The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-03-14
JUDGE THOMPSON.

Judge l.. II. Thompson of the Supreme
| Court addressed a union meeting held al
bethany church Sunday evening under the
| auspices OF the local Anti-Saloon League
just before the services commenced the
| electric lights went out, causing a little de.
lay TO get the gas fixtures in operation.
Rev DIR. Norman Seaver and Prof. w
| M. Newton assisted in the preliminary ser
vices Judge Thompson was happily in.
| trOduced by DIR. Seaver, and spoke for over
| an hour on "The relation of the State and
lts cltlzens to the prohibitory law" In his
| opening remarks Judge Thompson said il
| those present had come expecting to hear
an OLD time temperance lecture they would
De alsapPolnted' IL was not his purpose to
| picture the effects of alcohol on the human
system, nor to rehearse the long train OF
evils that follow the excessive use of in.
toxicating liquor.
Going back to early days the speaker
cited the fact that no nation of drunkards
had ever prospered From the times of the
Medes and Persians, the Babylonians down
TO the palmy days Of the Roman empire,
when those nations were sober they throve,
when drunkenness and debauchery came,
they fell. No longer ago than 1881 Mr..
Gladstone although not total abs amer
himself, said in the British House of Com =
mons that drink had caused more misery
to the human race than war, pestilence and
famine Strong drink seems to walk side
by side with civilization and religion.
Judge Thompson referred particularly to
the laboring men in this country at the
present time, their condition and their
grand opportunities, and yet they expend
annually one billion of dollars for intoxi-
eating liquor Ia Vermont from fifty to
eighty per cent of the crime committed is
traceable, directly or indirectly, to the use
OF Intoxicating liquor. Yet the condition
in Vermont today is almost a millennium to
what it was a half century ago.
The customs and habits of the earlv davs
In this State were graphically described,
illustrated with forcble facts and events of
those times. There came a time, however,
when the people of Vermont rose in their
might and asked If such things must en-
dare forever. They realized that the en-.
vironments of the boys of those days would
develop men of like character, and it was
then the prohibitory law had birth. 1t was
not framed without serious consideration,
and was not enacted by fanatics and ram.
rods. The fathers Of that law loved Yer
mont, they loved their homes, they loved
humanity, their fathers and their brothers,
and they realized the waste caused by this
traffic.
Judge Thompson then considered at
length some Of the cardinal ideas of the
prohibitory law. The first of these is that
no liquor shall be sold except by the hand
OF the State, and the State shall sell it only
Tor three uses-chemcal, mechanical or
medicinal. The town agent is the hand of
the State, in the meaning OF the law, and
the purpose of the law is to furnish decent
and proper place where liquor can be pur-
chased when it is needed. The compensa-
ton OF the agent must be fixed by the Sc
lectmen or aldermen, and the agent is not
allowed to purchase the liquor he sells.
Other legal provisions that hedge about a
town agency were dwelt upon, showing
that, according to the letter and spirit OF
the law it can never be a legalized dram
shop.
Another provision of the prohibitory law
on which Judge Thompson laid special
stress is that it is a crime to be found intox-
icated. This, in the mind OF the speaker,
was the, wisest provision Of the law, be-
cause drunkard at large Is more danger
ous than mad dog at large. The law does
not excuse man because he commits
crime when alcohol has nerved his arm.
From his experience on the bench Judge
Thompson referred to numerous examples
showing that drunken man is not safe to
be at large.
In closing Judge Thompson submitted
the proposition that the provisions of this
law are reasonable. In regard to the
query, "Can it be enforced" he said, "You
know it can. II you have honest town or
city officials there is not a town or city in
Vermont but what every dive in it can be
closed within week or month at most"
We cannot shirk our duties We are our
brothers keepers, and the duty rests upon
every man, Republican or Democrat, to
stand by the laws Of the State, and see
them enforced, no matter what our individ-
ual opinion of those laws may be. Public
opinion will surely sustain the law il the
right kind of men are elected to office. Ev-
cry town and city has these men, and il
they are not elected it is the fault of the vo-
ters.
Judge Thompson's argument throughout
was reasonable, sound and wholesome and
the large congregation followed him with
unwearied attention to the end.