The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-03-24

EThcre may be some Intelligent
explanation Of the part taken by tenn.
perence citizens Of VerGennes IN IN.
dertaking to Interfere between the
landlord Ct the Stevens House and the
law which he has violated 30 long, but
It can hardly be one which can COM
mend itself to sober judgment. Here
Is q man who has sold liquor openly
snd freely for many years, who has
felt strong because of the influences
which were at his back to make It lisa-
greeable and difficult for any man who
wanted to live in Vcrgennes to com.
plain Of him. The direct evils to indi-
viduals resulting from the character
of The house are believed by many 10
have been great, nay, ruinous;
while the indirect one lying in the I'M
possibility for consistent men to take
any action against minor violators OF
the law 80 long as they could do moth
thing effective with such q rum hole
as the Stevens House, has shown its
ehecilin paralyzing prosec ltions all over
the county. But at last. owing to
conjunction of circumstances, all or.
position to Mr.. Gaines has manifested
itself strong enough to take decided ac-
lion. A complaint is entered against
him, fortified by a huge list of witncs.
So, 90 that it would be impossible for
him to escape from the law he has out.
ragged 80 long, unless some weakness.
inefficiency or treachery to duty should
cause the prosecution 10 fail. And
yet, because there may have been, and
doubtless were, personal motives,
"malice" the defendant friends call
it, entering into the complaint, and be-
cause it is the first time, there are tenn
perance men who advise "letting up"
on him, and giving him a chance to
"reform," at the very time when he
was defiantly announcing his dctermi-
nation to sell as freely as ever. 1t
seems as though consistent temperance
men had no reason to consider the mo.
tives entering into a complaint of this
kind. II there was "malice" at the
bottom of it, this malice was simply
their opportunity TO vindicate the law.
They should not have stopped to dis.
discuss the motives, but rejoicingly
avail themselves of the chance and Join
bands with the complainants 10 abating
the greatest liquor nuisance in the
county. As to its being the first COM
plant, they could do themselves no
credit by assigning such plea In
abatement, since If they had had the
courage of their principles, and had
done their duties as citizens, Mr..
Gaines would long ago have been liz.
bic to do work for the state. To cay It
was the first complaint was to confess
their own derellction, and no mao who
would give thought to the matter
would see In this fact of its being
first complaint any reason for interior.
Ing with the law when at last It had
managed to lay hands on the criminal.
While personally Mr.. Gaines may be
an estimsble man and good landlord,
and while every temperance man
would dsprecate any manifestation OF
personsl feeling against him, yet the
public COED requires that this prosecu-
tIon be pushed vigorously and that he |
and oil other violators be taught by an
etfectusl lesson that what the people
decree through their Legislature is the
law ofthe land, to which ali must bow,
or suffer punishment. It ia to be hop.
cd that no weakness and no derelic-
lion may prevent this most desirable
communication, and thatVergennes and
Addison county may as result be-
come measurably purified of their rum
holes.