News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-08-30
Common Sense in Temperance
Reform.

An editorial in the September Cen
TURY discusses 1.-The Temperance
Outlook" with the following conclu-
sions: THAT the temperance ques-
ton should be made political ques-
ton is not desirable. No question
more vitality concerns the whole coun-
try with respect to its highest well
fare. We should have temperance
men in office and temperance laws en-
acted. But temperance must be tenn
perance. 1t must be a sensible and
practical scheme that sensible and
practical men will support which shall
bring about the desired reformation.
1t must be scheme which the great
majority of moral men will recognize
to be sound in it's logic and even in
its justice. Anything else than this
may, under pressure of an excitement,
achieve a temporary success, bat only
this will be a permanent cure Of the
rampant abomination. The liquor
men are now more defiant and more
numerous, in proportion to the popu-
lation. than in any former period
They work their criminal mills openly
in the face of all, and we see the
streams of vice and crime pouring
forth from these sources to lay waste
the community and oyerwhelm the
bikes which philanthropy has erected.
The courts, the police, and the public
officers generally, seeing the bold
mein of these disturbers of the peace,
find it easier for their weak ma
lures to humor them and convive at
their wicked works than to oppose
them. The great majority of the
community are thus oppressed and
tyranized over by this minority. who
laugh at law and hound the defenders
of law. The only end of this enor-
nifty will be in the union of the ma
joritv, and this can never be effected
by extreme measures of fantical pro-
nunciamentos. Discrimination be-
tween liquors that are hurtful and
those that are, in moderate use, health
full; discrimination between modes of
drinking, as treating, and drinking at
meals discrimination between places
for drinking only and places for lunch
or dinner; discrimination between
drinking on the premises where the
liquor is sold, and drinking it at home
discrimination between day and night
IN the sale,-these and other Ike dis
examinations are to be made in place
of the sweeping demands of the ultra
men if a union of temperance forces
is to be cOnsummated. Without this
union, the evil must 90 on propagat-
ing itself daily, and on the so-called
temperance leaders must rest the
blame. They have constituted an IN
reasonable shibboleth. When they
abandon that the enemy will be con-
quered, unless meanwhile the enemy
shall have cOnqured all the ground
Admirable laws, exactly suited to di-
minish the curse and destroy the pO-
litical power of the rum interest, have
been introduced into the New York
Legislature, and would have been en-
acted but for the solid vote against
them of the so-called temperance
members, directed by their temper
perance' constituency at home. This
class of reformers will have their
zeal intensified by the action of Kan
sas and Iewa, and they may carry a
few more of the States. Would to
God their success were really success,
that the rum interest were stricken to
the heart by it : But not until the
reaction takes place, and these men
are convinced of their error and are
ready to build on truth and not on
impulse, can we expect that union of
all good elements which will finally
dig the grave Of Rum and bury him
beyond all resurrection"
After October 1st, letter postage
throughout the United States and to
any part of Canada will be two cents
instead of three as at present. 1t is
noted as a somewhat strange outcome
Of the law that after the date named a
etter may be sent from the States
.cross the line for two cents, while
he Canadian will have to stick three !
ent stamp on the reply. This is not |
strong inducement to our overtime
order neighbOrs to emigrate to the
United States, yet it may be all addi-
Al IL