St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-06-18

President Roosevelt, WlleIl plC0lNCIf' W
the police board in New York, told the
story of the liquor saloon in politics III
few sentences:
when the liquor men are allowed to DO
as they wish" he says "they are sure 10
debauch not only the body social, but the
body polite also. The saloon forms
the natural club and meeting-place LOT
the ward leaders and 'heelers So mum
SO that the bar-room politician has become
a recognized factor in local pontlcal SOW
ernment The saloonkeeperS are always
hand-in-glove with the professional pollli-
clans. Fheir power has been terror "
all parties. III. 20
For any political aspirant to talk OF
fighting a political machine, real or INA
ginary by introducing into the State H.
censed saloons is certainly the most eA-
quisite irony.
And then it ought always to be remem-
bered by the man who is thinking WheIher
it is wise to give the saCtion OF the Ia" 10
private bar rooms, that the more feSoec-
table we make the saloon the more dan
aerous we make it. The so~called pest
saloons do the worst harm to the BEST
men. Your habitual drunkard will go any
wbere-do anything to get his drink. But
the boys from the homes that you love
will not ordinarily DO that The critics OIL
the Vermont law are never tired Of saying,
prohibition merely drives the traffic undCH-
ground and, wild as the statement IS, II
points TRUTH For it is precisely the I'M
dergrOund dive that your selt-respecllhS
young men will not resort to. 1t Is when
Won begin to make the saloons respectable,
with the eountenance OF the law, Win
plate glass and handsome furnishings, ana
lights and music and all pleasant sur
roundings, with social brightness and
G. I'm, iG hon
that the real temptation through drink be-
gins for the boys and men it is within
your power and mine to help to save. it is
then that the vote to establish the saloon
is seen to he exactly equivalent to vote
to gradually tear down our churches; for
| the manly character the churches OF
| Christ are seeking to build up, the saloon
| is given the power to destroy; and 1t can
and will pull down faster than cur
churches can build up. Then, though one
| demonstrate, as a decent man, when sa-
! loon is not to be licensed nearly always re-
| monstrates-against the opening of sa-
loon abutting his own property or next to
his own home, he finds out too late, that
| his vote has helped to open saloons next
to somebody's property, near somebody 5
home: and the morals, the safety the COM
fort of the home are already jeopardized;
and often the sacred name home itself
| turned into mockery and a long re-
gret.
tell you men and friends, we do not al
| WAYS realize, when we talk of trying a
liquor license law and legalizing saloons
in Vermont, how we should be intrenching
in our communities the chief monied pro-
| motor of intemperance, with all its mis-
cries; backed by almost unlimited flnan-
cial resources in brewery and distillery;
| of which would
enslave US only less than the appetite en-
slaves the drunkard; a public nuisance
from which our streets are now clean
centres of crime which would quickly be-
gin to crowd our iails contempt for law
to a degree at present quite foreign to oul
State; a force in politics which would cor
rupt Just when we are struggling to rC
ourselves of corruption; laWcOnferreC
responsibility in the bar room which WOulC
set before our eyes a form of temptation
from which, thank God they are now free
and so, an arch-enemy to our churche!
and our homes. I have lived years where
the high license system prevailed; | haV,
lived where prohibition with a legal agen
cy has prevailed: and think | may say
that / speak of what [ know. Nothins
could bind the people of Vermont so efIec
livery TO Une1r present eynton1 d few
years-or single year-of residence Il
the average New England town that il
under the license system.
Now, my friend, that is not all. Thos
of you who have followed me with YOU
intelligent assent, thus far, must feel
laid very heavily upon your hearts ant
conscences, by these stern facts your
selves, not simply to do what in you lie
toward the retention of our present and
saloon law upon the statute books, Du
to see to it that men are put back of thi
= law and of all laws; and then to let Their
know that no sentiment and no polio
takes precedence of this: We deman
obedience to law.
Let us be honest about it. We, some Q
: us, believe in law enforcement--till
4 hurts us or our friends Of this liduo
e law, we are prone to say: We believe i
e it: have always believe in it, but tao
d and discrimination should be used in it
= enforcement. And that sounds very Ia
= tional. Yet what we mean by that, TO
= often, is that people of respectable
: should not be antagonized even if they d
Il break the law that the detective method
1t which sound morality always justilie
: when used against low criminals, shoul
" not be used to bring to justice offender
e OF high social rank or political influence
= But, friends, that is a most dangerous ser
3, timent to harbor There is only one lust
u |
II its impartial enforcement, and that is til
It right of revolution and the end of gov
!. eminent
J; There is only one motive, one principle
d that can help us rise above all this pei
SOnal antagoniSm, when law hurts us
n and that is the supreme law of unselfsl
is ish benoVolence-Thou shalt love III
IF neighbour as thyself.-When a man gel
IS where he can say, now, whatever | myse
v. should prefer the community interest-il
1t volving this multitude of my neighbol
le my fellOWmen--is greater far than my ind
ID vidual interest; and though they clash il
TX time, the two are wrapped up insepari
bly, together,-then all this petty indiv
of dualism, which is Cursing society so, e
in him will rejoice away. AS honest citizen
we rejOiCe--We must rejoice that men WI
J., are able tC judge, are saying of this ant
III saloon law: we have travelled owe
st Vermont fr years, and we have never b.
av fore seen he State as free from the sa
if and use of Intoxicating liquors." and tht
is some of Ou newspapers have been able
say: with this impartial enforcement
ct the law, anC all the laws, fairly and full
III the people O Vermont every week. Eve
s. its most active enemies whose complain
1E has often ben: This law is such that
ar cannot be erforced," have changed the
er minds and are saying now: The law
r. being enforced too well; it must be fl
H. some selfish )urpose!"
nj All that is surely healthy. But we mu
or bestir ourselves. For the sake Of o1
State for the sake of our God-given wol
X as Christian citizens, we must range II
an cities of our State. no less than the cou
" try folk, overwhelmingly on the side of Il
so church and t1e home against the saloo
A ic of 10 chief M q