Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-02-26
bennington AS Seen From a
Court Room"

mon, preached in the Second Congrega-
tiOnal church last Sunday evening: Ma
hum Ill; "Keep the munition, watch
the way, make thy loins strong, fortify
thy power nightly"
This was poetical exhortation to a
great city. Nineveh was about to be at
tackled and destroyed, and the prophet
at distance sends forth an imaginary
apneal. The exortation is applicable to
any modern city or village threatened by
an enemy.
1. We are to recall the fact that Ben
nington has an enemy-an enemy blind
to moral distinctions. 1t throws dust
into the eyes OF our citizens until many
of them are ready to admit that good is
evil and evil good. This enemy is lust
full, given to the lowest appetites and for
these willing to degrade all that is noble
in human nature. 1t insidiously attacks
youth, and even children, and enchains
their wills. This enemy is treacherous,
defying law, plotting to violate the best
sense of the people, and to make void
every effort to rise physically, mentally
or morally. 1t is against this enemy
that war has for fifty years been waging
with varying success. In view of the
struggle that must in the end be victor
ious for the right, we ring out the eXhor-
tation of the prophet.
2. There is encouragement to the
town in that it also has a friend. Its
best friend at this moment is the prohib-
itOry law. The law means peace, safety
and opportunity. 1t absolutely forbids
the sale of intoxicating liquors to be
used as beverage. With equal absolute
ness it forbids the giving away of liq-
uors. 1t forbids again the renting of a
place where liquors are known to be
sold, and gives the owner power to eject
summarily any lessee who does the il
legal business. The law then holds a
blessed end in view. Allowing liquor to
be had for proper uses of the town agent,
permitting druggists to compound it in
the form of medicines, the law means
death to the bar and the saloon.
3. Bennington has force granted it
for the execution of the liquor law.
This might be called an armed force. 1t
consists of State officer with his corps
of policemen. The force is supposed to
be on active duty in behalf of the entire
population. You may consider the
States Attorney as looking out of the
Court room windows upon the town, and
saying: 81 represent law. l am your
protection. l shield you against illegal
ty of every description, especially
against the traffic in alcohol"
1t occurs, however, that there two
views of the duties of this office; the
two shall be presented without prejudice
First. The States Attorney has all
powers needful to the complete suppress
sion of the traffic. The police are at his
command, the State pays the expense.
Searches can be made on suspicion, and
seizures are in order. Arrests follow.
The habtues of place can be put on
the witness stand. The processes of
raiding and convicting can be repeated
at any time. Dealers thus have been lit
orally harried out of town. A notable
example was that of last autumn when,
on the vigorous demand of citizen, a
number of successful raids were under
taken and dealers convicted, two of them
for second offences. In these instances
the prosecuting officer made out the war
rants in his own name as he had a right
to do.
View the Second. The States Attor-
! ney has of his own motion little power.
He is not detective, is allowed no State
money for detective service. He need
not be in sympathy with the law, may
have publicly avOwed himself as not in
sympathy with prohibition, indeed, may
not be total abstainer. He need not,
therefore, feel bound to prohibit the
traffic except for the pecuniary benefit
arising from prosecutions. When, then,
does he search, seize, arrest or try?
words, when the public demands it.
The public thought it had both law
and prosecutor. 1t was mistaken.
The law is dead letter unless executed.
1t is executed only as the public make a
demand, and point out when, where and
how. And notice that this public must
not only point out but push.
Let us be fair with our present States
Attorney, He has promised to do what
ever the League asks of him. This
promise, so far, he has fulfilled, not al.
ways promptly it must be confessed, and
in some case without success. The pub.
lie will not forget that while six distinct
raids have been made upon liquor sell
lers within three months, not drop of
! alcoholic liquor has been found. The
result would have been humiliating had
HIGHEST of all in Teaveninp Powe,