St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-07-09
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.


briefly and Temperance, the Registe
counts as much if not the most on tn
support of those men (who are not salts
fed with the present law. to sustain
Just and practical law, which, with ;
united public opinion back of it, can b,
observed, and which will reduce the sal,
of liquors, and with the sale, the Ions
array OF crime and suffering that AWAY.
follows their unrestricted sale, to mini
mum, instead of raising them, as high
license certainly will do, to a maximum
And this, to reduce the sale OF liquors
to minimum, is all that we believe it is
an object to attempt, because all that
can practically be accomplished, and
probably is all that we have right to
attempt, for the use of liquors is not
necessarily an evil. 1t is the abuse oil
| liquor that makes the trouble, and there
fore it is this excessive use which should
be amenable to laws, which all, except
possibly a few who want to make money
by its sale, will agree is proper subject
for regulation, and should be controlled
by legislation.
And this is the nature of the operation
of the law known as the Sweden and
Norway temperance law, VIII ch the Reg
lister has several times suggested as in its
opinion the best possible law tor re.
straining or regulating the sale of liquor.
1t has been tried in several of our
southern and western states and found
to work admirably. The writer of this
article had opportunity to watch its op.
GRAFTON IN winter spent in Columbia,
South Carolina, several years since. At
the state dispensaries, a man, if sober,
could get what liquors he wanted, and
carry away, precisely as he would tea or
other articles of consumption, but he
could not drink them where bought and
the greatest of all evils connected with
the sale of liquors, that of treating and
by which many, especially boys or young
men, are brought into habits of intern
perance, is practically done away with.
The chief justice of the supreme court
OF South Carolina, gentleman of the
most exemplary character and abilities,
and who boarded at the hotel where we
stopped, told us that he and the Lawyers
generally had opposed the enactment OF
the law, but that since experiencing its
operation they had entirely changed their
mind and become its hearty supporters,
as it had proved in every way a most ex.
cellent law.
The Register will endeavor at once to
bring before its readers, and so far as
able the people OF the state, more accu-
rately the features and workings of this
law. The Outlook magazine had quite
full exposition of it several years ago,
m NM nd a
told us that he had examined somewhat
into the matter, and thought it to be an
excellent law. Ex-Governor Stewart has
quite recently spoken favorably OF it both
to the writer and other citizens of Middle.
bury and vicinity. And we have been in
hopes that be would draft such law,
adapted to Vermont conditions, for none
could do it better.
The whole question of temperance legis-
lation is now relegated to the people of
Vermont in their different towns, with
the final decision to be reached in the
legislature Middlebury Register.
Mr. Clements Mistake.
If Mr.. Clement lives till next September
he will realize that in the course he has
determined upon he made the mistake of
a lifetime. He will have cut loose from
the party to which he has belonged, and
from which alone could he expect any
political advancement. The democrats
while glad to see the Republican party
divided and willing to clap him on the
back and to shout for him as long as he
is firing on the standard he has always
followed. will not trust him or have any
use for him after he fails, as fail he will,
in his present desperate endeavor. He
will find that it is one thing to carry
caucuses by adding to this high license
republicans as many democrats as are
needed for the purpose, and quite another
thing to try to carry a state election in
Vermont without regular republican
nomination. The republican masses in
our state are not going to desert their
party standard. They believe in its
principles. In their ranks are men of all
shades of opinion upon the question of
the best method of restricting the liquor
trathc; but the mass of supporters of the
present law have refused to Join or to
countenance any political temperance
party, and the honest and honorable be-
levers in local option and high license
will not join political liquor party.
All are republicans first of all; and Mr..
Clement and his democratic allies and
advisers will discover, in due time, that
the republican state of Vermont-the
star that never sets will not cut
loose from it's mooriHgs as easily as they
supposed. There is no spontaneous or
unmanipulated call for Mr.. Clement. No
cause except that Of the democracy can
be helped by his candidacy. His bolt is
destined to failure Burlington Free
Press.
senator Dillingham; Strength.
One OF the duties incumbent upon the
legislature to be elected in September will
be the choice of a United States senator
for the seat now held by the Hon. Will
liam P. Dillingham;. The manner in
which Senator Dillingham; has discharged
the duties of his responsible position and
the respect and influence he has won at
Washington during the comparatively
short time he has been a member of the
upper branch of congress, have combined
to prove that Vermont made no mistake
when he was chosen as successor to the
Iamented Senator Morrill,. Senator Di!
lingham S modesty and good sense saved
him at the outset tom some of the mis-.
takes made by new senator's in violating
time honored traditions of that body,
while his work in the committee room as
well as on the floor of the senate in the
discussion of various measures stamped
him as a useful and creditable legislator
and won for him the respect and the es,