Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-12-05
The Question of the Hour.

ct WIN maui IL very idNoIdpIo iibpicesioh
at the public hearing before the legisla-
tive temperance committee, in Montpe-
lier, shoIt time ago, was announced to
speak in this village, but for some reason
not made public her engagement was
cancelled.
She has been working In Vermont
since September under the auspices of
the state organization of w. G. II. u,
and made an address In neighboring
town recently, which is spoken Of by
the local newspaper in this wise:
Mrs. Howe is fluent talker, with a
vocabulary that would seem to embrace
the major part of the unabridged diction-
airy, and in her rapid utterance never
hesitates for lack of the right phraseol-
ogy to express her meaning. She speaks
at the rate of 200 or more words min
ute, and although this is not phenome-
nal feat for one of her sex, the fact that
her effort is not a mere verbal spasm,
but cleancut, telling address is per-
haps little out of the ordinary.
-"Is it nothing to you, all we who pass
by and proceeded to show that the
conditions which moved the prophet in
those early days to that exclamation are
our own country. Vice and crime, she
asserted, are on the increase in these
United States of ours, vice being in eX-
cess of the population, which denotes
something radically wrong In the coun-
try. This is so, not because it is Gods
will, but because the executors of Gods
will are not doing their duty. No band
of angels will he sent from Heaven to en-
force righteous laws or to purify the
streets of our cities: for we ourselves,
men and women, are the instruments
created to carry out Gods will and re-
fleet His love and light.
In Vermont today righteous law that
has been in operation for 80 years is on
trial for its life, and its bitterest enemies
cannot bring a single, solitary charge
against it of having debauched, degraded
or despciled any grown person, or
worked to the injury of any little child.
What evil hath it done: None. When
Christ stood before PLATE, who could
find no cause of accusation against Him,
the rabble cried, "Crucify Him. Cruelty
Him, give US Barabbas," Barabbas, the
murderer. So now the rabble cries
against this Just law, Cruelty it, cruelty
it, give US the murderous high license
let its blood be on our heads and on the
heads of our children" Little does the
rabble in Vermont dream what it de-
mands.
"What man sows that shall he also
reap" Whence came this rabble in
Vermont? Whence came this license
sentiment among the young men, and
young women, too, born and bred under
prohibition? Who sowed this seed in
all classes from the lowest to the high
est? Because of negligence, because
fathers, and mothers even, were busted
with every little trifling thing under the
sun but instilling temperance principles
in the hearts of their children, the field
lay waste until the enemy came and
sowed the tares of intemperance and
license sentiment.
TO repeal the prohibitory law because
of its violations is the height of absurd
ity. There never was a law passed that
wasn't violated. The law against steal
ing is violated every hour in the day,
yet nobody wants it repealed. More is
required of the prohibtory law than of
any other statute, which is neither just
nor right. That with license there will
be no unlawful drinking is not strong
argument either. There is no particular
advantage in losing ones soul in a legal
lied saloon. The loss is just as great as
though it happened In back alley or an
underground dive.
If there is to be referendum of this
question, which certainly is a public one
and affects all equally, every taX-paying
man and every tax-paying woman in the
state should have chance to say
whether or not they want to assume the
increased burden of idiots, criminals and
paupers that license entails. Every bum
and thug u years old, whether he has
dollar or not, will have the right to
register his choice in this matter simply
| because of his sex. Men have no mon
opoly of the common sense 10 this
world, nor any divine right to refuse
taX.paying women the privilege of say
ing whether or not they wish to support
a measure that will tend to the ruinatlon
of their children and homes.
The liquor dealers association seLt
! 100000 into Vermont to carry the at
for the liquor traffic, to buy men. o.
what look like men. What did they do
with this money? | don't know. said
the speaker, only know that hoi,e Of
it came into the hands of the wolAcl.
Is all this nothing to you, all we who
pass by? Can any God-fearing person
refuse to give time and money to drive
away the curse which is towering over