Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-09-11
w. G. T. u. COLUMN


of his pen, he freed more than four
million slaves. But it would be no less
a noble act if some future President,
by the stroke of his pen could pro-
hibit the sale of Intoxicating liquors
in the United States. For if man
has the liquor habit, he is no less a
slave than we're the blacks of the
South.
The saloon promotes the sale of this
poison. It is the terror of the home,
the enemy of the church, the menace
of the nation. We live in prohibi-
horrors of the saloon as we should if
they were scattered around through
our State. Vermont has a record
that no other States have. It's prohibit
DRY laws have not once weakened since
they we're first made. From the fol-
lowing you may gain some idea of the
saloon. "Prisoner at the bar, have
you anything to say why the sentence
of death shall not be passed upon your"
ga solemn hush fell over the
crowded courtroom, and everybody
waited in silence. Suddenly the pris
oner was seen to move. His hand
clinched, and the blood rushed into
his care-worn face. He arose to his
feet and in firm voice, said: have,
your honor; you asked me a question,
and now I ask, as the last favor on
earth, that you will not interrupt me
until I am through. [ stand before
you convicted of the wilful murder of
my wife. Truthful witnesses have
testified that was loafer, drunk
ard. and wretch; that I returned
from one of my long debauches and
fired the fatal shot that killed the wife
that I had sworn to love, cherish and
protect. While I have no remember
ance of committing the fearful deed,
yet-yet l have no right to complain
of the verdict-of these twelve men.
But may it please the court, wish to
show that I am not alone responsible
for the murder of my wife. The judge
on the bench, the jury in the box, the
the lawy ers within the bar, and most
of the witnesses, including the pastor
of the old church, are also guilty be-
fore Almig hty God. If it had not been
for the saloons of our town, I never
should have become drunkard; and
my wife would not have been murder
ed. God knows tried to reform, but
as long as the open saloon was in my
pathway, my weak, diseased will
power was no match for the fearful,
consuming, agonizing appetite for
liquor. For one year our town was
without saloon. For one year was
a sober man, and our little home
paradise. The downward career be-
gan at saloon bar, was one of those
who signed circumstances against
reopening the saloons of our town.
You legalize the saloons that make
me a drunkard and murder; and you
are guilty with me before God and
man for the murder of my wife. Your
Honor, I am done. I am now ready
to receive my sentence, and to be led
fourth to the place of execution"
Does a school master make rules
and then punish his pupils for obeying
them ? No, yet we licenced school of
vice and crime and then punish the
pupils for learning the lesson. The
saloon must go =! This country does
not need such institutions of vice and
crime. How can we get rid of it? l
believe and many will agree with me,
that the only way is by establishing
and enforcing stringent prohibitory
laws in every State and Territory in
the Union. Some people say, you
cannot enforce them" Have you
ever heard any one says this who was
willing to do all in his power to en-
force them? do not think you have.
This is the cry of the saloon-keeper.
They are continually trying to over
throw the prohibitory laws, under
pretense that they do not prohibit.
Under these laws it is more difficult
for the saloon keeper to sell his goods,
and for this reason, not for the other,
he wishes to overthrow them.
Even the enemies of the prohibitory
laws see that, under these laws, the
saloon is losing ground. These laws
do prohibit, they have in this State.
There are men here who can remem-
Der the time when it was not an un-
usual thing to.see man go staggering
through the streets. The prohibitory
laws have made drunkenness disrepu-
table and the people have begun to see
that such laws diminish it. There is
also less crime than there used to be
when the saloons were here. For the