Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-12-29
THE OPEN SALOON: DO WE WANT 1T
IN VERMONT?

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Nov. 23d, 'O2 by Rev. e. P. Treat:
When an army is advancing to battle
it is intent on one thing only, that it
may win a victory over the enemy as
quickly and effectively as possible.
Previous to the battle, the general, if
he has been wise, has made provisions
for the needed supplies; he has made
preparation for caring for the wound
ed and dying, and after the victory is
won he will make the best use of it's
fruits. But during the battle he must
forget these things aud concentrate
his attention on the one thing before
him, defeating the enemy. We have
entered on a battle in Vermont, and |
if we are vie We shall turn our atten
tion only @ those things which will |
most quickly give as the victory. The |
present is not the time for discussing
the merits or demarita Of the town
liquor agency. That question is not
before Us today, but one far more i'm
portant. Neither is il the time to ask
whether it is ever right to use liquor
as q beverage. Most temperance
people do firmly believe that man
to be at his best must be total alb
stainer. But there is many a man who
thinks differently, who does not want
the open saloon, and who is ready to
stand with US in our opposition to
what we believe is such great source
of evil. We shall, if we are wise, fix
our attention on the one question of
whether the open saloon will help or
harm the community and the state,
and gladly welcome everyone to our
side who believes that the open saloon
is an unmixed evil to any state. o Their
questions relating to the great one of
temperance must for the time being
be laid aside. The social we'll being
of our state and community is the only
one we need now consider. We must
be very frank and recognize that no
system Of control of the liquor traffic
will do away with ali the evils of in
temperance. 1t is not the province of
law TO make men righteous, and the
attempt to do it has always been
failure. So long as men have pas
sion for that which is evil, so long will
they break and violate any law that
interferes with their carrying out
. their passions. All that the law can
do is to restrain such PASSIONS; to
: make it hard for men to crafty them.
That system Of controlling the liquor
traffic is best which reduces to as
small proportions as possible the evils,
which must always be great, SO long
+. as men have the desire to do that
which is wrong. Hence no system is
= ter than no control; local option
added is far better than license alone.
; But the question that faces US to-day
y is whether state prohibition is not
y license and local option will do away
= with more OF the evils of intemperance
than prohibition, then it is wise for us
p to change our system Of control. Eut
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certain that this, which is so often
=, alleged, is true. AS the result of my
own experience and observation anC
- that of others also, am most firmly
a; of the opinion that our present system
a does reduce to the smallest possible
o. amount the evils of intemperance.
was born and brought up in license
n' local option state. Up to the time o
I'd my coming to Irasburg, two and {
e. half years ago, 1 had always livet
1v within two miles of saloons aud mucl
of the time within less than quartz
=. of mile, of saloons of all descrip
tions. / have had some opportunit
of seeing what they are and what the
do. But like most people living out
M side of the prohibition states l fel
8 that state prohibition is failure
sl With this conviction I came into Yer
mont. But it took me only little tim
m; to change my opinion. and to-day
plead most earnestly for the policy {
state prohibition; FOR while it has il
failures, and all too many we mus
"a admit, yet these failures do not seel
will to me as great as those under an
other system.
W. A cause can be judged to some e.
tent by those who are its chief SUI
porters. I am very ready to adm
that there are many honest, consciel
= tious temperance men in this sta
for who are opposed to prohibition for t
eur sole reason that they think it is not
lis. effective as another system such
license and local option. I am rea
VT. to give them full credit for their OPT
- ions. have no sympathy with tt