Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-06-07
Probate and -ou, ,nlssiOners'Sotioes.s.oo.

is the merry company of friends md ac-
quainiances; they shake hands they bow
down before the idol of Social Treating:
hey mingle wine and touch glasses, and
ne sounds of unnsiural mirlh aoai out
irom the spacious temple. There ia King
Dramshop. crowned bv the state. sitting
cnthroned upon the law books. guarded
by government, petted by potentntes, and
into his 400 900 temples enter the daily
lhrongs of worshipers-vouths, naidens.
men AMI women in life's prime. silver.
beaded age, and bending decreptnde.
Low they bow before him, fill his Golfers
with grateful offerings. and sacrifice the
purest and hest to his honor.
And as we gaze, 10! out of these temples
III Home Drinking. Social Treating. anil
Alng Dramshop, pass the steady throng
which divides along the path of drunken
ness, insanity. pauperiSm. crime and mis-.
cry, and goes continually To swell tho
ruined millions Wonder, beside the dark
river OF death. No one pluBges into the
terrible flood whose place is not az speed.
ily taken by some worshiper from these
three temples. Now turn to this fair vale
.ot childhood, where flowers bloom and
brooks babbie, and birds sing, and limo.
cence wreaths her fresh chapets about
each young hrow. See the millions OF
little children sleeping in quiet cots, rock
ing in tiny cradles, Growing in mothers
arms, dandled in fathers laps, trooping in
and out the homes-the Joyous, happy,
promise-full millions of Anglo. Saxon
childhood,
From each co. and cradle-side. from
q r. m az hnpto r. Al.
out the pathways that these children must
treat, and these pathways lead directly on
oward the countless temples of Home
Drinking, Social Treating, and King
Dramshop. Do you see the false angels
grasping these children's hands and lead
nG them straight into the temples? Do
you see the little ones Of ten or fifteen years
lgo bowing down yonder as worshpers9
Do you see them y little later driven by
the hounds OF appetite, despair, and lust,
to I'LL up the mournful ranks of ruined
ones on the dark rivers bank?
DO you see all this, parent, teacher,
preacher, philanthropist, statesman, Chris
ian, and yet utter no warning to the
millions of children, make no effort for
heir rescue, stretch forth no hand 10 close
mp these idol temples Can you be silent,
careless. idle? Look into the child faces
Of your home and give your answer,
These millions of innocent little ones
appeal to you. They are in cradles, cots
and homes. nnt because they choose to be
here. but because you will it. They are
powerless to help themselves. They can
build no pathways, they can destroy none
of the idol temples, they can close no
| entrance tothe worshiping places of king
Dramshop." They look to you grown
men and women, and cry out unto you
Come and teach us Come and lead us.
build for us PLAN, straight way of life;
take out the stumbling blocks!'
! Can yon deny their appeal Will you
refuse to teach them3 Will you not re
move these idol temples from their path
way and drive these false decoying angels
from their ruinous workP You are respon-
slblc for these children-helo item.
They appeal to you because of their
6elpIeSSneSS. What of right or wrong
noy are to know, you arc to teach them.
If any temptation is put out OF their way,
YOU are to do it; if the conditions which
shall powerfully influence their lives arc
70 be puro and good, you arc to make
Dhcm so. Tho children cannot do tor
themselves They are helpless. and look
to yoll. About their youngest years the
scouts OF intemperance are already busy.
The alchohol is put into syrups, nostruns,
ncdicincs. fed them in slings, offered
| hem in cordials, put before them in beer
md wine. The saloon is ready for their
first street walk, with its snowy windows.
It's flashing lights, its roll of balls, it.
trains of music, its voices Of singing, It's
secure place upon the public street, its
enticing crowds Of men and women. Ere
The child laS come to its teens the indl-
ence OF such advance scouts of intemper.
anco has seated desire, excited curiosity.
whetLed the inquisitive faculty. appealed
to their imitation and wish to do as they
sec others dong, What wonder thai
when the opportunity offers they follow
he scouts within and are pressed into
service, Have grown men and women
nothing to 10 by the way of guarding
and Touching, by way ofremoving tempta-
ton? Helpless innocence, which never
has appealed in vain, appeals 10 you in
this and says "Ilelp these little ones"
They appeal 10 you because of their
Susceptibility. The clear, limpid spring
lies in its cool sand bed. transparent as
crystal. II satyr passes by its brink to
look into it, behold, the spring gives back
the ugly features Of the satyr. Ifan angel
bends over it, with equal perfectness IL
rtAects all the pure loveliness ar an an.
gels face. The lake which spreads yon-
der away between the hills, mirrors alike
he dark, scowling clouds of summer
storms, or the pale stars calmly shining
from the depth Of blue, and the tilmv
cloud that light as gossamer floats
through the heavens. The canvas stands
void before the artist and gives back the
idea Of beauty which skillful hands have
transferred to its surface. So with the
love of children. That which gazes into
them, which constantly hovers about them,
which enters by eye and car and sensitive
passage way imprints itself upon the deli
cate fibre of their souls. and gives back
Its more or less complete reflection. The
mothers love gazes into the soul of the
child for months-always tender, sweet
and gentle; the child's soul takes on the
| impress and returns love only less ten
der, sweet and gentle. But let coarseness,
deceit. i'll temper, Vileness or vice meet
( tne sOul Ol Il CuIu, CONC IN udlly contact
herewith, and, behold, as the child grows
there comes forth from his life the sad de-
formed and ungracious reflex of the spirit
which surrounded him. The child is what
we make tive the parents. we the teach
ers. we tue influences which surround its
growing years. If these were pure and
good lessons, purity and goodness shall
incorporate themselves in its youth, and
crown it's years with all their beauty If
these write degradation and coarseness,
these latter shall disfgure its ripper years
They appeal to you from their promise.
As flowers from bud. as fruit from flowers.
as the ear from the seed of corn, so the
future manhood and womanhood spring
from the present childhood of the world.
If thirty years hence you will have orators,
poets, statesmen, mechanics, inventors.
gentlemen and gentlcwomcn. you mus
look for them in the ranks Of to-day
childhood. The millions Of children, who
to-day lie in the cradles of the country, if
they could lind voices would say "Wo arr
coming TO take your places, growu-up
nen and women; il you want the worlds
work we'll done, take care to bring us up
WollN Tho genius of country saws IN yott