St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-04-10

/ ana saved.
at is blot upon our national char.
acter that this government consents t.
raise revenue from licenses granted tt
dealers in Intoxicating liquors, s,-licen-
ses which carry with them the national
appreciation of a traffic, by which sc
many of our citizens are rendered use
less and dangerous. This government
is not so poor as to be compelled to
support itself by doubtful measures
Vermont and some of her sister states
have risen in their might and said that
no man shall make or sell Intoxicating
liquors, except for medicinal and me-
chanical purposes. The general gov
ernment-the great central power
the source to which all the states
should be able to look for wisdom, for
example, for guidance, says to every
citizen, IF you will pay so much
money, you may deal as much as you
please, provided you can run the
gauntlet of state enactments.' 1t is
easy to see how that the rum element,
so long as it can shield itself behind
the responsibility of the central power,
may assume with boldness to set at
defiance state and local regulations.
That this condition of things should
exist is repugnant to reason and sound
judgment. That they will long con-
tinue is impossible, unless we mistake
the evident tendency of the times.
"Let me speak a word of encourage
ment to those who are doing honest
and effective work in the cause of
temperance, but who at times feel dis
cOuraged because their labors receive
so little apparent reward. Let it be
remembered that reforms are not made
in day. Revolutions require years of
preparation. Our civilization, imper-
feet as it now is, is the work of CEN
turies. Christianity has been labOring
persistently at mems hearts for 1900
years. Still how few comparatively
of the vast number who now live, and
and have lived since the time of Christ,
has the Gospel reached, and yet its
final triumph is as certain as time is
to continue.
II hold in my hand a leaf from the
day book of respectable firm doing
business in this county sixty years ago
OF the twenty-three charges upon this
leaf seven contain Intoxicating liquor
sold to different individuals in quaint
ties from half pint to ten gallons
This liquor was sold openly over
the counter like other commodi-
ties. Those sales formed a part of the
legitimate mercantile business of the
day. Each customer took his jug of
liquor i'll one hand and his other pur-
his family without any remorse of
conscience as to the contents of either
hand. If he had any feeling upon the
subject it was one of self congratula-
ton that his house would not be want
ing in cheer against the parOchial call
of the parish minister. What would
be said to-day if the representatives of
the pulpit should associate the decanter
with the daily ministratiOns of their
office
Il have brought this paper here, to
show you a sample, not so much of
business transactions as of mems minds
in those days. The parties to these
transactions were all high-minded hon
Orable men-men who would scorn to
do questionable acts. Were they alive
to-day they would be with the earnest
workers in this reform. | have brought
the records of their transactions here
to show you what sixty years have
done to change public opinion. Go
into the stores to-day and examine the
day-books and ledgers. Will you find
liquor named therein
No, because public opinion has pro-
hOuhNOu ibJ anu ho
considers the traffic honorable. 1t may
be said the law prevents the merchant
from doing what he did sixty years
ago with impunity. Very true, but
did not public opinion make the law
Can any law pass except by vote of
the majority, and is not the voice of
the majority public opinion But take
the law out of the account, and such
has been the change of public senti-
ment, with regard to the use of intoxi-
eating liquors that it would be impOs-
sible to re-enact the scenes of sixty
years ago; this change has not been
wrought by legerdemain, but by open,
sincere and earnest work, just such
work as is being done here and now.
''Let the workers in temperance re-
form take courage and faint not. Since
the first shot was fired against this evil
in this country, there never was a
brighter day of promise for the ulti-
mate triumph of the cause than the
present. Men differ and will continue
to differ as to the methods, but time
will settle those differences, as they
are left one after another to the arbi-
trament Of experiment. We hear of
prohibition, license, high license and
local option. Be it remembered, that
among the advocates of all these meas
ures, temperance has warm friends,
and intemperance is at war with all
of them. 1t is said, you know, that to
understand fully the writings of an