Litchfield enquirer., 1847-05-27
Fr0ns the Courant.

Fr0ns the Courant.
 HOW CAN THE LEGISLATURE PRO. MOTE THE CAUSE OF TEMPER ANCE?
 This important question propose to examine in us brief manner as l posi- ply can. :,
 1t is desirab ble, 1t is true, that we should have perfect system of laws in regard to tho traffic in intoxicating drinks, and that they should be properly executed, But lhis cannot be attained at present. There must vet be much moulding of public sentiment and much legislation too before SO desirable a result can be fully accomplished. Every one who has ex- amined this subject candidly, in all its bearings, must come to the conclusion, that such sytem oflaws, as must finally be settled dowA upon as the proper sys, .e,n, acknowledged 10 be so by all good men, could not, in tho present state of public opinion, be enforced with any suc- cess, and could not remain on the statute book over a twelve month. Our laws on this subject must, from the very nature of the case, be defective for many years to come and the approach 10 perfection must be gradual. Step by step must u be done. and any step that is not support: cd by an enlightened and established public sentiment, must be more than re. traced. A steady and we'll secured ad- vance. though it be slow, will not only ac* complish more at each step of'ts progress bu. it will reach sooner the final grand results of perfect and fred laU, than any legislation can do. Bold ad' vances may dazzie with occasional splen- did results, but disastrous reverses are aP' to follow. This has been painfully real ized in the experience Of the friends o! the temperance cause, both 'n tnIs anc other stutes. |
 The facts in illustration of this point. l should like to dwell upon, but have rot time to do so, and it is not necessary. would merely rems rk, that in Massachu- sets, where law has been brough: to bear so successfully upon the promotion oi more so than any other state,) there has been almost, IT not en- tirely no Legislation on ,hi< subject for many years. Temperance men have used law. acknowledged on all hands to be defective, just SO far as they could use it :; and waited, and are sill waiting if am rightly informed. for the propsr time to come to obtain the enactment of n better law. There is much wisdom in this course. Better secure partial good than run great risk of losing even that by grasping at moro.
 The frequent changes in our laws on this subject in ,his state have been any thing but beneficial. Whenever real ly good movement of a strong and bold character bas beon made by one Legis' lature, although it has been hailed by all the friends of temperance as a glorious victory, and as opening 10 them wide field for success, the results have uni- formly been bad in the end. After such a victory d general apathy has ensued among the friends of temperance, while it's enemies have been aroused 10 new and 1ealous action. The inevitable cons sequence has been, that the good strong law for the most part remained unexccu- ted, and was therefore practically power less, and at the next legislature, by a change of parties. brought about in part, perhaps wholly. by tho enactment of this law. it has been repealed.
 need no, spend time to show that all this is really injurious to the cause of lem- pcra nee, and materially rctards its preg> ress. And t dues SO not merely by the reverAes illus experienced. nor the dele. ,ersous infiucuce of the political agitation thus produced, but also by the waste thus made of tho energies of good men in truitlcss action. Tho friends of tem. perance have been in my view, too anx-
 ious for the attainment of good laws, and not enough for the enforcement of them Theie efforts have lhus in soma measure
 misdirecied, and therefore rroiitless.
 The defects of our present law are glar-
 ing, it is true: Wholesale dealers, pois>
 oners general. as John Wesley, ap,ly
 termed them, arc left untouched, and
 taV srners are licenced. But noiwith>
 saanding these defects, there arc some
 points in the law co good. that il may be
 nlade iO do valuable service tor the cause Of temperance. The act Of selling lO - drank On the premises by any olh-