Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-03-08

honest and viriuous men should be de
monslrated worth moro than any promised
support Of men VIII, are in league will
vice. 1t should be known that the eyes o.
Christian men are on the administration
OF law, and that whatever considerations
of a personal nature may plead for an un-
Christian community.
The execution of criminal law is some
times embarrassed by lack of available
evidence against the criminal. Some who
profess to hate vice fear to make theil
knowledge of some particular crime serv
ceable towards the conviction and pun
ishment Of the criminal, lest they suffer in
consequence; they fear loss of business or
the reproach Of their comrades if they tell
what they know of the crime that they
profess 10 hate. Such moral weakness as
this has small claim upon our sympathy
But the weakest coward in the city should
be assured by sentiment that Christian
pninciple sustnns that it is safe to do ones
duty in bringing odious vice TO punish.
ment.
The law provided for the suppression OF
intcmpPra'cc - enc, whose sutableness
for its purp0.r is matter for fnir debate
Into that deb 'la | will not ask you TO en-.
ter now; though | believe that the pres
cnt law, in its essential features, 10 be the
only law that affords even an intelligent
promise of efficacy in suppressing drunk
enncss. But let us see plainly the ques
ton before our community. 1t is not q
question between this law and some form
OF license; it is not even n question be
tween this law and no law at all. absolute
unrestrained liberty. The question before
this community is: Shall the present law
prohibiting except in certain cases the
sale of intoxicating drinks. be faithfully
executed, or shall drunkenness riot in
,ielianco Of law? Unrestrained traffic in
sprituous liquor where there is no law on
the subject, is a wholly different thing in
its effect on public morality from the
same traffic in the face of n law that makes
it criminal.
No man can be found, who will deny
the possibility of so executing the present
law as TO save ninc-tenths of the victims
OF intemperance who arc reelipg in our
streets. And no man, | believe, in this
city would question that the execution OF
the law, as it stands, in every letter, would
raise the tone of the public morals fal
above its present standard
Christian men hate evil as they ought
There is power in the churches Of Christ
to stop the incessant sacrifice of human
souls on the affairs of intcmperance. Is
thero the disposition and the purpose tC
use the power ?
For years the great commercial metro
polls of our country confessed itself the
helpless victim of organized robbery fol
the enrichment of a few; every man con
fessed his share in the common shame
but no man attempted resistance; the very
proposal was met with ridicule. But Al
length the evil surpassed endurance.
put on so bold front. that to arrest i
became necessity to the life of the city
And what few months before was pro
nounced impossible, was effectually done
This wns mainly for the protection oil
property. Is there not something tha
Christian men hold more precious thar
that? We would not tolerate the robberie,
that marred the fame of New York city
Shall we tolerate crime, that is robbery o
money not merely, but of virtue and man
hood, of honest citizenship, of domesli,
tranquility, and of the last possibility o
immortal life?
There is evil enough for US to hate, even
though we lacked the love of God Tn,
love of dod, if real, must sharpen oul
hatred of evil.
Christian men, here in the alternative
under which we must make our choice
whether VIC will or MOTTO hate evil sc
that tho energy Of our hate will be felt il
its suppression, or to lie down pressed b,
the shame and the guilt of an impoten
piety whose dishonor is thrown back upor
Goa?