Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-16

acted and enforced for the suppression OF
the traillc. AT the present time no man
tavors license unless he has some end to
gain, either directly or indirectly. The
great Gov. Andrews of Massachusetts ap.
peared before the Massachusetts legisla.
ture to secure n license law instead of the
prohibition law then in force. For his
work for the country during the war he
may have had only pure motive, but on
this assault on prohibition he received
Sl5,OOO from Massachusetts brewers and
trafiickers. DR.. Howard Crosby expert
ment of moderate drinking had proven a
failure in New York. and he ought 10 send
card to Boston to counteract the almost
Infamous statement which he made in
fremont Temple on that subject. Mas.
sachusetts had prohibition from '55 to '67.
Gov. Andrews attempt to secure the re.
peal of the law was failure, but license
law was soon enacted and the state has
been degenerating-ever since Maine has
the best prohibitory law of New England.
vet many Maine officers have an unwill
ngness to execute the law, which is but
a Willingness 10 violate their oath and to
degrade and defraud the people.
There is among the people growing
tendency to adopt the third stage of the
Unconstitutional amendments
Such amendment has already been secured
in Kansas and Iowa. The great value of
such amendment is that it makes the basis
of prohibition more secure, legislatures
can not repeal it at single session.
Every effort of the temperance promoters
in the past has demonstrated the grea,
ldliliculty in securing practical prohibition.
Under the existing political parties it is
exceedingly difficult to secure legislation,
A. the last Massachusetts legislature Mr..
Noycs was elected speaker on the supposi-
tion that he was staunch temperance
man. The question of prohibition came
up in the legislature and the vote stood 1lO
on each side, but instead of proving true
TO his professed principles he BETRAYED his
supporters and voted for license. He cx.
pected to be candidate for governor, and
did this to secure the votes of the rum Gle.
ment in the party, but he failed. We may
elect republican as prohibitionist and
he will remain republican but will be a
prohibitionist according to circumstances
So far as political parties are concerned
patriotism is thing of the past. 1t is 4
good word with which to round off period
but has no practical meaning in political
circles. Prohibitionists should form "a
separate party and let the country know
they mean business. The national Senate
has passed a bill to appoint commission
to investigate the liquor traffic; The House
will not concur. This House is in the con
troll of the beer brewers of the country ;
and this House is governed by the repub
lican party-the party which fought the
/ war, saved the union and freed the slaves
the party that had conscience once but
has lost it. The only practical issue be
tween the party now is. Who shall have
the offices? So we must step out. Il
may be urged that this would leave the
way open for yet more destructive legis
lation; if wrong must be done let us not
be parties to it. But if we put the repub
lican party out of power they will then
reform and purify themselves as the only
way to get into power. The history of the
past shows this. Methodists should moi
| defer all Judgment until the future, bu
should let selfish and dishonest politician.
know that they will be summoned before
the bar of the people to answer for the
trust given. Let no one be elected to the
state or national legislature who will no
pledge himself to practical prohibition
This may be zone idea" party, but SO n
that time was the party that put dowt
slavery. He considered the church ant
pulpit of to day, with many notable ex
ceptlons, to be in criminal completely will
the work of license and free rum. It is a
we'll known fact that before the combine,
influence of the churches and clergy o
the land. the traffic must go down. Th
traffic yet exists, hence the churches wer
| not nniltl loss