Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-05-27
w. c, 7. u. COLUMN.
REPLY TO BISHOP HALL.

The following is an extract from an
address by Rev. J. HI. Reid in reply to
the arguments advanced by Bishop
Hall against the prohibitory law:
We are our brothers keeper and to
simply ask ''Will it harm me if do
this?" is not going far enough. There
is another question to ask, "Will it
harm or lead astray some weak broth
err" The strong ought to bear the
infirmities of the weak and not please
themselves, and to go through life
looking at each question Of conduct
from the personal standpoint and for
getting all about ones neighbor is as
great a sin as to violate law of abso-
Lutte right. We sinaply claim this, that
such are the evils growing out of
drinking that every lover of his kind
should say, eff wine make my brother
to offend I will drink no more wine
while the world standeth." We urge
total abstinence first because it is the
safest courseeor all men; and second
ly, because the law Of love demands
that you by word and example shall
be helped up rather than down.
He says prohibition unenforeed
"tends to break down the sense of
man or divine" Now the cure for
the evils of unenforced law is not the
repeal of the law but It's enforcement,
and if the law abiding people lad the
willing mind there is not place in
the state of Vermont where it could
not be reasonably enforced. The law
is holy and good but the Trouble is
men Ike the bishop have not thesense
of the obligation of law to see that it
is enforced. He should know that no
law will run itself except downhill.
Then we should remember this. Laws
are net only force they are education
al. They teach and strengthen the
conscience. Thus while the law if
high will be harder to enforce and will
be mere frequently violated yet it will
be constant educator of the national
conscience. There can be no doubt
that the temperance sentiment of the
people will average higher in prohibi-
ton Etates than in license states and
the reason is simply this: The law
has been not only force but an educa-
tor OF public opinion. Prohibition
educates up, high license -educates
down. The ten commandments were
ideal for the Hebrew people when
given and they were fagrantly vio-
lated, but Jehovah did not abrogate
them, and the result was that through
the educational quality Of6hose laws
the people rose to a high condition of
morality. So [ say the law is holy,
it's educational value is very great and
it cansbe enforced. If therefore it is
permitted to be violated and the sense
of obligation in the case of all law is
weakened in young men, tho blame
rests upon you, for it is your business
to see that law is enforced. Long,
long ago there was in England a good
old Saxon rule-When anybody did
something wrong in a parish, every
parishioner was fined for it and it was
a most excellent rule, founded on
sound reasoning.
His last argument is this 'tfThe pro-
hibitOry law is foolish and mischiev-
Gus because it is largely an attempt
on the part of one set of folks to Iegis
late for another set of people, viz:
our country folk for our larger villages
and cities" My reply is this: Society
is an organism and the towns and
cities are bound together and if one
suffer, all suffer. The south once
pleaded special immunities for itself
and said, ]'What right has one set of
folks to legislate for another set of
folks?" New York and all the great
cities would like to be law unto
themselves but Albany keeps strong
hand upon New York and wisely so.
Then uniform laws, that is the same
flaws for all the people Of the same
body polite, is fairest and best. Di-
Nersity of laws concerning the same
evil breeds confusion and is unjust.