News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-08-27
TEMPERANCE MEETING.
Interesting Paper Read by Mrs. Bell Rob-
erts Before the Ladies' of Ludlow.


and held very enthusiastic meeting
in favor of temperance and in oppo-
sition to the open saloon. The fea-
ture of the meeting was paper read
by Mrs. Belle Roberts before the
ladies of the Home Temperance
League. At the request of the ex-
ecutive committee we take pleasure
in publishing the article
The executive committee has asked
me to tell you what l know of local
option. | have lived in New Rich
mond, Wis, twenty two years, and
that state has local option law. |
know more of the evils of the law
than l wish | did, but am not sure
that | can tell you about it in an in
teresting way.
/ know of but one good point the
law possesses it keeps the temper
ance people always in good fighting
trim. If that is virtue, the law has
it. The battle for license or no Ii
cense has to be fought over each
year and what rouslng mass tenn
perance meetings we have had, with
such speakers as Frances Willard, ].
Ellen Foster, and others
The bad points of the law are innu-
merable, l cannot tellyou what part of
the time in the past twenty two years
we have had no license; but | re-
member that for seven years previous
to 1893 we carried no license | say
we: we could not all of us vote, but
we could work and pray,) and more
orderly, moral town could not be
found, | believe. 1t proSpered too,
of course; and we were so proud of
our town that l think outsiders were
inclined to laugh at our self-satisfac
ton, and a little envious of the
beauty and thrift of our burg"
But people are never satisied-are
always wanting change. (That is the
cry in Vermont.) They think possibly
there is "a blind pig somewhere, Chat
is what the places are called in the
West where liquor is sold Illegally;
and instead of stirring themselves,
and using their energy to kill the pig,
they sit down to groan over the fail
ure of the law to prohibit, and pro-
coed to kill the law. So in 1898 the
liquor element prevailed with us
again we were cursed with saloons,
q thing only fve), and the sought for
change came into our midst: drunk
enness everywhere farmers loaded
into their wagons at II O'Clock at
night. (the supposed closing time of
saloons) too drunk to load them
selves little children, who came into
town from the country with their
father, crying on the streets because
he was drunk in the saloon, and
there was no way for them to get
home.
One man had told me, the year be-
fore, how much better it would be to
have licensed saloons, than to have
so much sold illegally; that he felt it
would be much better for his boys.
(His wife did not agree with him.
Fortunately, his boys were too young
to be tempted that year; but not SO
the boys of a good many other fam
lilies, and not so this thoughtful, care.
full (?) father. During all the years
he had been a resident of the town,
he had held a position of trust, being
the secretary and manager of lum-
Der company with a good salary.
Before the license year of 1898
closed, he lost his position because
of the appetite, dormant when open
temptation was not in his way,
but aroused when liquor was con
stantly before him. Last year when
1 was there he was yard hand get
ting possibly $3.50 per day. | could
tell you of many other similar in
stances.
In May 1899, no license was again
carried but the 1898 license did not
expire until July I, 1899.
On June IL previous to the expira-
ton, the dreadful calamity came
upon us-the cyclone, of which you
may have heard Every business
place in town was destroyed, saloons
with the rest. But before morning
the saloon keepers were selling the
liquors left in their cellars-from
those same cellars-in the midst Of
the one hundred and twenty-five dead
and dying; selling to the crowd of
thieves who came in from the cities
within three hours after the storm
struck US. There was from the storm
great loss to the city as we'll as to the
individuals, and the wise ones be-
thought them that saloons must be
again in 1899 that, with this blood
money, the city pocketbook might be
replenished, for bridge building, etc.
A special meeting was called. The
majority of the voters said Eyes" at
the polls, and since that time New
Richmond, Wis, has been cursed
with from eight to eleven saloons. A
city of less than 1900 inhabitants }!
Without doubt too much liquor is
sold at your agency. Let us see if
New Richmond sells less. Each
saloon supports two families and in