St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-05-01

the temperance people of the state that
the prohibitory law is good one and
can always be made effective where
the local authorities are in sympathy
with temperance principles and where
there is public sentiment to back it
up. The partial failure in the large
towns to execute the law is mainly due
to two things: The rum element gets
control of the town and village cleo
tons and elects officers in sympathy
with them. OF course whiskey drink
ers, or men elected to Office by the
votes of whisky drinkers and whisky
sellers are not very good men to exc
cute prohibitory liquor law. Again,
the impression prevails to quite an
extent that hotel must of necessity
have a rum attachment or it cannot be
made to pay. Rather than have no
hotel in town some otherwise good
temperance citizens wink at the selling
of liquor to guests if none is sold to
residents.
Another thing which temperance
men and women have to meet in fight
ing the rum power in this state is the
express company. People who know
where to order-and the express COM
pany will inform those who are iguo-
rant-can procure liquor through this
agency. Again, eating saloons and
billiard halls are found in all the larger
towns where either root or lager beer
is sold, and this drink in many cases
is doctored with distilled spirits, or
some other poison. This is a most
subtle and delusive practice, as in this
way boys who would never step up to
bar and call for whisky take charm
less" beer and soon are initiated into
habit which ends in drunkenness.
But with all the failures of the pro
hibitOry liquor law one can but notice
a great gain over every other temper
ance law. BY it the liquor seller is an
outlaw, liable to arrest and punish
ment, and in this state pretty sure to
get it too. Under a license law the
same liquor seller is a respected ~
citizen doing a legitimate business.
Under prOhibitory law liquor selling
is disreputable-if done at all it is on
the sly, in out-of- the-way places,
where no one would go unless he was
looking for liquor, consequently the
temptation is not thrust before the
youth and those who have no appetite
for strong drink. Just here is great
gain for prohibition over license.
But the prohibitory law caunOt be
fully discussed in a hasty newspaper
letter. | admit it does not prevent the
sale of liquor to some extent neither
does the law against taking life prevent
murder, but do good people want the
; law against murder repealed? Neither
do the temperance people of Vermont
want the prOhibitory law repealed
On the contrary they are making il
Stronger dJ every stSstOH vi Ouo lAOSIS'
: lature. If prohibition is "A failure why
) is it that the liquor interest is SO anx'
ious to have the law repealed9 Their
arguments against the law will MOI
hold water No, the Vermont prohib
itory liquor law is all right, or will bt
when the next Legislature makes one
more amendment providing for it's en-
forcement in certain towns where the
rum party elect town grand jurors ant
states attorneys from their own ranks
The great need in Vermont however
, as elsewhere, is the cultivating o
= public sentiment to such high plan,
: that prosecuting officers will not dar
) to shirk their duty.
. If this hastily written letter shall
encourage the temperance men AM
+ women of Florida to renewed endeavo
r in fighting the most gigantic evil of tn
: time, shall most heartily rejoice.
' Yours very truly,
= c. NJ. STONE.