Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-08-31

other saloons in this city? Don't you
know you are the cause of drunken
ness after ALP" A loud laugh goes
round the honorable circle, and one of
the council hastens to take down a
ponderous volume of statute laws and
rapidly turns the leaves to an ''Act
Regulating the Licensing of Saloons"
and reads to us the words of defeat
and sin, that for the sum of $4,000,
any man can obtain a license to sell
intoxicants. And as each of the fifty
one saloon keepers have paid the said
S8O0.OO, they are legally authorized to
fill the land with crime and death.
We are foiled again, but not hopeless.
Who enacted that law, making it le-
gal for the city council for S800.00, to
issue these licenses? The highest
law making body of the state the
legislature To the legislature we go.
Now we are confident if the legislature
will only pass proper laws we shall
have this curse done away with at
once. We present our request to the
august body. We petition, and we rep
resent the need of immediate action
A sound prohibition bill is readily in
troduced, discussed in committee and
out of committee, voted upon and
lost Upon investigation, we find the
bill was defeated in accordance with
preconcerted action, and one Of the
members, more patronizing than wise,
tells us privately, cit never would do
to pass that bill. The constituency
we represent, the people who sent us
here, did not want it passed and would
not sustain it if it was passed." and
adds, with a very wise nod OF his
head, "Do you see?" Yes, we see.
The secret begins to explain itself.
The people know how to secure the
enactment of just the laws they de-
sire, for the people are higher power
than the legislature. In our efforts to
put down the liquor traffic, we have
learned a lesson we shall not soon for
Get. The drunkard, the seller, the
manufacturers are not the perpetraJ-
ors Of the evil. Who authorizes these
eminent officers. Where do the gov
eminent officers get their commission?
From congress. Where does congress
get it's power? From the people. The
people were the first cause Of idolatry
in the wilderness at Sinai. Do not
heap all the reproaches upon the
weak minded Aaron when the people
demanded of him Cup, make US gods"
Our legislative bodies are guilty in
this great matter; but let an insulted
nation. in the exercise of its sovereign
power elect a congress and Ieglsla-
ture that will obey its wishes. The
voice of the people is law, and the
people call for alcohol to-day as loud
/ " as did the Israelites for the golden
calf Do not the peOple of these Unit
ed States hold this matter in their
/ own hands? Could not the same power
that emptied Johnny Bulls tea into
the Atlantic ocean and faced the on
coming ranks from the frail redOubts
! of Bunker Hill; the same power that
indicated itself in Eaton's stubborn
|
Saratoga; the same power that en-
boldened one of the greatest generals
the world ever had to eXclaim 81 mean
to fight it out on this line if it takes
all SUMMER" the same power that
flows in the veins of every son Of the
Puritans; that power that is all SOW
ereign in this land. Gould not that
power, say, dethrOne the arch-tiend,
Alcohol, Satan's own vicegerent on
the earth, if it wanted to? We come
by force of logical necessity to the
doors of our intelligent voters and say
eve have found you out. Thou
art the man. - We can neither preach
the saloon out of existence or pray 1t
out Of existence; but while we must
preach and pray, yet in the language
of another, Ewhatever weak hearted
and weak faced temperance people
NAV think about the final conclusion
of the liquor traffic, the liquor frater-
nifty and their support understand thai
the knen of this business is not to be
sounded until conviction and inteIll-
gence, and conscience and indignation
come to the ballot box and crystalline
there in that omnipotent thing that
Fails as softest snow falls on the sod,
Yet executes a freeman's Will
As lightnings do the will of God"
Then the saloon will go and not til
then.
Once again, it is said, "The LORD
plagued the people because they
made the calf that Aaron made
Look. kind nearer, at the plaques in
ficted upon us because of strong
drink. What a world this would be If Il
was no more! Who will help close then
forever? Who will help destroy this
foaming demoniac of Alcoholism? Ol
will we still cling to the evil that seeks
orr ruin. still cast our children into
the fiery arms of this modern Moloch
still shout huzzahs at the demon Will
broad bat wings flying throughout the
land, darkening the heavens, and pol
luting the earth with his sulphurlou'
breath; or still stand by, and with the
comDosure on which this parent o
murders thrives, gaze into the hell o
,, everlasting fire into which is being
hurled the fairest and best sons OF thu
land? No! AS Gods word IS true th'
victory shall be ours. Columbia anf
her free institutions shall be delivered
from this tyrant more terrible thai
| Venetian councils, and from instru
ments Of death more fiendlsh THAI
poisoned flowers or close gondolas
AS surely as there cometh mlllennla
day, so there will surely come a time
!, when the accursed traffic shall be nt
more. Do you ask when this will be
[ will tell you. AS the people made
the calf that Aaron made, as this is {
: work for which we are responsible ane
not our Maker, it viii be done Whe1
the Christian manhood of this nation
clasps hands with the Eternal on Hi
, Cida of the OuaSfiOn and q redeemed