New-York daily tribune., 1845-03-29
Ahout tLs Rum RusIness.


Publishing Once IS closed on Sundays.
once No. 30 Ann street until the 1st Of May.
About the Rum Business.
The Plebeian and Morning Ners have both been
lasbed into the rumsellers traces and were brouent
ou, yesterday in opposition to the New Excise Law.
The Plebeian is very logical, and contends that we
must first induce Congress TO prohibit the tmporta-
ton of LIQUORS, next the State Legislature to pro-
hibit their manufacture, and we mIghtthus stop,he
Rum traffic, bu, not in the way proposed by the
New Excise. The News is greatly concerned Gor
the first time) for the Temperance Cause, now
threatened by the Incorporate Temperance OF It's
advocates, and urges the repeal OF all License
Laws, 40 as 10 let every man sell who may choose.
The prohibition Of grog shops (says the News) will
have no practical effect. And the Empire Club
echoes these sentiments insisting on the Inallenabe
liberty OF i,s members 10 eat and drink whatever
they please. We shall answer these new friends Of
Temperance In reverse order:
In the first place, the Empires have often been
made aware that in this sloriously free Republic a
man cannot do just whatever ne pleases withan
punity. There are laws agains, gambling, against
bro,hels, and great many other cnactments which
they doubtless find exceedingly nconvenent re-
strictions on their natural rights but which the
community will persist in, nevertheless. They
are likely to be roped in still farther by the enact
meui Of penalties for Seduction and Adultery. il
one Of them had done something which gave the
gallows mortgage on his neck-we ask theirpar-
don for the illusratiou-and should prefer to slip of
in genteel, private way-his natural right to swal-
low pill of arsenic is restricted by law and who
ever should provide him with 1t, would be liable 10
punishment. Whether he chose TO eat or drink
deadly poison matters not-the law sternly lorbids
So the boys may see that their natural liberty 10
eat and drink is already abridged by fana,ical
bigo,ry and intolerance.
The NtWs is greatly mistaken in its assertion that
the legal prohibition of the Rum traffic is calcula
ted to injure rather than promote Temperance. II
the Editor will travel through the Eastern States,
he will find townships and even Counties in which
no liquor is eod, and here he wlverv rarely-most
rarsly-fad any traces Of lntemperance, though ii
still! aboupds in the adjacent towns and Counties
where the Rum traffic continues TO be tolerated.
The testimony of Experience is so uniform and po.
sitive in favor OF the good effects of forbdding the
traffic that we cannot discard it for the counsels OF
our new ally.
AS TO iorbidding the importation and manu'ac-
ture of Alcoholic Liquors, we have no objection 10
the Plebeian's trying that. We shall not oppose
any effort it may make in favor Of Temperance,
though we shall be very unlikely TO counsel the
abandonment OF genieine Temperance measures,
VIXEN nearly perfected, in favor Of those which the
Plebeian may devise 10 suppan, them.
The dealers in toddy, we see, held meeting
at Stoneall's on Monday last, and forwarded
memorial TO the Legislature against the passage
Of the New Excise Law. They plant themselves
on the ground of Vested Rights A great deal oi
liquor, they urge, has been brought here for sale,
houses have been leased for grog.shops, &c. all
which will be rendered valueless by the passage OF
the proposed law. Here the gentlemen assume,
first, that il the law passes City trR By mayor
ity rote aop The reiaitng Of Liquors, (hear hear9
Bu, their assumption is clearly absurd, II our City
should vote No License, '~ihs would banlsh the
Rum traffic from speck only of our Country, and
from not speck of any other. There would be
millions left to burn their throats and poison their
bodies with alcohol, and 10 pay torit. The houses
liberated from og-seling would be rapidly requir
ed for better uses.--There is not an arsumen, adj
duced by the run,-sellers which nigh, not be used
with equal force in behalf Of the keepers Of assig
nation-houses against the passage OF the bill 10 re-
press ,Libertinism. A thorough suppression Of L.
centioasness would deprive more persons of their
accustomed means Of gaining subsistence than
the ou.lawry Of srog-shops, The African Slave
Trade was for years upheld by Just such arguments
rs those aduced by the ruiasellers.
Their memorial insinuates that the License Law
has been urged forward "eiher by the influence OF
fanaticism or the trickery OF politics" Is asks
And can It be supposed that Your memorlalis,s
quety submit ee ruined CRAFTY the hid feelings
religious fanatics, who contribute but little the support
OF society, and whoIr your ,cunalsis willing should
be ndnlcd In their vasaes 50 long they ntct no prac
teal wrong ON Others
We doaa know about the excessive contributions
OF these gentlemen of the Toddy-slick 10 the sup
port OF Society" We know that the licenses briug
something into the City Treasury, but then il has
10 be a,lpaid out again, aud great deal more, 10
support the paupervic,ms of their dreadful business
and punish the criminals made by it, We dou5,
whether there Is grogshop in the City whose rro-
pretor pays hall the taxes he causes Others 10 pay
As TO religious fanatics, we doubt whether one
hall the pledged Teeto,alers Of our City are pro-
fessors of Religion a; all But if theywere should
tha, subject thcm 10 Insult or deprive them OF a
voice ia public affairs We suspect their 'vasa.
res witi sounu unpleasantiy IN 'nmselers' ears 50
long as there are such ears,o ,ingse,
The trickev OF politics. (echoed by the Pie.
beisnl is the cry OF the very men who 6rs, intro
duced peli,ics into the discussion. The New Ex-
else Law is very carefully drawn expressly 10 sepa,
rate the License question from politics, and It does
this completely Its enemies are now nSins their
asserted Politically power as potent engine for the
defeat Of the Reform.
Gems from the Native Organ.
" his es&e Of Mayor Harper he goes beyond tae Pest
.Thls same Greeley prevented Morris Franklin soa,
saviS the Held last year. to which discreet friends advised
him BY tlcgng ne whg party TO his support and ateer-
wards not voting Tor him himself
We have several times corrected the airocious
falsehood contained in the sentence last quoted
The Editor OF the Tribune never in his life voted
for any body il he did not vote for Morris Frank
lin for Mayor at our last Charter Election. Sew
eral persons saw him so vote, with the entire Wig
-. -, ,,l,a