The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-04-18
RADICAL TEMPERANCE
REPORT ADOPTED
Strong Ground Taken by the Conference
Oh Question Of Temperance Repeal
Recommended Tissue En-
dorsed.

The annual Temperance report was
read by Rev. w RI Davenport and was
ais follows:
The Vermont conference will take no
backward steps in the cause Of temper
ance. AS always in the past, we still
believe that the open saloon is vicious
in principle and disastrous in practice.
Ii is blot ON the nation, disgrace to-
the state. q disaster to the community,
curse TO the individual 1t has not
one redeeming feature, and no reforms
contemplated by its sponsors can save it
from condemnation at the bar Of public
opinion. Like Babylon Of old, its cup
Of iniqufty is full and its destruction
has long since been decreed Of Heaven
and should now be ratified by men
Gods thunderbolts are hotp and ii is
for us to hurl them at the serried ranks
Of the enemy until the present retreat
becomes d rout and the legalized liquor
traffic is driven of the American con-
tinent.
Therefore, we reiterate our purpose to-
do our very utmost to secure the enforce
ment of every law now on the statute
book, pledging to the regular town, city
and county officials, our utmost co-ope-
ration iii the work of preventing an lille
cal selling and securing the arrest Of all
drunken persons perambnlating the
streets. We also call upon our entire
constituency to exhaust every resource
to carry every Vermont municipality
against license at the March elections so
long as the present law remains on the
statute books, In most places this can
be done If the temperance people rally
their ranks and cast their ballots A
clear-cut plan, consistent campaign,
and complete rounding up at the polls
will usually carry the day. Neverthe-
less, there are some sections of the state
where the purchasabIe vote is so large
and the grip OF the forces Of evil 50
strong that an educational campaign Of
years will have to be carried on before
the majority sentiment can be perma-
nently aligned against the saloon.
Therefore, we insist that the imme-
date and supreme temperance duty Of
the hour is to secure the repeal OF the
present local option liquor law, and the
substitution therefor of a sane. sensible,
up-to-date statewide prohibition law.
We take this ground not only because
the promises Of the promoters Of the
present law have failed to materialize,
but also because any law that permits
the beverage sale of liquors is condemned
by the Book which pronounces a woe
upon the man who putteth the bottle to-
his neighbor's bps and maketh him
drunken. From these two viewpoints we
reach the decided conclusion that the
whole license system should be hewn
down and cast into the fire.
I'VE also endorse the Vermont Anti
Saloon League and its able and eloquent
superintendent, G. j. Ferguson, Esq, and
pledge * our support and cooperation.
We further plead for a more general ef-
fort to secure signatures 20 total absti
nence pledges and for cooperation with
al efforts to educate public sentiment as
20 the evils Of the drink habit We
also endorse the recommendation of Bish-
% MslIalieu to modify, to some extent.
the existing custom Of celebrating our
national anniversary and hope that some
81 the enthusiasm generated on each July
4th may Be turned toward general civic
bettermenl
II was unanimously adopted
On motion Of Rev. Il. (. Howard, the