Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-03-15
OUR WILMINGTON NE1GHBoRs.
The REV. smith Personally I31piains II

!. Course i'm the ParmeIee Prosecutions
what other People Think---One or
Two General Observations.
Rev. A. A. Smith, pastor of the Will
mington Baptist church, who instigated
the prosecution of c. H. Parmelee for liq-
uor selling claims that his side of the case
has not been fairly stated. Related in the
briefest terms, as detailed by him, Mr..
Smith says he was stirred mp to this action
by sermon which he himself preached,
by request of the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance union, in which he took the ground
that the prohibitory law ought either to be
enforced or repealed. He then began to
ask "Why don't have the law enforced in
Wilmington?n He knew liquor was sold
there, he regarded Mr.. Parmelee the chief
offender because of his high standing, and
looked for evidence against him. He went
to Rogan, the young blacksmith, telling
him he wanted some liquor, and giving him
to understand that it was for his own
use in sickness RogaE thought he couldn't
get it for him that way, but could get it for
himself, "because he had got it of Parmelee
before Smith at first talked of quart,
but settled on a pint "lest he should get
trapped Rogan got him the liquor, which
MIR. Smith took and exhibited to various
people that they might see that it was pure
liquor not incidentally compounded. Most
of them were greatly surprised Smith
then wrote to States Attorney Fits to
prosecute, but Fits answered that while
the sale was a violation of the law he
thought Smith had better get other eyi-
dence. The next move was to try to have
Parmelee sign a pledge to the Woman's
Christian Temperance union to stop selling
LIQUOR but he was stubborn and refused.
Smith then wired Fits Overwhelming
evidence; come and prosecute tomorrow
When Fits appeared he still thought it
unwise to prosecute on the ROgan offence,
but through another source he learned of
the sale (aso on a doctor presCription) on
the fruits of which a young man got drunk,
and Parmelee was proceeded against, plead
guilty, and paid his fine. Mr.. Smith says
he was advised to 60 and talk with Mr..
Parmelee by people who thought this would
be as effective as a prosecution, but he
thought it none of his business to go to a
liquor seller whose business he was fight
ing He claims to hold Mr.. Parmelee in
personal esteem, to owe him no i'll will, and
says he would not have proceeded against
him if he had not been satisfied that he
was selling "recklessly' and outside of
doctors prescriptions, "for the dollar.
Some rather large statements were made
as to the extent which Wilmington people
believe this has been done. Mr.. Smith ad-
mits the deception which he practiced
through Rogan-an irresponsible fellow, y
and ''more irresponsible than ! at first
thought him'-but justities it on the
ground that TO deceive for a good purpose
is one thing and to deceive for a bad pur-
pose another thing-"and the fac, is, you
have got to use some weapon of this kind
in fighting the rum traffic. His only
purpose was to stop the sale of liquor, be-
ginning with the leading offender. after
all Mr.. Parmelee is not the chief sinner
the real fault is in the community which
tolerates such business. There are
now five or six places where liquor is sold
and the whole business ought to be stop
ped" This, in substance, is Mr.. Smith S
personal statement and explanation of his
action. The impression gained was that
he had acted with sincerity and not from
malice.
States Attorney Fits says he found the
general feeling, even among the pronounced
temperance people of Wilmington, to be
that the cause of temperance had not been
advanced by this course.
Nj. Parmelee, in a published statement,
claims TO have managed his business with
in the spirit, though not according to the
letter of the law, and in a way that he sup
posed public sentiment to sustain, but here
after he will do only a strictly legal bust
ness.
Our own understanding of the case is
that while Mr.. Smiths motive and sin
cerity are not questioned, the means which
he chose to use are generally disapproved
in Wilmington and by many strongly con-
demned. Whether the end justified the
means for a minister of the gospel OF
any self-repecting man to use, everyone
must decide for himself.
If Mr.. Parmelee violated the law only as
a neighborly act. in cases of actual need
of the liquor, it was hard lines and not ac-
cording TO the usual conception of honor
and ethics TO jump on him, there being no
legalized agency in the place. If he VIC
lated the law as a regular thing for the
money there is in it, he should suffer the
penalty. There was no valid defence for
him.
The Phoenix believes in keeping out OF
the rum business and obeying the prohibit
tory law. When honestly enforced it is a
good law for Vermont.
1t speaks well for the estimation in
which Mr.. Parmeee is held that Mr..
Smith thinks there should be town agency
established in Wilmington with Mr., Par
melee in charge,