St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-07-06

man clear; you can wash your hands OF
this wretched business. And you are
not willing to do that, very little reliance
can he placed on your good wishes He
that is unjust in the least, is unjust also
in much. | can hardly conceive any
thing more inconsistent with every gen.
erous feeling, every noble principle. than
retailing ardent spirit at the present day.
The days of ignorance on this subject
have passed by; every man acts with
his eyes open. Look at the shop and
company of the retailer. His principal
furniture is barrel, two or three bot
ties, and half dozen glasses. He has
few other things, just for show
brooms, earthen.ware, tobacco, etc.
The inventory is soon made. | say ne
has few other things, for even ne is
ashamed to appear as dealer in spirit
only. His shop needs no sign-every
drunkard knows it as it were by instinct.
And even the blind might discover it by
infallibe tokens, and the company is
combination Of all the shameless and
abandoned. And there stands the retail
er in the midst ofdissipation, and human
nature in it's last stages of wretchedness,
in all its degraded forms and filthy APP
pearances, surrounding him. And his
whole business is to kindle strife, to
encourage profanity to excite every evil
passion, to destroy all salutary fears to
remove every restraint, and to produce
recklessness that regards neither God
nor man. And how often in the provl.
dence of God is he given over to drink
his own poison, and to become the most
wretched of this wretched company.
Who can behold an instance OF this kind
without feeling that God is just to him
"He sunk down into the pit which he
made, in the net which he hid is his own
foot taken" When we think Of the
years he has spent in this service, the
quantity he has scattered abroad, and
the misery he has caused, who can calcu-
late the responsibility And who would
envy him, even though he had accumu-
lated fortune; or who would take his
gains, burdened with all this responsible
ity?
But some one will say, 1 neither make
nor sell it. But you drink it OCCASION
ally, and your example goes to support
the use Of it. You see its tremendous
effects, and yet you receive it into your
house, and bid it God-speed. AS far as
your influence supports it and gives it
currency, so far are you partaker OF its
evil deeds. If you lend your influence to
make the path of ruin respectable, or
will not help to affix the disgrace to that
path, God will not hold you guiltless.
You cannot innocently stand aside and
do nothing. A deadly poison is circulat.
ing over the land, carrying disease and
desolation and death in its course. The
alarm has been given; hue and cry has
been raised against it. Its deadly effects
have been described, seen and felt. Its
victims are of every class; and however
wide the difference in fortune, education
intellect. it brings them to the same deac
level. An effort has been made to stay
the plague. and a success surprising al
, expectations has crowned the effort
Still the plague RACES TO an immense ex
, tent. What will every good citizen do
> Will he not clear his house, his shop, hi
/ premises oft Will he not take every
precaution to defend himself against i
and use his influence and his exertion
{ to diminish its circulation, and thu
diminish human misery? Ihefears God
+; or regards man, can he stop short o
e this? Can he, in the plentitude OF hi
+ sel6shness, stand up and say, I'll max
/ no promises-I'll not be bound-1 am il
y no danger" If he can say this, and stan
/ a'oof, shall we count him good citizen
i speak as unto wise men; judge We wha
r. | say.