Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-05-13

,
no During the last twelve months
four hundred thousand doiidrs' worth Of
! real estate has been sold IN this town TO
gentlemen who pass their summers
here; some have commenced building
upon portions Of the land and others in
tend TO do SO soon. This same land
could have been purchased, q short time
ago. for Seventy five thousand dollars,
or thereabouts; but since Newport has
become so exceedingly fashionable as
summer re,olt, and 20 many ofour reg
ular visitors have decided 10 build ele
CANT residences hare, real es,ate has
greatly increased in value, and eligible
tuildng lots are in great demand.
As We stated yesterday h very large
proyortion oil our summer visitors are
accustomed to drink their wines and
otLer liquors regularly; they will no,
submit 10 any kind o; imposition, neither
will they allow themselves 10 be made
the victims Of wild ianaiacism. As far
I
as the citizens proper Of Newpor, are
concerned, the Mnin~ Law would not
be any more troublesome 20 them, or op
crate any more disadvantngsously up
on them, than upon ciizens Of any o,f.
, er portions OF the State. Blu, our oppo
si,ion 10 the Maine Law is on account oi
those who visit here during the summer,
and who will not continue 10 come, II
this Law should operate TO their dIaoon.-
future. A very large proportion Of the
people Of Newport, those even who do
not use liquors Of any kind Themselves,
!, do not desire 10 have the Maine Law
enforced here. OF what use, therefore,
10 law which is not eflectivc,--any law
/ had better not be in existence than TO be
/ a dead letter. We trus, that the Ger
eral Assembly, at the June session, will
either exempt this Town from the oPer-
alton OF the Law. or else allow the cleo
tors to exempt themselves from It's opei-
alton, at a legal own-meeting. If
majority of the people OF other towns d'-
/ sire 10 have the Law enforced in their
particular localities, why, let them be
I gra,ifed, ,-bu, surely no reasonable men
can desire TO njurc Newport materi-
ally by insisting upon enforcing the Law
i here, when ihree-quarters Of our ci'l-
zens. and probably more, do not desire
I to be under the control OF the Law. We
know that fanaticism is always mad and
devoid Of all RI ason and justice, = but
we are scarcely prepared 10 believe that
any portion OF the peoIlc Of this State,
and particularly many Of our own ci,i
zens, are willing to destroy what little
vitality and energy is lett in Newport
by enforcing The Maine Law here.
\ The Maine Law is II sp, cIes oi legis-
la,ion upon An entirely moral question (;
the selling Of liquor is no crime, in fact,
although deliberative body may so de.
clare it. Nothing is ever gained in be-
halt of airy moral cause by legslatinG
\ thereon and We are firmly Of the opn-
ion tina, the passage Of the Maine Law
will do more 10 injure the Temperance
cause than any other step which has ev'
/ er been taken. So stringen, law vii,
cause a violent reaction, in short time,
\ and the result will be that the ldbors OF
sincere Temperance men, for the last
twenty years, will be entirely ios,, and
more liquor than ever will be used.
Il We desire to put this matter ialrIy to
the General Assembly; and We urge it,
not on our own account hut in behalf Of
the citizens o. Newport, whose interests
il is our duty and our pleasure to guard
and protect, to the utmost Of our power.
We speak for them, and they speak
through US, to the Lawmakers, and
through them 10 the whole people OF the
State. II isa question Of the mos, mo-
mentous importance to this Town, and
one which affects us more than any 9th.
er possibly can. We only ask ,ha, jus
,ice may be done, and certainly no hon
est mau and no honest Legislator esn re
|. fuss 10 'his