The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-19
Prohibition or License 7

Subjoiued is the substance OF Chief
Templar Hayden's remarks on Wednes-
day at the State convention of the Good
Templars at Mortified. He said:
'Never in the history of the State has there
been suspicious moment for Good lem
plars. OF recent years there hes been growing
a dangerous lethargy all through our best So
cety, concerning the question of temperance.
Church organizations, supposing the battle Tor
sobriety had been won, had become Indifferent
or altogether silent on the subject. Law
in authority to enforce the laws had become
neglectful, and the people knew not that we
were drifting dangerously near the
shoals of license. AT last the license advo-
Gates boldly precipitated the battle and now
the friends Of prohibition are everywhere ris-
ing, realizing the imperative needs of the hour.
License and prohibition are discussed every
where, and it may be well to consider briefly
the comparative merits of prohibition and
license The former is already on the statute
books and has the advantage OF position Many
seem to hold the law responsible for more
than was ever intended by its authors. The
law may be paraphrased as follows No
person shall be allowed to manufacture, sell or
furnish or give away any Intoxicating liquors
for purposes of beverage" In a word, the
traffic in intoxicants for purposes of beverage
is prohibited. The trainers of this law aimed
just one blow and that at the very source of
the difficulty, the manufacture of and traffic
in intoxicating liquors. One must infer from
this that there is a proper use, as for mechani-
cal and medicinal purposes, and this plainly is
not prohibited; and that there is an improper
use of beverages, viz, for beverage. which is
strictly prohibited and with severe penalties.
Surely this is a humane law which seeks to
promote proper of an article and forbids
its improper use. This same divine principle
underlies every righteous law and seeks the
taat fnr ha
The prohibitory law does not say Thou
shalt not drink" nor does it say that absolute
prohibition is the only safe position to take
with so dangerous an evil as the drink traffic.
And Good Templars choose this safe ground to
build upon, although license advocates call our
position dramatically stringent" Prohibition
is humane law entirely in accord with the
divine and physical laws of our beings Origin
ated to check the unholy traffic of intoxicants,
it yet recognizes proper use of alcohol in medi-
cine and mechanics, with a beneficial history
in our State wherever enforced properly. Re-
Gently in one of our cities there was circulated
petition for the better enforcement of the
law AT this time the restaurant and hotel
keepers took offence and declared they would
| close their establishments if the petition was
| adhered to. This class of citizens in different
parts of the State, with their sympathizers are
proposing "A license law hoping thereby to
| bring the laws of our State into conformity
with their business, instead of conforming
their business to our present law. AS properly
| might those who steal ask that stealing be
licensed, for the thief would take only value
| while the vender of intoxcants takes values,
manhood, character and all. They tell us that
! license would produce vast revenue for
State expenses, and they should add that the
deficit caused by increased pauperism, insanity
and convictions for crime would greatly exceed
such revenue, however large, and in reality at
least double our present taxes. There is no
place in our beautiful Vermont villages for the
! gilded saloon. Money spent at the grog shop
could not be used for church and school pur-
poses With saloons in every town we certain
| ly must witness decline i'll church attendance
and support fewer philanthropic institutions, a
| general decline of morals, resulting in greatly
impaired citizenship
The law simply permits proper use of in
toxicants and forbids men making money from
an improper use of the same Where this law
| has been adhered to in our own State
the best of results have followed. Wine has
| been banshed from many household and the
drink custom abandoned in many sections.
| Towns with many saloons in license times have
seen the last saloon keeper abandon the traffic,
and many such communities are now entirely
rid of this curse, while in all our cities there
has been a corresponding increase in wealth
and good citizenship. Where the law has beer
most strongly adhered to there have fourished
the best schools and the most influential church
es, and under these benefcient influences have
craftsmanship and noblest patriotism. Such
briefly has been the intention and the history
of the prohibitory law.
What is said against the law? That it does
not prohibit; and that it is fanatcally stringent
1t is admitted by ALL however, that where il
is enforced it does prohibit. So then, tn,
crucial test is enforcement. Why then, do not
our officials fulfill their VOWS and enforce it
They reply that the law is in advance of public
sentiment. So is every. law that is worthy
Public sentiment should compel our officials
to keep their oath of Office at least. At Thu
point we find disagreeable condition of affairs
the corrupting influence of the lawbreake
upon the law enforcer which / deprecate bu
shall not discuss further than to deny tha
the law itself is in any way responsible fol
these corrupting iufences. Law making is
one distinct function of our government. TIL,
enforcement of the law is another. A failur,
in enforcement can never be construed faul
in the making. l suggest that the advocates O.
license against temperance people to enforc,
prohibitory law as proper means of finding
out its defects