Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-10-20

ishment of temples. The first object OF
the order, to reclaim those who nave ram
tn by reason of strong drink Is attenueu
with happy results but the second OBJECT |
the saving of the young from railing III" |
10 habits of excess and the use of intoXl-
cants, was of greater magnitude ana I'M |
portance and attended with greater re-
suits AS an inst lnce of the support COM
ing to the lodges from the temples sho
mentioned the fact that i'm England last
year over 81 trained workers mad come m
to the lodge from the temples. Dr. D. H.
Mann of brooklyn, y. ", occupied the
attention of the grand body the remain
ing hour of the morning session. lie is
past right worthy grand tcmplar OF the
international Supreme Lodge, the hignest
body of Good Tenplary. lie mas visited
Vermont before and is prime faVorito
with the Vermont brethren. As speak
pr he is forcible, timely and never hcsl-
tatcs for an instant In the afternoon
committees for various purposes were an
nounced by the chair, after whlcn INC
grand councillor took the char ana tne
grand chief tcmpl1r, G. II. Hayden maie
his annual report. Among other tnlnES
of especial interest to members OF the
order, he made the following statements
which will be of interest to the public Mt
large anent tho present agitation Tor at
fercnt control OF the liquor trafhc in Ver-
mont than that which ut present pre-
n
has there been SO suspicious moment
for Good Templars. OF recent years there
has been growing n dangerous lcthargy
all through our best society concerning
the questions of temperance. Church or
ganizd tons. supposng the battle ior So
briefly had been Won, mad become ihull-
ferent or altogether silent on the sub
icct. Lawmakers had performed their
duties but those in authority to enforce
the laws had become neglcctful, and the
pcople knew not that we were drifting
dangerously near the shoals OF license
rhe warnings of temperance agitators had
ccnsed to arouse At last the license ad-
yocates boldly precipitated the battle and
now at the approach of the enemy OF hap
by homes the friends of prohibition are
everywhere rising realizing the impefa-
tive needs OF the hour. The themes of IL
ccnse and prohibition are being discussed
everywhere and it may be well to con-
slider briefly the comparative merits OF
prohibition and license. The former is al
ready on the statute books and has the
advantage of position.
| Where the law has been adhered to in
our own State. the best of results have
! followed Wine has been banishcd from
many household and the drink custom
abandoned in many sections. Towns with
many saloons in license times have seer
the last saloon keeper abandon the traf-
! fc and many such communities are en-
| tirely rid of this curse, while in all our
cities there has been a corresponding IN
crease in wealth and good citizenship.
Where the law has been most strongly
! adhered to there have flourished the best
schools and the most influential churches
and under those bcneiicent influences have
been fostered the choicest character, rip
est craftsmanship and noblest patriotism
such briefly has been the intention and
the history of the prohibitory law. What
is said against the law? That ii does not
prohibit: that 1t Is fanatically stringent
it is admitted by all, however, that where
1t is enforced 1t does prohibit. So then
the crucial test Is enforcement Why
then. do not our officials fulfil their vows
and enforce it? They reply that the law
Is in advance of public sentiment. SO Il
every law that is worthy. A failure il
enforcement can never be construed as
fault i'm the making. l suggest that thu
advocates of license assist temperate
people to enforce the prohbitory law al
a proper means of finding out its defects
Recently in one of our cities there wa
circulated a petition for the better en-
forccment of the law At this the rcstau
rant and hotel keepers took offence ant
declared they would close their establish
ments If the petition was adhered to
This class of citizens in different parts o
the State with their sympathizers, ar
} proposing license law hoping thereb,
to bring the laws of our State into con
? formity with their business. instead o
conforming their business to our presen
law. As properly might those who stea
/; ask that stealing might be licensed, 70
the thief would take only values, Will
the vender of intoxicants takes values
manhood. character and all. They tell II
that license would produce a vast rev
0 enue for State expenses, and they shoul
add that the deficit caused by increase
r paupcrism, insanity and convictions fu
c crime would greatly exceed such revenue
e however large. and in reality at least dOu
t bc our present taxes With saloons
7 every town we certainly must witness
= decline in church attendance and supper
Y fewer phlanthropic institutions, n gcner'
decline Of morals, resulting in great
impaired citizenship"
e MIR. Hayden closed his annual repol
= and address with matters of interest onl
n to those present.
t The reports of the grand secretary an
[ other grand officers showed that the OF
e der in the State had little more tina
e held its own during the past year. Severi
= lodges have forfeited their charters an
Y several new lodges have been Institute
r as Is the custom every year. The trea
It urer reported a good sum in the treas
2. ury and the outlook for the order in gel
n eral may be considered very good.
y In the evening DR.. %. II. Mann held II
e floor and demonstrated with class no
d the work should be done. He also IL
@ structed in the secret work to secure I'm
n formity throughout the State. He mac
an address which as usual was of into
e est. Following the evening session, Il
+ alumni of the Good Tempar course
= study held banquet 81 the Northtie
IS House, which was pleasant AFFAIR. III
j. toasts and responses were: The !. o.
[; r., r. o. Sturtevant, Swanton; The j
l. venile Temple, Miss Jessie Forsythe,
l. w. G. s. j. T., Boston, Mass. Our wor
t. wide mission, DR.. ID. II. Mann, =. Il.
ri r., Brooklyn, n. Y; our alumni, Mrs.
IF S. Wiley, G.. S. j. r., Barre. Informal r
l., marks were made by members of t
:. Grand Lodge.
>, OFFICERS ELECTED.
n The second day of the Grand Lodge
u Vermont, /. o. G.. T., convened at nj
IS, O'Clock this morning. Previous to the &c
ne sion the members witnessed the mornil
"a drill ut Norwich University and were lo'
" in their praises of It's excellence. Tn
I'd also looked over the building. These
d. ficers were elected: G.. c. T., c. II. IIa
ed den. Underhiu; c. c., A. l.. Aldrich, We
Us Burke; G. " r., Miss Ethelynd Gou
in Randolph; G.. S, j. T., Mrs. o. S. Willie
IN Barre; G. s., i. NJ. Campbell, Lyndo
Vile; G. r., r. A. Hatch, Stanford; G,
n NJ. b. Morgan, Bennington. c. ID. Edge
ton, who has held the office of G.
. for several terms, declined to be renol
-, mated for another term, so Il. M Cam
az tell was elected in his place. M. b. Nj
- gan Of Bennington was elected to fill I
a. place made vacant by William VI. M;
'l' thew of Middlebury, deceased. These We
~. the only changes made In the list OF ell
. tao nttia 4 ~ la