentiment. 1t is like the law
against manslaughter aud murder il
the South and the wild West. Theo.
retically everybody in the world admits
that the sale of intoxicanls as n bever
age is an evil. Theoretically there arc
not more in the South who would deny
the shooting of fcllowman TO be
wrong than would deny the liquol
traffic to be wrong here in New Eng.
land.
1t is much easier TO enforce tho
law against liquor selling in this state
than it is TO enforce the laws against
killing in tho state of Kentucky.
speak from observation, having lived
for about the same length of time il
each state. The effect Of prohibiiory
legislation is to prevent the keeping Of
open bars nearly everywhere. The OK.
ceptions to this arc but few, and exist
under special conditions. In moro
than nine-tenths of our towns whatever
liquor is sold is sold secretly. Thi.
alone is very great gain. Then the
ban under which the traffic is placed
the disgrace attached to it by the faci
that it is illegal, and is hated and
hunted rs wild animal by the public
sentiment Of the vast majority of repu-
table people, is of immense advantage
in its effects upon tho minds of youth
On the other hand, we have, of course,
the pcrvcrsc desire to do what ia for.
hidden, which has its attractions &c
many young minds, but the very low
associations which are necessitatcd il
order to do this, the frowns Of nearly
every decent girl and woman, and
the general sentiment of disgust ant
horror at drunkenness in the young
counterbalance this greatly. Altogeth
er, The preventive power of the law
and the sentiment that surrounds it il
immense as regards our young men.
feel free to say that were ii not fol
the too general recreancy of the law
ycrs to their duty as citizens and as up
holders of law, the difficulty in extin
gushing the liquor traffic under on
prohibitory legislation would be very
small.
The only objection TO the prohibition!
law that has sembancc of weight i
the assumed difficulty OF enforcing it
Many good temperance men are dis
couraged at the way The law is carried
out, and persuade themselves that
"stricL license law would better an
swcr the purpose Of restricting the salt
and use of intoxicating liquors. Thes,
men overlook the powerful moral ellcc
of placing the traffic under the ban o
law, and thereby making it low an,
disrcputablc. Al present 10 man VIII,
is known to patronze the illegal bar
is looked upon with thorough rcspcc
by his neighbors, and the fact that b,
drinks is damaging flaw in their esli
mate of him. II drinking houses wer
licensed, that is, made legal, so that TN
dealer can come out into the open day
put up his sign, and ply his lade wit
wide open doors, how long would it b
before boys and young men would &c
quire different and moro favorabl
idea of the traffic? How much strong
er would be the temptation to enter Ia,
drinking bells? And how much easic
would the path to drunkenness be ren
dcrcd! The fact is, the Vermont liquo
law, notwiths landing The exircm
weakness with which ii is enforced, ha
been the great agent in protecting on
large towns from dcs.soying tide G
intemperance. No arguments agains
the law can destroy this fact.
There is no good reason why the Law
should not be thoroughly enforced
Every hotel keeper, every druggist
and every "saloon" keeper, who use
his business as a cover for the sale {
liquor, can be and should be punished
The plea of responsibility ought not (
avail. Responsibility which is used as
cloak for crime is bogus article. n
good citizen and no respectable citizel
that is, one worthy Of respect, will vic
late and DIZZY law on our statui
books. As DIR. Iloskins says, the gei
eral recreancy Of lawyers and official
to their duty is the reason for the col
tinued extensive traffic. Ii is time
change were made. Public senlimen
is largely in favor of the execution G
the law, and is most decidedly in favo
of the forcible suppression Of the irai
lic. The official who will use evidenc
furnished him andprosecute unsparing
ly the violators of the law will be sus
tanned in his acts. Aud there is, M
place of which this is more true lhai
of the town of Mildlebury.