Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-23


The regular candidates for comfy con
missioner were defeated on Tuesday la!
both In Rutland and Chittenden countie.
and in Rutland the town grand juror wa
defeated for reelection. 1t is possible tina
this action of the people may be miscon
strued in other parts of the State as run
victory 1t was simply the expression of
want of popular confidence and respect TO
certain men and their methods of admins
tration of. the law. This dissatisfaction II
Rutland did not originate with persons hos
tile to the execution of the prohibitory law.
On the contrary this dissatisfaction was 81
great that ii was warmly expressed at the
meeting OF the Rutland county Temperance
society by the Rev. J. X. Richardson and
other gentlemen who were, as we believe,
fairly disguised that a mere professional
detective was dignficd in the resolutions by
altfiDullng TO him the moral purpose and
zeal OF a temperance reformcr for conscience
sake IL concerns temperance men above
all things, for the sake of the success of their
their cause, that they do not support the
invocation of questionable legal powers un-
der the statute and do not support or en-.
ploy incompetent or reckless instruments of
enforcement. Why2 Because public opin-
ion will in the long run be weakened not
strengthened by the invocation of evil to
work good, and contemplate agents will
gradually draw the cause into contempt.
So it docs greatly concern the temperance
cause that no prosecution is made to appear
ike persecution through popular dstrust of
the Instruments and agents employed to ad-
minister the law. Nine.tcnths of the people
in fn nf pnfprnatnont &c io,,.
ninc-tenths arc not in favor of any warning
and stretching of the law which makes its
administration not only needlessly extrava-
giant, but unjust.
The spectacle of black mailer turned
temperance rcformcr for lucrc recalls the
line, the usurcr hangs the cozener," and il
was this natural disgust for the instruments
and the irregular methods of procedure some-
times invoked, that stirred Temperance men
to revolt at the resolutions referred to. This
revolt before election became revolution nj
the polls to this extent, that the mass of
temperance men in this town want the law
enforced with simple infexible Justice
they want no acts wrought under the law
that smack OF persecution or of extravagant
through the usurpation of
doubtful legal powers and then the people
believe 1t entirely of consequence that zeal
should be tempered not with mercy
but always with justice, and justice is dis.
cretion.
Everybody knows that in nine cases ou, of
len where the number of offences proven are
sufficient to secure exemplary punishment
81 the offender. that no prosecuting officer
)f ordinary brains and humanity ever insists
IN 1.-THE last pound of flesh :" he secs to il
hat the offender has severe and ADEQUATE
punishment in the eye of equity and the
he safety OF the State, but he does not in. |
list on cumulative sentence that is ont of
III decent dimensions with the crime of the
convict.
No surer way can be devised to intensity
hostility to the liquor law, to repulse its |
rends, to strengthen its foes than TO sur |
endcr its administration to persons who
ave more zeal than discretion; who are so |
grlous for fees that they stretch the law |
lean into lawlessness, or, at least. into |
doubtful and cetta My a dangerous and in |
discreet exercise of its technical powers We |
would have the law enforced with the same |
PRACTICAL wisdom and discretion we usc
n regard to all other laws: we would moi |
xctc needless hostility for it by extravapant
II doubtful stretches of its authority, Which. |
ven if technically dcfcnsble, IS in emily |
bsurd and unjust.
No candid man in Rutland wants rum
olcs to flourish, and yet no man wants 10 |
i'll the law by allowing dsrcputablc legal |
gents to drag it into contempt