New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-05-17


year in our City, where it is sorely needed Ia
Their Mathew, the most eminent living Apostle OF
Total Abstinence, is to visit US next month, AND
we trust he will win thousands from the vice oi
tipping, especially among his countrymen born,
among whom Temperance has made relatively
fewer converts in New-York than almost any
where else We hope to be able to tell very
different story next December.
Again, we have thorough Temperance man
for Mayor; and this among his many excellent
personal qualities, won him great many votes
Let US have Total Abstinence man for once,
was the plea which prevailed with hundreds and
induced them to support him. But, as things
go, we fear his Temperance principles, sound as
they are, will avail but little. On inquiry, we
learn that one Hundred and Tuenty-seren rum
licenses have already been issued in two days, for
the First Ward alone, (by the Alderman and AS
sistant, the Mayor standing aloof; and there is
another day to come, which will probably carry
up the Licenses for that Ward alone to One Hun
dred and Fifty. Allowing as many to each
Ward, the whole number for the city will be Ttco
Thousand Fire Hundred and Fifty; while il
each Ward were to have an equal proportion to
It's population, the total would exceed FiUe Thou
sand. We presume that, if the rule adopted by
the Aldermen of the First is carried out, and
license granted in every case where there IS no
special objection, the number Of places where
men are licensed to poison and pollute the bodies
while crushing and brutalizng the souls Of our
population by the sale Of Intoxicating Liquors,
will not fall below Three Thousand.
How much, then will our Temperance Mayor,
conceding him the best intentions, be able to do
for Temperance? We fear, not much. We
hear, indeed, that the vilest drunkeres are to be
shut up, and that the opening of rum.holes for
tipping on the Sabbath is to be stopped But
how? You may compel them to close the doors;
but can you prevent their victims slipping in by
some SLY way to spend the day in riot, rlbaldry,
and blasphemy, and waste upon debasing and
ruinous appetite the scanty earnings which are
sorely needed to give bread to their children p
We fear not. Above all, Will the Authorities
have the nerve to begin at the right end, and shut
up the genteel and fashionable shilling .a-drink
more advanced semnares where blue ruin is
poured out at three cents horn? We fear not
We apprehend some of the Aldermen would
themselves object to rule SO inconvenlenty
rigid as this. Then how are you to keep the
threats Of the three-c suckers parched and fe
verish all Sunday if you let the shilling soakers
have the creature at will 1t won't work.
a The truth is our new rulers will do Just about
much for Temperance as their predecessors did
that is, nothing at all. They may make dlssi-
patton behave itself more decorously, but to cure
the city of the vital evil Of Intemperance by the
License system is beyond their power. A fierce,
devouring, debasng appetite is not thus to be baf
fed. The bill giving the People of each City or
Township the right to determine whether they
will permit Licenses TO be granted failed in our
late Legislature, and we are sorry for it-not be-
cause its passage would have done any good in
the way contemplated, but because it would have
tended to keep the subject of Intemperance and
its evils freshly in the public mind, and lead to
the diffusion of much light on the subject. But
for that, we would greatly prefer the entire aboli-
ton Of the License system, which is now SO glar-
ing mockery and folly. 1t is absurd to say that
a man shall not be allowed to follow business
which poisons his ghbors health, dsspates their
property, and robs their children Of bread, because
he is not Of good characters if man of the
night sort could think of following such bust.
ness. Ifsuch business is to be prosecuted at all,
it should be by men of corresponding character.
We doubt the justice of denying to any man who
will pay the required pittance, and is not posi-
tive rowdy, License under our present system,
except on the ground that he is too good man
to follow such business.
But, while we have lost faith in the practical
bility of doing any good by the License System,
we believe there is way to discourage and re-
press Intemperance by Municipal regulation
Our plan is briefly thus:
l. Abolish the License System altogether, and
impose restrictions any mans selling L.
quor who chooses. If any one keeps dsorderly
or riotous house, 50 as to constitute nuisance,
punish him for that but not for selling liquors.
9. Make careful and thorough inquiry how
much OF the Pauperism Of the past year was eau,
sed by Rum, and compute the cost of such Pau
perism to the public. 3. Assess this cost fairly
and equally upon every concern which sells Ii.
quor, whether by the glass, quart, or hogshead-
no matter in what quantity or at what price.
On the first day Of each year call on every rum
seller for his equal share Of the pecuniary damage
done by his trade, and if he fails to pay, pro.
secute him for double the amount, closing his
business till he pays When any man sets up
the business, Just have the proper officer call on
him the next day with u bill for his share OF the
cost of supporting the paupers made by intem-
perancc, and give him receipt for one year to
come, but no hcense.-Just let this plan be adopt
ed. and carried fairly and fully into effect and
we ere confident the amount to be paid and the
number to pay it would diminish every year
Here is no violation of the Washingtonian prin-
ciple-no attempt to drive men into temperance,
Int 81 simnle assessment of DAMAGES on those nv