The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-22
Addison County Temperance Society.

The Addison County Temperance So
ciety held its annual meeting at the YES
thy of the Congregational church, Mid
dlebury, Wednesday afternoon. Rev.
DR.. lIamlin, the president, occupied the
chair.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. Pal
mer of Nliddlebury.
The record of the meeting year ago
was read by the secretary.
On motion of l.. &. Barrows of Middle
bury, the president appointed this COM
mittee on nominations @. l.. Porter of
Middlebury. c. a. Bump of Salisbury
Il. L. Bristol of Panton. f. X. Haven of
Vergennes. Seneca Hazard of Ferris
burgh, A. j. Benedict of Weybridge.
The following committee on resolu-
tions was appointed: Rev. Messrs. Pal
mer and Spcare of Middlebury and W.
II. 5. Whitcomb of Burlington.
Remarks were made by DR.. Hamlin.
/ 1t is pertinent at this time, he said. to
| inquire, What has the temperance
cause gained, if anything? | think it
has been advanced since we last met.
! Various phases of the question have
! been discussed in thorough and Scien-
/ tilic way. Some of the falacies of those
who oppose prohibition have been eX-
/ plodcd. We now hear nothing about the
| prohibitory law being a sumptuary law.
What is sumptuary law? The disre-
pute of sumptuary laws dates back to a
period prior to this century. Years ago
! there were laws to limit expenditure,
reg lating dress, etc. These were sumptu-
airy laws in the proper sense of the term.
They, however, exist today nowhere
except in Turkey. In place of them
have grown up laws providing for the
safety and welfare of communities.
] Among these are prohibitory laws. The
constitutonality of such laws has been
tried before almost every Supreme court
of the country, and has been decided in
only one way-that the subject with
which they deal is a legitimate one for
| legislation. So, as far as law goes, the
position of the prohibitionists is stronger
today than ever. Again, there has been
general progress in very important par
ticulars with respect to legislation, es-
pecially in the South and West. He
thought there had been losses in other
directions. In his opinion the stand
which DR.. Howard Crosby took regard
ing wine drinking had had bad effect up
on New y ork society and on that of other
sections of the country. An increase in
wine and beer drinking means an in
crease of intemperance. The head of
an Orphanage told him recently that the
larger per cent of the inmates of the insti-
tuition We're brought to want through
intoXicants. Earnest effort is demanded
and should be put forth.
w. III. ). Whitcomb Of Burlington was
invited to address the society. He be-
lieved that the cause of temperance had
made substantial progress in this State.
\ recent writer on the temperance ques-
ton maintains that liquors are sold in
proportion to the ease with which they
can be obtained. Comparisons he had
made between citizens of st. Jonhsbury
and st. Adams in this State, and Platts-
burgh, n. Y, convinced him that there
is basis of fact in this assertion. lie
referred to the scheme of high license.
and explained why he considered license
in any shape radically wrong. He urged
action toward the support of the prohibi-
tory law. No law will enforce itself.
The time has come when something
must be done. The Woman's Christian
Temperance Union is Il powerful body,
and unless the men go to work at once
there will be nothing for them to do.
The rumsellers are arrayed against the
respectable classes. If the traffic in
creases among you, some of you are to
= blame. As proving that progress has
been made in temperance matters, the
speaker instanced the case of Burling-
ton. In that town, just after the war
when the population was only 5000, l3C
United States licenses We're issued &c
residents; now, with population more
than double that then, only ~ are sold.