Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-10-06

It is not my purpose in this, my sec
ond reply, TO offer any further critl-
cisms that would compel my opponent
to again defend himself, for ! believe
in treating those who differ with me
eourteously, and however much sob
server and myself might differ in
opinion as to measures am consider
ate enough to believe that he is actua-
ted by the one grand idea. 1.-The good
of the State" and think the points he
made in his former article have been
discussed as much as is profitable for
either side and / am willing to suffer
defeat, if such is the verdict OF an in
telligent public. | will, however, offer
few remarks on the question OF sta
tistics, which "Obserter' seems to
have singled out as the most vulnera-
BILE point of attack.
Now the object of statistics is the
collecting and arranging OF facts, bear
ing on the social and moral condition
of people, and if intemperance and
drunkenness do not affect the social
and moral conditions of the people OF
this country, in the name of Heaven
tell me what does? And if the statis-
tician who superintends and reports
npon this branch of social economy
with the facts and figures at his COM
mand tells us there are one million
habitual drunkards in this country,
that his estimates would more likely
be correct than observers" or mine.
And my authority ?
Anthony Comstock. in his report as
Secretary of the Society Tor the Sup
preston of Vice in New York City,
uses these words THE Government,
in taking the last census, found one
million habitual drunkards.n Now it
is a contraction of thought, to say the
least, to affirm that this branch of sta
tistics can be made reliable only
through personal inquiry, when COM
ing through the commissioner OF inter
nal revenue and other sources. MI
merous statistics. the truth of which is
never questioned, are obtained through
general investigation. And so "Obser-
yers" appeal comes from Imagination,
and mine from facts.
| presume that "0bserver' shares
the opinion of other high license men
that the rumseller is engaged in a legit-
innate mercantile pursuit, and that the
debased personal habits of the drink
ing classes whom they depend upon
for living are making them consider
able trouble under prohibition, the
status OF which would remedy the
cause, instead of Furnishing the effect,
and that the drunkard is responsible
for all the trouble, and by the payment
OF a license fee TO the State the mer-
chant should no longer be heldrespon-
sible for the evils that grow out OF his
legitimate business.
Beautiful logici License state lot
terry and punish its patrons. License
Il defective sewerage in New Orleans
and punish cholera and yellow fever
License the devil and punish diabol-
ism
These temperance men and reputa-
BILE citizens. that shield and encourage
the traffic in rum by trying to make it
respectable, are doing more damage to
temperance reform by their influence
than whole brigade of drInkards
would by their example. And the
chivalry that should strike out boldly
in the defence OF the helpless and inno-
cent has had "A shock of paralysis,
caused by the sentiment that the drink |
ing of liquor in moderation does not |
impress itself as sufficiently harmful, |
etc. For the physical effect ofdrink- |
ing liquor and the moral effect of de-
Tending the sale of it are very similar. |
Alcohol in its first effects Is stimulating |
and exciting, but its secondary and |
permanent effects are narcotizing. 1t |
benumbs the sensibilities and thus re-
lieves the feeling of exhaustion. Take
a spoonful of strong alcohol and hold |
it in the mouth two minutes and it will |
destroy the sense OF taste, so man
cannot determine between sweet and |
sour, salt and bitter, etc. And when |
we can understand the sympathy ex-
listing between the moral and physical
man, we can better understand how a
determined and persistent effort in de-
tending wrong cause will relieve
that tired feeling called conjunction.
by obtunding the moral senses so men
cannot determine the difference be-
tween right and wrong, good and evil,
vice and virtue, etc, which appears to
be the case with the man who Matched
up those documents that came through
the Rutland Herald office, called
Greater Vermont
As my friends have requested me to
make some comments upon these doc
nments, | will simply call to my assist
ance one of the grandest minds that
ever graced the earth. And Shake
speare, glancino down through the
ages with prophetic vision, defines the
high license policy as exhibited i'm
rGreater Vermont with wonderful ac-
'uracy through one of his characters
when he says, II, | myself, sometimes
eaving the fear of God ON the left
land. and hiding mine honor in INV
necessity, am fain to shuttle, to hedge.
md to lurch.r And my defence shall
DC indicted from the same source. and
reply. MY conscience hanging about
he neck OF my heart, says very wisely i
o me, "Budge not 'sBudge." saws /.
he friend. ''Budge not, SAYS my con-
cience. So, as Mark Twain saws.
shakespeare and l. have said all that
Ilnrn will a.orts1ff Il, The ............z =