The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-12-31
ono" AND Eyes" VOTES.

on bn6 nTSU IuSSuty VI Muloh lVVo'
Other matters are of incidental i'm
por lance. The reasonings and consid-
era ions addressed to the people that
sha induce them to vote mo, y and
ind zee majority of them so to vote,
are Of supreme Importance.
A nong Others these voters must be
rec.uited from the men who believe,
or think they believe, in license.
With some of these license and local
option may be the oretical or po-
lit al, rather than moral or prac.
tica', question. So long as they are
not confronted with the responsibility
of loducing, or assisting to reduce, by
the. votes, theoretical or partisan
pol iical question to a practical one,
the indulge themselves in the luxury
of hobby. When adherence to
the Try or political issue which has
SER I'd its purpose as a dividing line
for parties takes the shape of setting
up md multiplying in the community
the open saloon, Godfearing license
mel halt That, they recognize, is
car ing a theory, belief, a within, too
far They had been playing with fire.
TIL next step involves serious conse-
que Ices-the firing Of valuable prop
ert Then "heedless, rambling i'm
pu, 80 begins to think and stands APP
pa ID at the awful risk it is taking.
J. great many men are for free trade
as .. matter of partisan politics. and so
lon as they know that there is no
dan ;er of the triumph Of free trade.
WI N the situation changes they
CHI lge with it and vote for protection.
1t s very much the same with this
ella - Of license men; they may stand
for license for political effect; they
ma carry their espousal of this meth
cd of regulating the liquor traffic up
to he point where they behold its pos
sib,e triumph and then-about face.
Ma ~ votes against making the license
act operative on the first date named
the ,ein are to be recruited from this
class of citizens.
A standing sheer at lawmakers of
known bibulous habits who have voted
for prohibition has been that they
don't "vote as they drink" In our
opinion there have not been any more
sincere or rational supporters of the
pro,libitory law, than are these much
derided citizens and lawmakers.
They are qualified and admonished by
experience, the dearest instructor of
man, to vote for such legal restriction
of the liquor traffic as shall help to
save their own SONS from the curse
that enthralls the parents. Their own
boys they would guard from the tempt
alton the open saloon presents to every
young man. To these men, drinking
liquors themselves, who would save
their sons from the evil habit under
whose subsection they have themselves
come, the appeal to vote "No" is to be
made. 1t is strong appeal.
The men who are looking for finan-
cial gain from the sale of liquor will
vote Yes 1.-THE men who want the sale
of liquor freer, who have the appetite
for liquor and care nothing for the
consequences either to themselves or to
others, will vote yes; the men who
are welded to theory or distractions
in respect of the superior advantages
of license measure, or are influenced
solely by abstract opinion respecting
the rights of men, personal freedom,
ETC., may vote yes, even if the path OF
their opinions leads to the grave.
From these classes chiefly the yes vote
will be recruited. Their numbers are
not small, and their aggressive activ-
ity should not be disregarded.
Reason, argument, persuasion, en-
lightenment are to be addressed to the
"No" classes enumerated. They hold
the voting balance. Means that will in
sure this vote will insure "No" ma
jority 1t is for the committee of fif
teen and it's constituency in every
county and town to study and apply
the means that shall secure this vote
against the license act becoming oper
alive in March These means are va
ried, but WORK rather than dream
ing, or rhetorical fireworks, or glitter
ing generalities concerning the evils
of rum selling and the open saloon
will be the agency that shall give the
victory
In every community in the State
large or small the merchant, or manu-
facturer, or railway manager or Off
Gals of banks or insurance companies
or employers of labor in any brancl
of industry or businessman they ex
pect of their employees, invested will
trust or responsibility of varying
grades, from the humblest to the guard
ianship of money and business conf
dences, with this act which may opel
up saloons in every city or village
can they expect greater sobriety, great
err fidelity TO duty or trust higher in