The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-03-01
RESPECTABILITY
OF DRINKING AND
OPEN SALOON
Causes of Increasing lntemper-
anCe in Bennington
SERMON BY REV. G. S. MILLS
Plea for No License Vote for the Good
the Example Will
Do.
SERMON BY REV. C. S. MILLS

The following is a part of the ser
mon delivered by Rev George S. Mills
at the Second Congregational church
Sunday morning and is printed at the
request of the advocates of no license
in Bennington.
| am going to ask you today to
awake to particular opportunity.
II relates 10 the moral Improvement
Of this town. For six years we have
acquiesced in conditions that we did
not theoretically approve, but which
seemed 10 some of us from the prac-
tical view point the lesser Of two bad
sets of conditions The growing evil
should by this time have opened our
eyes to the necessity of change
There is a steadily rising tide of in
temperance in Bennington. There are
more men who are drinking there
are some men whose descent into the
pit is accelerating with a painful sur
prise, there are boys who have fallen
into the habit because it is open and
popular; there is an increasing fire.
quency of esoapades that need to be
hushed up. And ! say what you know
that II Is on account OF the open sal
Don and the responsibility of drinking
in clubs Last Sunday completed my
fifth year in this pastorate, and think
my observations as a minister and a
citizen should by this time carry some
judicial weight and authority | have
listened tho al * Laf
sides on this license question, and
have studied the situation carefully.
From the first | was willing to admit
all that was said of the corruption and
degradation under the old regime of
unenforced prohibition under a state
law, for | knew all about 1t down in
Maine, And human nature doesn't
differ one whit in Maine and Vermont.
nor do the wiles Of the politician and
the tricks Of municipal and county
officers. And | have conceded the
gains to public peace and security.
which come from dry Sundays and
holidays. And ! am not proposing TO
make any charges as TO the sale of
liquor 10 minors and 10 posted men.
although | may be morally certain as
to secret violations OF this supposedly
unyiolated license law, and i'm any
case minors and posted men some
how get all the liquor they want.
But this / do know-the new sor-
rows of wives and mothers, the steady
deterioration of moderate drinkers,
the increasing number of working men
who are seen reeling on our street.
the boasting and the boisterousness,
and-God pity their parents and God
save theml-the drunkenness of lads
| In their teens, the tragedies that have
already COME and the tragedies that
are impending in some of our best
homes These things, | know, and /
can put my finger on the cause. It
is this. You men, some of you. aud
those YOU represent In your reaction
against law which was a mockery.
that was contrary to the voting sen
| timent by a large majority in this
community, felt relief la the change of
law that expressed actual public opn-
ion in Bennington and made place, as
you conceived it, for frankness and
honesty
The open saloon you said, is better
than the low dive; it is far preferable
to have eight such than forty sneak
holes | will not stop to argue that
But what have you done? You have
made the social glass respectable, the
proper and approved thing; you have
| exalted conviviality under the inhu
ence of liquor as a gentleman's estate
Six years ago was the beginning OF
high carnival Now you said I'VE
have our freedom, away with all con
cealment and hypocrisy, we are men
OF will power, we shall not drink toe
much, man ought to learn when to
stop and I'm your fine self-confidence
you looked with scorn upon the poor
fellow who went TO excess. Let me
assume that you continue your self
control; still what have you done?
You have given the downward push
to men not as strong as you, who have
consuming fire in their veins ant
a fierce temptation In their environ
ment. What have you done? Do yor
like 1t that boys of high school age
and even younger ape this form o.
your independence and manliness
Would you care to have your boy OF
your neighbours boy carry his owl
flask or offer the bottle to his com
panions. Let me tell you, he is doinl
It, What can you say to him? Wha
can you say that he will respect? How
can you counsel that weak brother un
less you set him the example, not o
temperance, for he knows no sucl
thing nor can but Of abstinenceg
You see what you have done-yol
have unloosed a spirit of evil in thi
community which is waxing more an,
more powerful. This spirit of evi
was not bound before, and am no
defending that old method of repres
sion which was so largely futile Blu
at least then It was not considered SC
cial good form TO have that spiri
around, It was run to cover, and yo
were ashamed of It. and you deplore
It, Ii is the boosted responsibility o
, drinking that has played the mlschie
with us Nobody wants to go bac
to conditions here as they were prio
TO 1908.
But how can any good citizen an
Christian man be unconcerned owe
: conditions here as they are In 1909
8 Are you men satisfied with Benninl
{ ton under license? Is 1t nothing {
, you men who think you have you
selves In hand that other men throug