Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-06-08
FRANK ERRORS" AND ASSUMED SANG
TlTX

THY.
Editor Register-The labored attempt
in your last issue to make it appear that
| was profane in a former article, was
just about as successful as the endeavor
to show that the Republican party is the
only friend of temperance. Neverthe-
less, the two efforts differ; in pressing
the Republican claims the writer may
have been honest, but to call him honest
in his struggle to make me appear to
have been profane would be to impeach
his common sense. He is welcome to his
choice of the horns.
1t must have been on account of his
own previous BICYCLING in logic, moral
philosophy, history and rhetoric that he
called to his assistance the Boston Jour-
nal. But he did not get under the Jour-
nails wing quite soon enough. Notice,
my readers. You would Judge that "near
the end of the play" our doughty Mac
duff would "bring my head in on pole"
Don't be alarmed; for just before he got
under the protection of the journal he
said "He who deliberately draws the
sword with intent to kill has not much
power to bring men to his side" This
indicates sudden conversion and appears
without repentance for numbering logic.
y
time some men open their mouth they
put their foot into it,
In the professors generous quotation
from the Boston paper the claim is made
that the Republican party has done great
service for the cause of temperance in
the States of Massachusetts, New Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island, Michigan and Ohio.
| trust the readers of the REGISTER no.
ticed in what general terms the Republic
can party is said to have helped temper
ance in these several States, and also how
much of this help is yet to cOme-how
much is still in the future. Here is a
sample of vague and general help: "In
New Hampshire it (the Republican par
ty) has enacted and sustained prohib-
itory law" This claim has two items in
it, one for the enactment and the other the
sustaining of a prohibitory law. Notice
the word sustain instead of the word en-
force.
In the first place the 'prohibtory law"
of New Hampshire is not really prohib-
itory law. 1t is like the measure once up in
the British Parliament, concerning which
member said "OnecOuld drive coach
and four through it." This New Hamp-
shire law has a clause which eXempts
beer or ale, and any one may plainly see
that such a defect, coupled with other
glaring faults, is death to any law. But,
poor as the law is, it is not enforced, and
Republicans openly say the law is not
enforced and is not intended TO be enforced.
Here is what the Dover Daily Times, a
stanch Republican paper said, in its issue
of May 81;
sit is of course true that the Republi-
can party has repeatedly declared itself
in favor of prohibition, but practically
the convention resolutions can be consid-
cred as expressive only of an acknOwl-
edgment of the evils of intemperance.
Nobody has understood from them that
the party has meant to demand in earn
est the strictest possible enforcement of
our strong laws against the selling Of
liquor. The Republican party of New
Hampshire cannot be set down as party
of ProhibitiOnists. There is but one par
ty in New Hampshire which is unreserv-
edly in favor of absolute prohibition, and
that party is the one which made Col.
Joseph Wentworth its standard-bearer in
| 1856"
Col. w. was the Prohibition candidate
for governor in 1886. Let the Boston
journal and the Daily Times of Dover har-
monte their statements. Here is the
statement with reference to Massachu-
chusetts; at (the Republican party has
enacted limitation bill which will wipe
out more than half of the saloons in
license towns and cities; and has estab,
lished a minimum license fee of $1,000
which will still further diminish the mum
Der of saloons" What more can the Pro
hibition cranks demand? Notice, my
friends, the temperance Eden is promised
for the future. Note the expression:
| t,,is
Who believes word of it? Here is the
itemized record, early and late, of the
Republicans in Massachusetts
l. The party repealed and has never
restored the prohibition law of 1852.
2. The party has deliberately refused
in five successive legislatures, to pass q
bill submitting the question to vote OF
the people.
3. The party has taken as its Greco
the the "high-license" abomination, which
no serious temperance man believes viii
cripple the rum power. Western brew
ers have favored high license.
A. In the local option election las
held ID of the % cities voted for license
and all but one of these cities elected Re
publican mayors, and that one has Re
publican board of aldermen to watcl
him. What does that show? 1t show
that cities which could elect Republica
officials by large majorties could also,
: the Republicans were sincere Temperance
men, vote and carry nO-license.
3. The Republican State of Massachu
} sets has this present year S2l6 liquo
; dealers-one to every 20 voters in tn
State.
g.. This Eden of Republican temper
2 ance has the largest distillery in tn
e the world; it is said to produce $3.50 ga
e Ions daily, and this liquid poison is mad
g by prominent member of the Republ
can party. There was time for M