Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-11-19
Il WOMAN'S VIEW OF THE
LICENSE QUESTION.

make him drunk, and the person
who does it becomes accessory to his
crime. fit is not right to sell to such
a man, then it is equally wrong to
license anybody to do so.
Should high license become law,
who among our citizens would be the
most probable aspirants for license
to sell? Would it be men noted for
philanthropy and love of their fellow
men, or would it not rather be men
who, in days past, have caused so
much trouble and expense to the state,
and who are largely responsible for
the illegal traffic and drunkenness
which have disgraced some of our
towns? Can such men be trusted to
abide by the restrictions of the law,
should there be any restrictions with
the law?
We are told that the licensed man
will look after the pocket peddler and
the various illegal sellers and protect
US from them, because it is for his in
terest to do so, thus admitting the
possibility of enforcing the law if ones
interest demands it, and this statement
is made by men who have repeatedly
declared ''the prohibition law cannot
be enforced" 1t seems that the Fin
terest' referred to means dollars and
cents, and we must infer that the
well-being of our people does not in
spire zeal enough to impel men to
accomplish what would be expected
Of a probable ex-convict.
Allowing, however, that this licens-
ed man displays superior generalship
in suppressing illegal sales, who is
going to protect our boys from the
baleful influence of this man and his
saloon? A wolf once went to a shep
herd, and offered to take the place of
his dead dog and protect his sheep
from the other wolves. The shepherd
replied: "That indeed would be an
advantage, but who is going to pro-
tect my poor sheep from rascal like
your" Villa man who pays a certain
sum for the privilege of selling liquor
stop short of placing in his pocket
that amount multiplied as many times
as poor habit bound, drink cursed
victims of intemperance can gather
together means to multiply it by?
What class of people is going to be
made especially glad by the enactment
of a license law? The saloon keeper
will rejoice, the manufacturer will be
glad, those who have been punished
for breaking the prohibition law will
chuckle with delight. The inebriate
will be eager to avail himself of the
permission to spend his last dime at
the expense of his child's dinner and
his own last chance of reform. The
rioters and debauchers and those who
people the dives and slums of our
great cities will welcome to comrade-
ship the people who favor law that
assures a constant increase in their
ranks.
Those who believe in the existence
of de vii cannot stretch their imag-
ination far enough to picture him in
the act of signing the temperance
pledge or voting the prohibition ticket;
therefore his Satanic majesty will be
foremost in the ranks of the rejoicing
party, who will welcome the birth of
the high license act, should such law
be passed in Vermont, but from such
and disaster we reverently |
entreat, "Good Lord deliver u.s.
So much for the associates the men
have chosen who have taken stand |
for the license law. On the other hand |
who are to be made sad by such law? |
All who believe it unwise and unsafe |
to do or encourage wrong-hOping |
that good may come from it. All who |
believe in standing firm and true to a
ust cause for principles sake, how
aver discouraging the outlook may be.
1t is poor soldier who deserts his |
post and takes sides with the enemy
because of the clamor of their forces.
We cannot name here al lwho would
be grieved and made sad, for we see
whole armies of sad-eyed wives and
mothers, multitudes of sensitive,
shrinking children, smarting beneath
5he lash of ridicule, broken hearted
who tremble and grow faint
1T the word saloon, fathers who fare
Utmost willing to lay down the burden
If life as too heavy to be borne, and
lot one among all this throng who
las seen the trail of the serpent in
in their Eden, if rightly
can fail to feel sadness add
ID to their already heavy burden,
hould prohibition fail to exist.
Last of all, we devoutly believe that
Tod himself is sad when he sees good