American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-13
AMERICAN N1T.ELEGRAPH
Communicated I
ors Of HE AMERICAN Telenrnph.

| 70 he Editors Of The Anaericdn Telegraph
GENTLEMEN: As the defeat in the Council of
the proposed law, known as the e Liquor Law" !"
has given rise to some comments, it may not be
out of place to offer few remarks in explana-
ton thereof There are some gentlemen in this
city so rabid in their advocacy of temperance,
that they imagine that every proposition which
they may offer, having for its object 'the pro-
motion Of the cause" ought TO be supported and
adopted; and if others should, in the discharges
| Of their duty, regard this same proposition al
monstrous and absurd, these saints of the tab
ernacle raise their hands in holy horror and
proclaim, that opposition to their whims is a
declaration Of war against temperance and the
temperance cause. To such fanatics we have
nothing to say. Let them hug their delusion
To the more moderate and sensible portion Of
the community, it will be apparent why this
law did not receive the support of a majority Of
the members of the Council. In the first place,
there is a law now in existence, sufficiently eff
fective if it were only carried out. Where, then,
is the necessity of additional laws on the same
subject
Again the bill offered contained provisions
and penalties repugnant almost to the common
feelings of humanity. So hot and hasty was
the spirit which gave it birth, that even the
charter, under which it was framed, was over
stepped, and a new kind Of punishment was in
vented and engrafted on this bill, to be dealt
out to the poor wretch whom the harpies of the
law should discover selling q glass of liquor.
The charter says, the person offending " shall
be committed to the work house at labor" and
this would-be law provided that he should be
imprisoned at 'hard' laborin the work house" :"
Again: the yilest drunkard or prostitute who
is brought before q magistrate may be sent to
the work-house for week, month, or the full
term, in the discretion of the justice before
whom she is brought But by the humane pro-
visions of this bill an unfortunate female, whom
poverty and the desire to provide for the sup
port of her children may have compelled to
resort to this traffic, if she is caught in the
| act of selling, must be committed to the work
house lin the event of not being able to pay the
fine of Twenty-Five dolars) 'ttor the tuU term Of
| ninety days" No matter what may have been
the paliating circumstances, or how mitigated
the offence, yet if this bill had become the law,
the magistrate would be bound to send his VIC
tim to the work house for the full term of nine
ty days, there to expiate his or her offence at
g hard' labor. And all this, too, while the
"large Wholesale grocer" could recline with
graceful dignity behind his counter, and look
with compiacency upon the exit of barrels Of
rum, whiskey, and brandy, from his store,
without shrinking from the eye Of the police, OF
without the slightest dread of 'hard labor in
the work house" Is this justice? Is it fair
ness? Is it temperance?
There is also a provision in the first section
requiring the party applying for a license to
ts,eear'' to certain things, which strikes us as
being not only impoitic but dangerous. But
we do not wish to consume more of your time
or space. Our simple object was to show that
good and substantial reasons for their opposi-
ton. without any desire or intention ato oppose
the progress of temperance" Should it be-
come necessary, this may be made even yet
more clear and apparent in another communi-
cation. ALPHA
WASHINGTON, August IL, 1851.