Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-03-24
THE LYNDON UNION SPEAKS OF Tenn
PERANCE SENTIMENT IN VERMONT.

are heartily sick and tired of the OBJ
noxious element in the law which
permits anyone to be a self-appointed
prosecuting agent with the powers of
a CRsar.-LyndOnUi Journal.
The new proprietor of the Lyndon
Vile Journal has been in town two
weeks, and comes to the hasty conclu-
sion that Lyndon is in favor Of high
license. Is "wish father of the
thought?" He never labored under
greater mistake. 1t is true that the
high license men here and elsewhere
in the state make the most noise.
They live in the villages, are active
members of the store courts, and be-
lieve in loud agitation. But let the
Journal man wait patiently till the
gravel train comes in from the sur
rounding farms and he is liable to be
surprised with sentiment, quiet, but
firm set against any innovation of the
present law which points toward the
open saloon, as high license certainly
does point. It is bosh to presume
that free access to rum, which the
open saloon furnishes, will lessen
drinking or drunkenness. 1t is bosh
to intimate that there is,more liquor
| consumed or more drunkenness now
than there was years ago before the
prohibition law was enacted. Those
who have lived in both periods know
! better.
They fail now to see on public days,
five per cent. of the entire population
staggering through the streets, half
conscious under the influence of rum,
or sprawled out upon the roadside
and in the fence corners, dead drunk.
They fail to see the fights and the
rowdyism which grew out of rum
drinking and made public gathering
days of bedlam. Instead they note
| order, temperance, and civility on
such occasions. Something has pro-
duced the great change for the better,
and while temperance agitations and
education are entitled to part of the
credit, the prohibition law, which
makes access to rum more difficult,
and holds threat of punishment over
the heads of the violators, is entitled
to more credit.
There is to- day great Improvement
i'll temperance and morality over the
old standard, not only in public gath
erings, but in daily life, throughout
the state. That the law has been
tardily executed, and in thousands of
cases not executed at all, furnishes
no excuse for abolishing it, giving up
the fight against intemperance, and
returning to the unbridled license
and consequent corruption of the old
days. Evidently the time has come
when the law is being more vigor-
ously and more impartially enforced
than ever before. Judges are taking
their turn, recommending the enforce
ment of the law and applying the
penalty as cases come before them
The claim that the law makes hypo
critics, liars, and perjurers of witness
of the law. 1t counts only against
officers, justices, and judges, who par
TALLY yielding to the clamor of the
rum element, have failed to do THEN
duty, have shown improper indul
gence to violators and allowed the
guilty to escape. Once let it be under
stood that a cell is waiting in Windsor
for perjurers in liquor trials, and there
will be less evasion, less lying, and al
easier access to truth in liquor trials
No law is effective without public
sentiment behind it. Vermont public
sentiment has always been behind the
prohibition law, but has made the
mistake of being too quiet and passive
1t is now rolling up sleeves and get
ting ready to shout for the law. Thi
encourages officers and courts, anC
creates panic in the opposition, bu
will make the law effective. MARI
the prediction, and bear in mind tina
no innocent man will be hurt by it
execution.
High license lets down the bars o
restraint, invites everybody to take ;
drink, and gives the sanction of pub
lie approval to demoralizing prac
tice. The Journal says: "People ar
sick and tired of the obnoxious ell
one to be a selfappointed prosecu
ting agent" Will they be less sicl
and tired with a condition of societ,
sure to follow the unrestrained indul
gence of rum drinking? If it is
choice between two evils, why no
take the less? Don't pave the way t.
the headquarters of iniquity with pub
lie approval, unless you would max
that Esick and tiredD feeling NOR