The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-07-09
MONTPELIER VIZ. WEDNESDAY. JULY 8, 1895.

the weak, because the saloon is a great and
pernicious influence in politics. and because
it (prohibition) is eternally right. The fail
ure TO enforce the law in Montpelier is pro-
ducug moral leprosy in the community,
and six months more of the same policy
will have a noticeable effect The reason
why the law is not enforced is because the
people do not imperatvely demand IT, Nr.
Gallagher referred to the fight on recent
Sunday afternoon, saying that he never saw
anything worse on Sunday in a Nevada
mining town.
THE Fourth was quiet day in Mont
pelier. The crowd went to Barre and
Waterbury, leaving the streets of this vii
lage almost deserted. There was less noise
during the preceding night than is usual
and, instead of growing toward morning, 1t
reversed the order. The police found their
work as easy and monotonous as on the av-
erage summer day. Not an arrest was
made. The only observance OF the day
was by display of fireworks in the evening
This was on the Pavilion grounds, and it
was witnessed by a large crowd of in
terested and pleased spectators. The con-
ditions were favorable, as the night was
dark and cloudy, although it did not rain.
A large number of special pieces of great
variety, among the prettiest of which were
sCintillating waterfall and an " illu-
minated cascade" was given, and rockets,
candles and bombs were scattered through
the programme. Several hot-ar balloons
were sent up, and the most striking and
beautiful feature of the evening was n
balloon which discharged rockets while
high in the air, after which it scared rapidly
away until its tail of light became invisible,
dropping soon, however, until the torch
was as bright as ever, The display ended
with the fixed piece " Good Night" accom-
panied by the discharge of two heavy bat
teries. The gentlemen who arranged this
entertainment deserve thanks for the rare
pleasure which they furnished to those
present.
THE meeting called to take steps toward
the formation of a village improvement
society was held at the office Of the Vermont
Mutual Insurance Company on Thursday
evening last. Those present appeared to
take strong interest in the movement, and
the general purpose of the society and
plans for effecting the organization were
discussed. 1t was finally voted to appoint
a committee to draw up a constitution and
to nominate board of officers, the commit
tee to report to a meeting to be called for
some evening this week. The committee
consists of James T. Sabn, Mrs. e. p.
Jewett and Hon. G. W. Porter. The com
mittee has issued the following call
" All persons, both ladies and gentlemen,
interested in the formation of village i'm
provement association in Montpelier, are
held at the Office of the Vermont Mutual
Fire Insurance Company, on Thursday
evening, July 10, at I. 30 o'clock to act on
the following business: To organize said
association by the election of board of
officers, and to adopt a constitution and
bylaws to govern said association. To
transact any other business" The OBJ
ject of the association has been stated in a
previous issue. 1t is, in general " to culti-
vate public spirit, to promote public health
by better hygienic condition in our homes
and surroundings, to improve our streets,
roads, public grounds and sidewalks, and
in general to build up and beautify the
whole town, and thus enhance the value
of its real estate and render Montpelier a
still more inviting place of residence"
REV. j. EDWARD WRIGHT preached a
timely sermon on Sunday morning, having
as its subject Law lessness" His text
was Deuteronomy xii: s, " Ye shall not do
after all the things that we do here this
day, every man whatsoever is right in his
own eyes" Mr. Wright introduced his dis
course by citing evidence of the Difference
paid by Christianity to regularly constituted
authority" Render unto Cesar the things
that are Caesars, " The powers that be are
ordained of God" Honor the king" etc.
He then referred to the arrogant self
assertion and reckless disregard of estab-
lished authority and necessary law widely
prevalent in this " land of the free" He
alluded to cases in which the machinery of
courts had seemed to be managed in the in
terests of criminals rather than in the sup
port of public order. He pointed to one
state in the Union in which it had been de-
clared that " no man of wealth, no man of
position, no man of influence, has ever been
hung. Such men have been accused of the
vilest crimes, such men have been proven
guilty over and over again." but they have
not been executed. He brought to mind
IL
ago, when courts parody of justice was
made an excuse for the violence of a fren-
zied mob-as If one exhibition of lawless-
ness could be remedied by another. He
recalled the thoughts of his hearers to their
own state and town TO the indifference of
officers sworn to execute the laws, and of
the people generally to the notorious and
multtudinous violations of the laws against
dram-selling; to conspicuous instances of
disregard of the sanctions thrown by care
full legislation about the family relation; to
the open and advertised defiance of our
statutes against gambling recently exhibited
here, and excused on the plea of philan-
thropy, without an act done or voice raised
effectively by public authority or private
citizen against il. He noted among the
causes of this baleful contempt for the re-
suits of human experience embodied in
statutes-this dangerous assertion of in.
diVidual preference against what seeks the
I
struggle for national independence, ten
denotes furthered by the form of our
government, the mode of our elections and
the character of our political struggles.
We are all on level There is no govern
ing class Divinity doth hedge a king" 3"
but not one of our sheriffs or judges The
supposed necessity of courting favor to pre-
serve popularity is a most serious hinder
ance in the way of a resolute, unshrinking,
impartial execution of the laws But,
added 10 that laxity on the part Of officials
which has brought a measure of contempt
upon their office, and beyond the " startling
examples of the paralysis of judicial dig
nifty which from time to time have been pre-
sented in our land, has been widespread
lack of appreciation of the worth of the
social state as distinguished from isolation
and barbarism, and failure on the
part of many to discern the necessity
for the surrender of much of personal
choice for the privilege of enjoying the
benefits of this social state, while a vast
foreign population has been pouring in
upon us, fleeing from injustice and oppres-
sion, and misinterpreting our =" liberty " as
license to do as they please. The isolated
man, and he only, may do as he pleases.
Robinson Crusoe on his lonely island may
store one hundred pounds of gunpowder
beside his rude fireplace and no one will