The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-05-04

part, on the License question, we cheerfuly
give place for thcm and will now only ap-
pend note or two to his remarks
LEGAL INFLUENCE IN AID OF TEMPER
ANCE, AND DIR. HEWETT'S PLAN.
Friend HoIcomb-In your paper Of the
30th ult, you offer your columns to the dis
cussion of tie best and surest means to be
used in doing away the use of Intoxicating
drinks as beverage"
While I agree with you that, $50 long as
alcohol is Generally considered necessary
for medicinal and mechanical purposes, so
long at least will persuasion be more powerful
against its use, as beverage, than law en-
acted by bare majority of the frocmen Of
the State !" yet this does not prevent the fact
from existing, "that the State is actually sold
to rum nor that, as you intimate, legal sua.
sion has very little efficiency in this case.
Had 1 the leisure I should like to discuss
this question with you, believing that there
arc strong reasons why your plan would not
work the best
At present would show that laws exert a
moral influence, and without the aid of Legal
enactments it is impossible to abolish any
evil practice or custom that largo minority
are attached to--where money can be made
by sustaining the custom.
First. Evidence that law enacted by even
a small majority, pronouncing practice bad.
must have some moral influence, aside from
the fact, that the majority approve Of it, for
multitudes feel it to be their duty to obey the
laws of the land. This would seem to be
selfcyident, and is proved by the fact that
very many intelligent Wings have enlisted to
fight against the Mexicans, who considered
the war wrong and unjust on our part. (D
But, secondly, of the necessity Of legal
suason. So far as we can judge from expo
ricncc, or observation, it is q FUNDAMENTAL
LAW Of our nature (and we cannot alter
tural laws,) that there are portion Of the
human species in ovory community (for
gumcnt sake | will say one sixth part,) who
,rW do any Thing that THEY think they can
make MONEY dy no matter how obnoxious to
the rest of the community. Their conSc;ences
appear to be located in their pockets. From
this class the world will always be fully sup
piled with rum vendors just so long as gor
eminent neglec's to prorjde such legal screms
as viU make the would.bo spirit vendors
think Mcy cannot make noacyjyAe tragic. (2)
Now, in connection with this natural law,
it is known to all that there are enough rum
drinkers, even in what we call temperance
towns to furnish custom for rum-sellers.-
Hence the impossbility of pcrfecting the
temperance cause without the aid Of law -
and with the best law there are (apparently
at least) so many people that live only for the |
qualification of their animal appetitcs, that it
will be difficult to suppress the traffic for
beverage, and impossible until temperance
men wake up to the fact, that effort and |
moral suasion must be continued after the law !
is enacted.
Now, Mr.. Holcomb, should your (Doct
Hewitt's) plan be tried, of making the traffic
free to all, and tho vcnder liable in damages
for the mischief it can be proved that he does,
would you, or any other temperance man,
turn out to persuade the rum.seler to cease
selling spirits, believing they would be of that
class above represented? Should you think
of doing it, venture to predict not one tenn
perancc man in fifty would suspect that he
could have any success, knowing they could
10 nothing to operate fayorably on their
pockets. But, should you persuade one rum
seller to stop selling, the vacancy would soon
DC filed from the one-sixth part above refer (
ed to.
With the rum ,drinker the chance Of sue
less would be much better, although the idea t
would inevitably crowd the mind with the |
that most of the rum-drinkers in l.
his day of light, must be Of that portion Of the :,
community who live only for the qualification
# their animal appetites, or "don't care for Il
thers,"* and, of course, the hope of sue v
ess would be too faint to stimulate to much :
cton in this direction. n
The plan you propose, of making the ven n
er liable for the mischief he does, is in every ~
ense proper but the idea that such law S,
you will but reflect back upon the converse o
ons You have had with rum-drinkers, You will be ~
stonished at the numbers who have remarked, ~ G,
ont If they such fools to make beasts II
eI1-cs tla .o,er tl,o He off tIs bettrr RI