Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-11-02
WuDERSBuRG Vt. Oct u. 81


your comments upon the subject of gu,
letter Of former date, and it Is the unan
imous opinion of our family that you
cherish sound doctrines regarding III,
conduct of the agricultural fairs, in III
mum, but we respectfully diff ! from you
conclusions in some points. First, you
remark that 1.-THE managers of fairs d,
not become criminal in the sight of the
law because other people sell liquor OF
their grounds"
Bu the statute says: Every drinking
place or room used rs a place of resDr
where intoxicating liquor is unlawful,
sold, furnished or given ay, or kept fo
selling furnishing or giving away unltw
fully, and every place or room used OF
resorted TO for gambling shall be held tC
be II common NUS tnce, kept in violation
of law" Nuisance Act, Sec. ~ Again
(Soc 81, a person who knowingly lets Il
building, tenement, place or Room ownec
by him, or under his control. for any Of
the purposes named in the fics section o
this act, or knowingly permits the same
or part thereof to be SO used, shall bt
fined" etc, etc. Again (>ee Sec 12I,
" The phrase intoxicating liquor wher,
used in this act, shall be held 10 include all
spr,uous Intoxicating liquors, or mlx-d
liquors of which part Is spirituouS or
intoxicating, all malt liquors and lager
beer
The word gambling where used in
this act shall be held to include all playing
at cards, dice tables, billiards or ANY other
games for money or other valuable thing
Aud Webster dictionary has d. tined .,
criminal as "a vlolator of law, divlnr
or nunan,h and if the m .nagers OF fairs
who year after year lease their ground
for he open practice of unlawful acts AS
prohibited by atute laws, are not Grim
inals under this definition, then we mis-
conslrue the law and the dictionary
Second, If we had "A boy, and with Us
at the fair, we should have had him Sc,
these things in Uul comp nv" Aud then
you would show HIM the frau and the
deceit, and so warn INN from the snare ui
the tempter. But what OF the uoys VIII.
do not walk all dav IN comptny with then
wise itthersp What of the bright little
fellows" like the two at Bradford, taking
their first lesson in gambling, whom you
mention in your comments, and who per
haps relu, ned for lone more chance
again ana again uH' tOIu' iheu III tuc
practice eff habltual gambling?
What of the bright little fellows" VIII
are sharp enough to reason hat inasmucI
as "lhr managers OF this far" 10 us'
the words vuu would speak to your boy
II you had o's), who take twenty nv
dollars from the props ietor OF the f'o
wheel as license to ply their arts upon
the country people, that these mana
gers are honorable" ciiiz'-nS, some o
them, perhaps, members of the Legislature
which pissed the laws they now violate
and whom father" always votes fu
when they want office, or conclude t.
accept it Mt the earnest request Ut thei
fellow ctizens"
What of the boys who reason that undo
such auspices these things cannot he s
very btd, that "the old maj" is rathe
slow for modern styles, and little inc"n
slstent WiIhal and who either at the TAI
or G sG,Ojteye will yet bite at tie bait AN
lose their liberty. their character and even
tualIy read the path OF utter disgrace
For while you teach 1.-THE folly of patron
izlng such things the surroundings t
lhe fair ground and the completely of tn
managers " neulraltze the force of tn
lesson and give the taint OF inslncerlty
the sermon.
But then, your &" boy" is only mytl
and hence model of proprety Th
mythical boy Is easily instructed and lei
but we have got iiUe buy who IS 'rhor
full of lite and activity and boylsh cur
osity. If we ever conclude to instru'
him by the object lesson of gambling de
vices and swindling lodges it will be wit
that avowed purpose that We take him int
such associations, and we will 90 whel
the business is not carried on or where r
part of the illegal gains accrue to tt
interest of managers who aspire to EN-
nent respectability in society, and wi
may possibly come to occupy some poSltit
as public teachers of ethical truth.
And when you possess re"t 10Y al
come to form an intimate acquaintnn
with him, yon may also conclude that
the object lesson is essential TO his /
struction, then it had better be the CT
gambling hell and unlicensed grogsho
where the enormity of vice has no cushl'
of responsibility to soften its hard lesson
Sincerely yours,
RICHARDSON RICHARDS