The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1852-03-13
ABOLITION OF ALCOHOL.

We have thought this of the passage of
the "Maine Liquor Law" in Minnesota
at the present time: When the subject
was first preached, although deeply SEN
'ible of the necessity of doing something
to check the desolating career Of the de-
mon Intemperance, in his blighting march
over our fair virgin land, we were far
from believing a law SO stringent as the
one in question could be enforced; and
rather than add another 10 the already
frightful list Of unexecuted penal enact
ments upon our statute books, we thought
it better not to enact it. Presently some
t~v huudIed ,nv.e ,c.prvtaLlr, detr,
mined, stalwart citizens of St. Paul, and
Is many Of like character Of St. Anthony,
came forward and solemnly averred. that
if the act passed, they would see it exc
cuted. Well, then, as all, even its most
bitter opponents, acknowledged it would
DO a "good thing" for the Terri
tory if it were executed, and twice the
number necessary for the purpose said
they could and you'd execute it, we con-
cluded, if majority Of the people wish
ed such law, under the circumstances it
would be proper for the legislature to
give it to them. We are not vet con-
WINGED that those who demanded and have
secured its passage, are not mistaken in
their ability to enforce it. But we are
willing they should have chance of ma
king the trial, provided majority of the
people of the Territory think ii advisable.
1t would be worse than useless to under
take it, unarmed by public opinion. We
would not have voted for the bill withou,
the Day proviso. Those wanting the law
are too prominent and respectable por-
ton Of the community, to be contemptu.
ously driven from the halls of legisla
ton; and the weight of their united
opinions and belief, that they can execute
1t, entities them TO have a chance OF
trying the experiment.
We presume, if the dwelling OF any
citizen were overrun completely with yer.
min-rats, for instance-so that the abid.
ing Of himself and family therein was :
matter Of hourly annoyance and pestifer.
Gus loathing-if the animals aboundcd il
such multitudes that they swarmcd upor
his beds and tables, gnawed the flesh o.
his children while they slept, and came
up into the kneading-troughs," as did the
frogs Of Egypt-and he had tried in vair
every imaginable experiment to extermi.
nate them, he would be willing, should
two or three of his neighbors volunteer
the task, to let them undertake the diff.
cult job by any means they chose, the
more summary the better. We regard
the voluntary offer Of a very respectable
portion of our fellow citizens to extermi
nate alcohol, in the same light precisely
The curse of drunkenness is blasting the
character of our new and lovely land
oeggar'ng families, and scoring up the
list Of broken-hearted widows and help.
less orphans. Thousands of dollars are
annually lost to the Territory Ly the traf.
nc in liquors. One retailing firm alone
in the remote end of Benton county, paid
out, at wholesale, for liquors the pas,
year, eighteen hundred dollars! The
quality used was, Of course, mostly Of
the eheapsst-perhaps all purchased at ar
average Of thirty-three cents per gallon
Here we have five thousand four hundred
gallons retailed at single point, in an
obscure corner of the Territory place
surrounded by Indians, who were the