The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-07-08
NUMBER 27.

renee of the drink curse. Each has had the
courage of his convictions: each has fear
lessly done duty that every friend of law
and order, temperance and morality, should
have joined him in doing. Each has signed
repeatedly complaints against illegal sellers
OF liquors, and some three weeks ago-on the
18th OF June-each had signed complaints
against certain men who the fact was no.
torious, had for months and years been
openly defying the law against selling
liquor. These complaints were signed for
use in the discretion of the officers of the
law. They assumed that the complaints
would be acted upon at once. The signing
was not made with any thought or reference
to the raid of Friday night, though they
would not shirk their duty had It come to
them at that time, and they do not feel that
this statement should be taken as, or under
stood as, an apology for their action. They
would do their duty whenever and wherever
it came to them. So they have drawn down
upon them the vengeance of the rum-selling
power, and this is the explanation of the
violence done them on Friday night. They
are not, and do not assume to be, the sole
and only movers of the proceedings that
ended in the wholesale raid Of last week
They were part of it-and an essential
part-but there were Others and other
forces, behind the name of the two men,
that appeared at the front and took the
brunt of the saloons vengeance
NhAA ohALL lhE END BE
Shall this movement end with the recent
seizures? There have been raids and seiz-
ures many times within the past few years.
These have been followed by long periods
of inaction. The saloons have recovered,
and after each raid have grown more defiant
and reckless. Probably at no time have
they been so openly disregarding the laws.
both OF God and man as during the past
year, and particularly during the past few
months. This open defiance had become
notorious. The law against liuuor. selling
had indeed become a dead letter Meta
phorical!y the rum-seller was saying in his
heart, " There is no law against our traffic.
We have overridden the law and we are
masters of the situation" And when the
law revived they turned and smote the
men who had been the conspicuous agents
in its resurrection. Now will the law and
order element-not to say the TEMPERANCE
element-in Montpelier sit supinelv down
under this high aifront? The real offenders
IN this matter are not the boys who blew
the horns or the fellows who fred the ex-
plosives. A mistake will be made if legal
vengeance is directed solely againt them.
Carry righteous vengeance to head
quarters Direct it against the power that
sent those horns on their mission and that
placed and ignited those explosives Do
not repeat the fatal tactics of past wears.
There should now be hundred men in
stead of two, ready to sign complaintS and
these complaints should be signed and the
places of illegitimate and illegal sale of
liquors raided necessarily till the traffic is
stamped out of existence. 1t can be done
and will be done-.if the people of Montpelier
take the action the events of last week
plainly show should and must be taken.
and steadfastly adhered to, if permanent
results are sought. The issue has been
joined. Which shall prevail the rum
power, or law and order and temperance?
There can be but one answer to this ques-
ton. Indeed, there is no question about it,
The great body of this community is on the
right side and will make it apparent. The
outrages of Friday night have awakened
and united all good citizens. The moral
power that comes from the united. deter
mined action of even few representative
citizens will win more than half the battle.
1t will be the laws strong right arm.