Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-06-03
Communication.

/ sent to the HERALD. If you have
room for the following comments shall
DO grateful.
| am glad Citizen refers to me as his
'prohibition friend" 1t is not unlikely
that if we we're to be seen by each other
we should recognize personal friends OF
many years, and as such could sit and
talk this matter over with perfect good
feeling and candor. / have never been
and am not ashamed of my prohibition
ism. Possibly am not as radical as
some. | have never yet known the
principle of prohibition to injure the
morals Of the man or woman who prac-
tised it. | have not known it to lessen
intellectual force or diminish his Chris
tian worth. never yet knew prohibit
ton to demoralize the parental influence
or degrade the child life. never knew
it to antagonize religious institutions or
depreciate the value of education. |
never knew the principle of prohibition
to commit crime against person or
property. | am not ashamed to be
known as a practical prohibitionist. I
am thankful my home has it for one of
its foundation pillars. have known
hundreds of instances where the oppo.
site of prohibition as local or state
issue was directly, antagonistic in its
influence to the fundamental work of
our schools and directly opposed to all
Christian effort; where it robbed the
home of its peace, where it degraded
and brutalized man and debauched
woman. Any observant man will admit
the truth of such statements, for all
have seen it.
Citizen does not say whether or not he
is a prohibitionist, or saloonist, or
merely local optionist. presume the
only claim which would be made is the
latter. Citizen would probably agree
with me in this discussion that those
conditions which result in the greatest
amount of good to the greatest number
are for the best, and therefore right
and the opposite conditions working
more injury than good are wrong. Now
contend that the use of intoxicating
liquor as a beverage is detrimental tc
the highest interests of the people, there
fore wrong, and all efforts to curtail the
use and manufacture and restrain the
appetite for it are right. Prohibition
should certainly accomplish that end
whether it will or not .hay be deter
mined only in the future and in com
parison with other methods of control
Prohibition in this state would have
accomplished more than it did but fol
the influence of those who, admitting
the awful evils of intemperance, wish tt
throw the blame on to those weak mel
who possess not the moral and menta
courage to control and subdue appetite
Under the highest principles of respon
sibility, intemperance is largely charge
able to strong minded men who, fo
private ends or personal satisfaction
permit temptation to attack and over
come those of weak minds, or veal
moral nature.
l need not argue with Citizen as t,
the influence of the saloon. 1t advertise
itself and leaves its brand for future
identification. have the right to i'm
ply from his words that he uphold
sobriety and practices good morals. l
so, or if not so, he knows full well VIII,
profits by the saloon and who suffer
from it. Owners, frequenters and up
holders OF saloons are eternally anti
prohibition. AS Citizen does not stat
his belief he is not included in this list
| admit this is free country, admittin,
the right of individual opinion. AS tn
father of two boys, who I trust ma,
become, if they live, honorable citizen
Of this or some other state, and believin,
thoroughly in "sobriety and good NOR
ais" | cannot think that any law whicl
will permit the existence of the opel
saloon in any town or city of the stat
is an influence for intellectual develop
ment or moral growth. This is some
thing we should as good citizens thinl
of at this time of increasing crime. A
the head of a family could not be
state local optionist on the liquor ques
ton, and consistently favor prohibition
III my own town. Citizen may be abb,
to do so. 1t is the way we look at tn,
thing. ] know many men who voted
for the law of 1902, and some who hav,
voted for local license, whom | conside
upright, moral and honorable citizens
simply cannot see it that way lie
me say here that | am not ministe