The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-02-27
PROHIBITION NO EXPERIMENT

| 1t ia not to be doubted that the Rut-
land HerdldS campaign for license and
local option will result. advantageously
for prohibition, as the settled policy OF
the state. 1t will call attention to the
subject as il has not been attracted for
two decades, and no one having truth
for his basis will need meet with the
least encouragement. The complain j.
to be one of education to those who have
matured since the enactment of the law,
while older people, those whose memoir.
i,srun back and take in the condition OF
things as they existed prior to that time.
will need none,
Comparisons are said to be odious, yet
thew will continue to be made as the
simplest method of intoxicating a fact,
and prohibition has nothing to loose.
The only fear is that the young and
those who have not been permitted to
compare the present condition of the
state with what it was, and the matters
at home with those of license states as
seen with their own eyes, may be led to
try the experiment which the Rutland
Herald suggests. But the more that pro-
lIbitIon is talked about the more the
people of the state will be led to realiz
he rn@lstrOm from which they have es-
capped, aud the rich privileges they en-
jIy. No one knows how so well to enjoy
he blessings of liberty IS those who real
re their escape from bondage, and none
can be more unhappy than those who
can again see the approach of chains and
slavery.
The liquor traffic is tyrant from
whose presence the strongest as well as
the weakest should wish to escape. The
father, although he may be a drinking
man himself, could not desire the same
bit to be adopted by his son, If he
wishes the boy we'll for the future, and
would not drink with him at the licensed
bar or any other. He would not desire
his daughter to marry man Of drinking
habits, knowing this to be the chief
source of family trouble and of much
misery in the world. He knows in his
heart that anything to legalize bars and
to make honorable the custom of liquor
drinking is all wrong, and If he yet be a
sane man he would not vote for open
ars at whatever cost. The problem
uarrows itself down to those who desire
men without children d careless of the
fate of others.
AS a question of public morals and
right, license in any form has no place
to stand. At best. high license is only
advocated by the patriot and philan-
rhroplc citizen where nothing further
can be obtained. hoping that IN somt
measure this may redrce the evil aime'
at. But while he consents TO this. the
dealer also consents, with the expecta
ton that the number of saloons may be
lessened and his sales increased thereby
for which privilege he is willing to pay
handsomely. The business is not unlike
others for which price is willing to bt
paid for monopoly.
In whatever other respect Vermont
may he deficient, she is not careless il
considering the means that make usefu
men, as the record of the last thirty year
will attest. The times have changed
and temperance men are now wanted
10 all places of responsibility, even in thu
large cities where quOr flows as free al
water. Something different is expected
of Vermont boys, raised under prohibi.
ton, than the average men, and it il
not to be doubted that the quality o.
temperance has had much to do in max
ing successful the great mass OF younG
, men who h We gone out from "the lane
of steady habits"
Let US see the prohibitory law ha
been enforced in Vermont for nearly
forty years; and the record has beer
such as to warrant the belief that tn,
person does not live who will see H.
censed bar again in the state Doubt
less the law will he amended and changed
as public policy may require, but that i
will be swept from the statute books il
/ impossible, Men and women will COM
ard go-some of them will enjoy tb
privilege of buttiDg their heads aHsins
the rocks-but prohibition in the Greer
Mountain state has passed all Stages o
experiment, and, we may say, is destin
ed to live forever; because future gen
a erations will have much better oppor
) tunIties than came to their fathers, ant
will improve them.-St Adams MeSsen
I0er