St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-02-13
Is Abolishing the Liquor Agency q
Reformatory MeasureP

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Liquor Agency.
A majority of our people do not adj
vocate this change as refoymatOry
measure. Yet it is by no means certain
that there is not danger that it will be
accomplished. 1t is enough for tenn
perance men to know that those who
are opposed to all prohibition upon the
traffic do advocate the change, to waken
suspicion as to the wisdom of such
measure. You never met a man who
had a pecuniary interest in the free
sale of liquor who did not advocate a
license law in place of a prohibitory
law, and always upon the ground that
less liquor would be sold under the Ii
cense system. If all the anti-temper-
ance element desire the discOntinuance
of the agency, it is evident enough that
thew at least do not believe that it is
going to be more difficult to procure
liquor when the change comes.
Now it is true that all antitemper-
ance men do want this change in this
community, and in every other. Is 1t not
time then for the temperance men to
pause and consider carefully the wisdom
of such change? The very fact that
such a proposition can to-day be serI-
ously agitated is evidence that the
moral tone of the community upon the
temperance question has already dete-
riorated, and that anti-temperance men
know this. Is it not time that the moral
sentiment of the people should assert
itselfP
1t is not true that majority of cur
people will favor any measure which
thew believe will tend to increase this
most stupendous of all evils with which
any people of any age was ever cursed.
The danger is that hasty and inconsid-
crate action of temperance men will aid
the anti-temperance element to secure
change which the latter would not
advocate did they not feel certain that
it was not a measure in the direction of
temperance reform.
Who does not know that the very
men who sympathized with the poor
prosecuted rum-seller in the recent raid
in st. Johnsbury, are the very men who
are the most active in their efforts to
secure the change? 1t is the very ele-
ment who condemned the prosecution
and endeavOred to secure a compromise
which should let the offenders down
easy, that are now so Jealous in their
efforts for this reform, as they are
pleased to call it.
But suppose the agencies should be
Observation-Disclosures would be the re-
suit Every intelligent man knows
that the great body of the well-iuform-
ed memb ers of the medical profession
use spirits in some form in their prac-
tice-that they consider it indispensable,
and that there is no known substitute
for it in many instances. Now for the
sake of the argument, let us concede
that this is one of the many medical
blunders. Will that change the result
Will not your physician, if he believe
it to be the thing you need, prescribe
it? If prescribed, will you not procure
it2 But how, if there is no agency
Probably through the druggist. Will
he not keep it for sale 4?
1t is well known that many druggists
have kept it and sold it for medicinal
and other purposes, when it could be
had legitimately through the agencies.
VIII they be less likely to keep it when
it cannot be thus had? The fact that
they have trafficked in it when it could
be procured legitimately, is evidence
enough that they will do so when it
cannot be so procured. And first, be-
cause the profit will be greater from the
traffic; and secondly, because there
would be little hazard of prosecution or
grow out Of the regulated sale by le-
Ultimate agency will follow men will
get it at times by fraud, and use it i'm
properly in spite of the diligence and
good faith of the agent. Will the sale
by half dozen quasi-legitimate agen-
cies be likely to result in diminishing
the quantity sold ?
say quasi-legitimate agencies, for
the druggist will by force of public
sentiment become such, for its sale for
medicinal and mechanical purposes if
the agencies are abolished. How is
that? Some member of your family is
sick. Your physician prescribes spirits
in some form for external or internal
use. You will get it where you can
if a temperance man, probably at the
druggists whom you believe sells it most
iudiciously, if he is conveniently near
if not where you can conveniently
somewhere, at all events.
Now when, by and by, the dealer is
prosecuted for violating the law, where
will you stand? Will you feel with
reference to the desirability of his
OOuNICIlOu Dis yOu uSou W icel Wucu
you were not beholden to him for the
spirit he furnished you, when you felt
the well-being of those dear to you de-
pended upon its use9 Not at all. You
remember yonr past obligations to him
and you are thinking about future
emergency of the same kind, and of the
mpOssibility of procuring what you be-
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