The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-08-20
att Works Like a Charm. =

VINO dccOSteu US Win smile OF ue-
rision upon his face, Well, Cary,
what do you think now of your mo
License clause q does it work like a
charm r" "Why, what's the mat
ter said We, feeling somewhat dis
concerted at his manifest disposition
to charge us with being the author Of
great wrong, Why" said be,
there are more grog.shops, more.
drinking, more crime Of every kind
in this city, than under the old license
system. And besides, we the tax
payers, have to foot all the bills. These
liquor sellers used to pay from taOsnty
to thirty thousand dollars into the
treasury, which helped to foot the ex-
penses of their cursed business. Now
we do not get cent? His lips fairly
quivered, and he appeared able to bite
ten.penny nail, in view of the pre-
sent state of things, and our supposed
agency about The oalami.
ties under which himself and others
particularly himself) were laboring.
" Yes" we responded, 1t works
like charm So long as liquor sci.
lers replemished the city treasury you
bore the infiction without a murmur.
You could see society decimated, and
all its best interests Frustrated without
uttering a word of complaint. Now,
you are beginning to feel the burden
you begin to realize that liquor sell
lers have a mortgage on your houses
and lots, and that you have to pay a
large and constantly increasing in
terest on this mortgage, without any
discount or reduction. There is now
some hope that you will unite with us
and demand a removal of the incum-
brance entirely" "You," said he,
shave got US into this difficulty" We
thanked him for what we felt was an
mdeserved compliment, although we
had contributed our full share to Sc
cure the No License Clause "We
can not stand this state of things long,"
said he, something must be done or
we are ruined" "Good, now you
are talking right" we responded. "If
the license system had been continued
you never would have come to that
conclusion. But, friend s., how is it
| you complain-we have only taken
away the power to license-the laws
against selling remain, why not en-
force them? For two reasons-frst,
because the law makes no discrimina-
ton between respectable hotels and
filthy coffee houses; and second, our
officers will not enforce the laws
alright 'itworks like charm" said
we, "for their is intrinsically no differ
ence in grogshops, they are alike cages
Of uncIean birds; they are alike fest
ering sores, and you never did, under
the old system, and never can, under
any system prevent the existence of the
meaner class while you permit the bet
ter to remain. As for the officers who
neglect or refuse to perform their duty,
they are but your creatures, and you
can remove them for maIfeasance or
misfcasgnce in office" WeH." |
said he, ''if the officers were ever so
faithful, it would be of little account,
for if you take up liquor sellers and
fine them, they can afford to pay the
twenty dollars and go right home and
sell again as much as ever" "Irue,
hue,' we replied, "hence the inefici.
cncy Of the law, hence the absolute
necessity of law that shall seize the
liquor with which the mischiefis done,
try, condemn and destroy it. There
is nothing but a Maine law that can
reach our case" "Well," said he,
'fgo ahead, want to see where you
will come out" ''No, friend S., it is
for you taxpayers to go ahead and
,C0rk yourselves ont, we will help you.
We have got you into a place where
you must submit to the yoke of the
or work yourselves out.
And there is not, there never was, anu
never will, be but one way Of escape,
and that is by the determination of
the traffic" We parted--he, Proba-
oly, to curse our fanaticism, and we
10 think of "the good time coming"
and to mentally repeat his emphatic
words, at works like a charm"