Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-07-01
NATIONAL PROHIBITION

National prOhlDlClOn is coming. now
soon it becomes a realization is a
matter of how ardent and persistent
are the people who desire it. There
is little doubt about the desire. The
great bulk of the people of the United
States are opposed to the consumption
of alcoholic drinks as a beverage,
almost everyone admits the harm of
it, and still many are afraid to grapple
with the entrenched forces of the
traffic.
Ask all persons of 16 years or over in
this nation this question, "Do you
believe the use of alcoholic liquor as a
beverage is a benefit to humanity?'
and what would the answers be? The
Monitor ventures the statement that
not more than one person in 100 will
honestly answer. "I do" to the
specific question asked above. To be
sure there would be more than the
above proportion who would answer
yes to the question. "Do you believe
the system of licensing saloons to
dispense liquors the best way to handle
the liquor traffic?''
Many people appear to think that
the liquor traffic is fundamental and
necessary thing. 1t is not. The desire
and appetite for alcoholic beverages is
entirely artificial. The Creator did
not make man with an appetite for
this thing as He did the desire for
other things that make our social prob
lem difficult of solution.
If then, the use of alcoholic drinks
as a beverage is not a primary necessity
and the people believe it to be harmful,
and the saloon has been established
only as a means Of regulating the busi-
ness, let US wipe the legalizing Of the
whole thing off the face of our nation.
Alcoholic drinks are admitted by
total abstainers, moderate drinkers
and heavy drinkers alike, to be harmful
when consumed as a beverage. Why
then legalize the manufacture and sale
of it as beverage?
The principle of legalizing thing
that is admitted by the people to be
harmful to themselves is not right
and just principle, is not intended tt
be sanctioned by the constitution anc
should not be allowed by the people.
This very question of national prohi
bition is at this very moment before
Congress in the Hobson bill for nation
al prohibition. Where will Vermont
stand on this vital question? Where
will our representatives and senators
stand? Every Vermonter must be
vitality interested and should watch the
stand they take with jealous care.
The Monitor appeals to every person
coming within the path of these
words, who has an ounce of conviction
and grain Of gumption, to write his
or her congressman, Plumley OF
Greene and Senators Dillingham; anC
Page, all now in Washington, or better
to wire your earnest desire for his sup
port of this national prohibition bill
The vote comes in few days, not
later than July 9th or 7th, and I'M
mEOAA1 Z dCCIOu LuuSt Nc tdheu.
The people can have what they wan
if they go after it. The people wan
national prohibition. Will they g
after it?
Finally. Can any one of Vermont
congressional delegation vote agains
this bill and still represent his constit
uents? We think not Both congress
sional districts as whole votet
against the licensing of saloons at thu
last opportunity given, and no bette
or more recent test of their constitu
ents' stand on this question can b.
found.