Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-07
That "VIcIous Law"

The writer of the article in the last
issue of the BANNER was unfortunate in
the choice of his subject, "a Vicious
Law" Under other circumstances we
should be warranted in saying the sub
ject was viciously chosen. In the pres
ent case it were better to believe that
the choice Was a mistake. 1t certainly
was begging of the question under dis
cussion. yt
The apparent object of the article was
to create prejudice against the prohibi-
tory law by a recital of the assumed SUI
perior advantages of high license, local
option substitute. This is not the issue
at the present moment. 1t is not, as we
soon shall see, the proper beacon to- set
up, and will deceive the unwary.'
Even if this were the issue and we now
had high license law, the argument for
its better enforcement is weak. The
supposition is that the men paying high
license would help to suppress unlicens-
ed sales. The argument may prove of
some force when one instance has been
found of high license dealer actively
engaged in such suppression. Ina pref
ty careful investigation of the workings
of such a law in various cities, the writer
has never found one such example. You
can never depend upon liquor men of
any quality or degree, to actively aid In
the suppression of the traffic. And why?
Because it is their interest to educate
the people to drink, and it is a we'll es-
tablished principle that the more places
of sale, the more liquor sold, the more
people use it, and the more universal
the custom of drinking. Uprlsings of
the people in view of the execution of
law are as much needed, if not as fire.
quent, in licensed as in unlicensed quar-
tiers. Moral power must find expression
before any regulation" of the liquor
traffic will long be needed.
But, as we remarked, the comparison
of laws is not the issue. We have no Ii
cense law, and people who should know
say we shall not have one for some years
to come. Even to speak of license law
is, just now, irrelevant, the main pur-
pose of which must be to divert atteu-
ton from tie case in hand. What is the
business at present of every well-mean-
ing, law-abiding citizen? Plainly to as
sist in enforcing the law we have. There
is calm, determined movement in this
direction. 1t is righteous movement.
Men will be correctly judged by the part
they take in it.
The attempt now being made is called
'spasmodic." Other such attempts
made heretofore are stigmatized as
'ephemeral, if not useless" and their
promoters as "would-be reformers," in
the end "disheartened and disgruntled."
This is striking quite too smart a pace
for the first quarter. Who shall tell the
effect of any honest, earnest effort of
good men for the rescue of their fellows,
whether of long or short duration? The
work of week has been known to set
the moral convictions of generation.
There are crises in the life of every
community when a single blow, well
struck, inspires courage for decades of
successful striving against the encoach-
ments of evil. Some of the able veter-
ans of the movement of ten years ago,
approaching its excellent results, are
ready for the new contest.
One happy effect of the article to
which we refer has already transpired.
AS plausible excuse for doing nothing,
it shows in new light the very special
need of the uprising in view. 'l1-
CHAs. r. SEYMOUR.
September 9th, 1894.