The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-11-19
Hvpocritieal Cant.


The liquor-seller and his misera-
bic minion, the petty politician, affect
great respect for the Temperance
cause, and express great fears that
fanatics are about to give it death
stab. One Of these creatures said to
us the other day, eff you get the
Maine Law, people will drink just as
much liquoras they do now" Well,
we responded, If you think so, why
oppose its passage ! If liquors will
be bought and sold and drank just
as they now are, why give the SUBJ
iect a thought? Why are you so
careful that persons are elected to the
Legislature who are the open and
avoved enemies Of the law i? What
do you think was his answer?
81 am a friend to temperance, and
wish that every drunkard in the State
was reformed; ; but men must be cen
vinced that it is W ong to drink you
cannot force them to besober." We in
quired of him if he had ever signed the
pledge, if he had ever made a speech
to convince his neighbors that it was
wrong to drink, if he had plead with
the incorporate to abandon their cups?
lie answered, No, it is a free coun-
try, and every man has a right to
think and act as he pleases; if man
wants liquor, he will have it anyhow
temperance society or no temperance
society, law or no law" Then o
course neither moral or legal suasior
are Of any account. This is the kind
of cobwcb logic used by the opposers
of legal enactment. This miserable
scamp knew he lied when he said he
was a friend of temperance. We
knew he lied when he said he wished
every drinking man in the State would
reform. Like all others who are en-
gagged in the trade of death, he op-
poses the Maine Law because he fears
that it will seriously cripple his busi-
ness. He knew and we knew that i
the supply of liquor was diminished
the demand for it would be lessened
as the former creates the latter. Tht
relations of demand and supply whicl
exist for the neceSsarieS Of life are re
versed in the case of intoxicatin
drinks. Inneighborhoods where there
are no grog-shops, there's no deman
for liquor.
Where an inveterate appetite is a
ready formed, the poor victim wi
have his grog at almost any sacrifice
but under the operations of a Main
law, such cases would rapidly dimin
ish, and another generation of drunk
ards would not take their places. ThC
liquor sellers know these things per
fectly well, and hence their opposition
to any measure that limits the means
of forming and fostering intemperatt
habits. If, as some of them assert,
law Of prohibition would increase
the demand for liquor, they woulc
unite with us in securing its passage
without delay. We shall be slow tc
listen to the counsels of our enemies
in this matter.
We regard all that class of men
who profess great love for temper
ance, and who yet oppose any active
measures for the suppression of the
traffic, as miserable hypocrites. Two
reverend gentlemen are acquiring
great notoriety in Massachusetts, by
their open hostility to the anti-liquor
law Of that State. 1t is painful to see
clergymen of responsibility and stand
ing in society, throwing away thei
reputation. Even liquor sci ers vii
loOthe them in their heart of heart
for their hypocrisy.