Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-02-12
w. G. T. u. COLUMN.
THE ANTTSALOON LEAGUE.

To any who may not yet have ia
miliarized themselves with the object
and methods of the Anti Saloon
League brief statement of these may
not be unwelcOme.
The League has just one object-the
SUPPRESSION of the liquor traffic. 1t
exists for this and this alone. It's
platform has one plank: ''The saloon
must CO." In the liquor traffic it sees
curse to the individual and to socie
| ty: standing menace to peace, pro-
gress and civilization. The League
seeks to serve the community, the
nation, the church, the Kingdom of
! God and humanity by the overthrow
of their stoutest foe and deadliest en-
envy, and it invites the hearty co.. OPP
Grafton of every individual and organ
ization in sympathy with it's purpose.
The League works along several
lines, all of which converge to one
| point. One of these is law enforce
ment. 1t is assumed that laws are
passed to be enforced. While pro-
hibitory law is preferred the main
point is to secure the enforcement of
the law whatever the law is. Work
along this line is most necessary and
highly important. Liquor laws, pro-
hibitory Of license, are peculiarly
liable to violations and difficult of
enforcement. They deal with appe-
tite and greed, two of the most pow
erful forces in human nature, and in
the absence of the utmost vigilance
on the part of the officers and friends
of the law frequent violations are in
evitable' Enforcement is difficult
because of the inertness of the public
conscience, the supineness of large
part of the community, the multiplic-
ity Of interests involved and the
character of the transgressors, whose
word is commonly worthless. An i'm
portanU part of the Leagues work,
therefore, is to awaken the public
conscience, to create a reverence for
the law and to demand it's enforce
ment.
The League also works for the en-
actment of good laws. When the
business meni in community find that
they are made the victims of fraud
through inadequate bankruptcy laws
they very properly take measures to
secure the enactment of laws which
shall be adequate to meet the evil.
In the same manner the League works
for what it conceives to be the most
ultimate suppression of the rum traffic.
The League does not, however, put
exclusive reliance upon legislation to
accomplish the object in view, but
recognizes the fact that the successful
solution of the drink problem depends
in a great measure upon moral forces.
Much is gained when man is made
sober because legal restrictions are SO
effective that he cannot get anything
to drink; but the solution is not com
plete until he is brought into con-
dition in which he can be depended
upon to abstain of his own accord.
The result is never quite satisfactory
until voluntary abstinence displaces
with the necessity of restraint. The
League, moreover, is not unmindful
of the fact that the law itself is effec-
tive only as it receives the moral sup
port of the community. Hence, the |
League seeks to bring into actio all |
those forces which make for self-re-
spect, self control, elevation of char
acter, and more intelligent
conception Of the individuals respon-
sibility for the welfare of the commu-
nifty and the salvation of the victim of
of strong drink. The League does
not exist for the purp ose of building
up any political party Or for the de-
stru elton of any political party as it
embraces men of all political parties
who are opposed to the sale and use
of Intoxicating liquors as beverage.
The League is omnipartisan. The
League furthermore is interdenomi-
national, embracing men of all
churches and of no church who are in
favor of the su ppression of the sale
and use of Intoxicating liquors as
beverage. Such in brief is the con-
stituency of the League and the scope |
of it's work.
EVAN THOMAS.
Essex Junction.
Dewitt's Witch Hazel Salve is unequalled for
L.. ~,<r1p