Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-02-05
WICKED VERMONT.

that there were more crimes commit
ted in Vermont according to her
population, than in some of the
Southern States, the Rutland Herald
stood up to deny the charge, and
though we have not the knowledge
or statistics by which we can Judge
of the facts, we are nevertheless sure
that the amount of crime in this state
is very much greater than it should
be. We ale lead to enquire what
causes the bulk of our crimes, and is
there any remedy. The publish
ed statistics of tie prisons in the
United States, show that over three
fourths of the crimes committed by
their inmates are caused by intoxi-
eating beverages. The demon rum
is the cause, and what a disturbing
element rum in all society! it is the
Pandorian box of unadulterated evil.
No where on the green earth of God
has it proved other than an unmixed
curse. The most ardent and honest
friend of the rum traffic cannot point
to one blessing it has conferred upon
mankind since its first footprints
cursed the earth. We have seen the
system in its palmy DAYS, the subtle
embodiment of all crime, allowed to
carry on its devlish work under re-
strictions, and the effects sanctioned
by legislation. 1t never yet entered
community without proving curse
men have been degraded; women
have been made to weep in anguish
children have been compelled to 90
barefoot and hungry, because men
have been allowed to deal out to their
fellowmen the accursed poison that
blunts all their finer sensibilities and
makes them brutes and demons.
Vermont is known throughout the
Union as prohibitory state. 1t is
true we have laws upon our statute
books stringent enough to effectually
suppress the illegal traffic in liquors,
but in many instances they remain
dead letter on our statute books.
Why? Is it because the rum ele-
ment is in the majority and manages
TO elect set of officers, who through
fear of offending rum voters care not
to enforce the laws? Or is it be-
cause our temperance people are not
fully alive to the situation and allow
themselves to be beaten in eau
cuses, at conventions and at the
polls? So long as there is not
thorough and honest enforcement of
the liquor law it is worse than dead
letter, and becomes a disgrace.
Look in our own county to the milk
and water methods adopted during
the last few years by our states at
torneys and other officers. How is
it that men known to be notorious
rum-sellers are permitted to 60 free
by paying of few first offenses,
when the whole county knows that
they have sold rum constantly for
many years? 1t may be asked, how
this can be prevented. 1t seems to
me that the selection of such corps
of officers as would faithfully, thor
oughlY and impartially do their duty
in this regard, would pretty nearly
put stop to the business. These
rum-sellers sell rum for profit and
just as soon as they are firmly con-
vinced that the business doesn't pay
they will stop it; the law has fines
and penalties sufficient to "clean.
OUT the whole gang instanter if any
one wishes to do it and can get Off
GERS who are not in collusion with
the enemy. l have intimated that
the rum party is in majority. l do
not mean this without qualification,
but / do mean that through the influ-
ence of rum men and party machin-
cry, run or fabricated by rum, this
element controls to a large extent
the voting power of the state. When
men will stick to a party aud vote
the Irregular" ticket knowing it to
contain odious names, that portion of
the party is in the hands of the enc
my every time. 1t is a humiliatiag
spectacle when men IN high standing
in the church and society will stulti-
fly themselves by voting for and de-
Tending men whom they know are
the tools of the enemy, and are not
in heart or sympathy with temper
ance or any other noble work.
Our prolific cause of evil in this
voting matter is the fact that oul
politics are managed by few schem-
) ing politicians, who live conveniently
near the caucus places where they
. can out vote and out maneuvre the
better elements; these same creatures
5 manage conventions, make irregular
| tickets" and are active in whipping
4 in the rank and file of the party wher
: it comes to voting. By this way O
; doing things, men totally unfit fo
t places of trust are placed in then
!. and those worthy are set aside. w
i, need little more independence" il
Vermont; we need men who hav
S the courage to "bolt' and those VIII
:. are free to oppose, by talking, evi
e practices. Every man who assent
d to be candidate for an Office shoul
;e be put into the crucible and if b
n does not stand the test he ought t
% be condemned. / should be glad t
v see every candidate who shall b