Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-06-26
II Men Have Natural Thirst Why
Should Women Not Have the
Same?
To the Editor of the Free Press:

10 the EultOr Oh lne T1ee FUSS
Your correspondent Cecil in the
Free Press of June wound up his let
ter with, LET us call a spade spade
it is black enough" If he meant that
the business of the open sale of intoXi-
eating drinks, and filling up old drunk
ards and manufacturing new ones is a
''black spade" | fully agree with him.
but | am not inclined to give it slight
coat of black criticism, and then give it
several coats of white-wash, as | con-
strue his letter.
| wish he had signed his own name
instead of using a nom de plume that
would have been good evidence that he
was willing TO face the music and "call a
spade spade" | cannot agree that "a
well and healthy person, who is part
of the public, has "God-given right
to purchase liquor, as they do anything
else" and make regular use of it as a
beverage. even if they are a long time
cultivatng an appetite beyond self-con-
troll. 1t is a useless and dangerous
habit, and no man has moral right to
put himself as stumbling block of
temptation in the way of others. Let
him that standeth take heed lest he fall y
He speaks of the natural desire on the
part of men for stimulants. Does he
claim that men were created with needs,
desires, passions and moral ideas differ
ent from women: There is no sex in
morals nor in the obligations that rest
upon all the human family. There
never has been, is not now, and never
can be any sensible reason given why the
mode of human conduct that leads to
the truest and most successful life,
should not apply to men and women
alike. The tobacco and drink habit that
causes more harm than wars, floods and
pestilence, is confined mostly to the
male SEX especially in the United States.
The French mirrors and dazzling lights
of various colors, and sparkling decanters
and glasses do not seem to be ever IN
viting the thirsty souls of the women; so
it must be that nature only provided the
men with thirsty whiskey souls. If the
women of Vermont could have voted,
the iails and House of Correction would
not nov be full of drunkards
Cecil" says, "prohibition was not
right-and was a failure The princi-
pie of prohibition is correct, but too
many of the officers and courts held
back from doing their sworn duty.
Perhaps they had 50 much of "Cecifs"
natural desire for stimulants, that it
was a great incentive to screen a rum
who Cecil thinks had "a God-given
right to purchase liquors as anything
else"
Every law on the statute books is a
prohibitory law. The Bible is full of pro-
hibitory commands. Thou shalt not. -
1t makes no distinctions on account of
human desires. While Cecil may
think that the liquor traffic is not NOR
ally wrong. | presume he would not
advise discarding the Bible, nor repeal
ing the ten commandments, nor turning
the churches into license bureaus. Let
the world continue to trust and hope
that ever the right comes uppermost
and ever is justice done
NEWMAN WEEKS.
Rutland, Vt.
This is very excellent letter from the
standpoint from which it is written.
The difficulty with the extreme prohi-
bitionists who are governed by high
principles in dealing with the liquor
question, and unquestionably the great
majority of prohibtionists are so gov
erned, but not by any means all of THEN
salaried leaders, is that they are inclin-
ed to ignore the practical aspects of the
question. Quite possibly their principles
may be the soundest; there is certainly a
large array of facts to support them
But in handling this matter today
in Vermont it is absolutely essential
that we should consider the practical
aspect of the question. Not the best
possible thing, but the best possible
that can be done, is always the right
thing to attempt.
Let us then unite upon some sensible
basis for the best possible regulation of the
liquor traffic. We think there will be-
no serious difficulty in doing this. Their,
are very few people who do not at hear
desire the public good. And there are
very few Vermonters who are not willing
to work for it. And in this category W.
make no distinction between those VIII,
use liquor, and those who do not. No
have we any doubt but that the grea
majority of prohibitionists will unite will
their neighbors for the best practical Law
for the regulation Of the liquor traffic
But there is no sensible man who doe
not know that any law to be successful
must eliminate private gain in the sale o
liquor. And on the other hand ever,
sensible man can perceive that any Law
which does this is practically temper
ance law.