The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-02-11
Report of the Temperance Central Com
mittee.-The Maine Law.

Report of the Temperance Central Com
mittee. Maine Law.
The Report oI the Central Committee
of the State Temperance Society is very
long, aud we eau at present only max e
room Tor an extract, on subject just
now specially interchangeable noted law
of Maine. 1t is understood that the re,
port is from the pen Of Hon. WM. &.
kiTrREDGE, of Fairhavcn, gentleman
who, last yeur, il we recollect rightly,
was opposed to further legislation on The
subject than our present law. The
committee say;
The Maine Lac has certainly awak :
ened a new aud most significant interest
among The ir ends Of reform throughout
the land. Its operation al home has,
thus far at least, FULLY justified the hopes
aud designs of It's authors, aud its pros>
pective adoption by the Legislatures of
several other states. is already hailed as
the harbinger Of better aud brighter
days for our country aud the world
The policy oi incorporating It's dis
,inguishng provisions with our present
prohbiiorJ statutes has received the se>
rlous consideration of your Committee.
Al penal laws, which are designed to
prevent or suppress serious evils in d
community, aud which contain sanc>
lons, that reach and affect directly the
persons or property of individuals, should
not only be expressed in language adapt.
ed To the comprehension of ordinary
minds, aud define explicitly and inielli>
gibly, both the offence and the punish>
ment, but they should. also, AS general
rule, he clearl, demanded by the ext
gencies of the times aud the voice of
public sentiment. The design of such
laws is, or always should lie, To prevent
or correct the alleged evils. and to reform
rather Than punish the ,ransgressors
and the penalties, therefore, which they
prescribe, should be certain and suscep.
tible of a speedy execution, rather than
exorbItant or vindictive. In examining
the law in question, your Committee
have carefully regarded the principles
above laid down. They have also de-
liberately compared aud conlras,ed this
law with the former aud the present
statutes of this state relating to the same
subject: they have anxiously considered
the present crisis Of The temperance re.
form, not only in Vermont, but through
Out the laud they have endeayored to
satisfy their own minds Of the true state
of public sentiment, within this COM
monweallh, as To the policy of keeping
up an arduous aud pro,racted struggle
with foul and a5ominable system Of
piracy against life, health. aud happi.
ness, or striking blow which shall crush
the enemy, al once, aud etfectually
they have reviewed the long catalogue
oi wre,chedness, crime, aud woe, " hlch
ever have been, aud forever will be, the
bitter aud inevitable fruits of rum.sell,
ing and rum drinking, aud finally, they
have cautiousl looked INTO the bill of
lnallenable rights, aud the correspond
ing code of positive obligations, which
very properly apper,aln 10 all individuals
constituting the body polite. and, as the
result of their own deliberarlon, reason.
ing, aud discussion, upon the whole mat.
ter, your Committee are fully prepared
10 declare, and do declare it, as their
deliberate judgment that the law, which
the legislature of The State of Maine
have had the wisdom aud the courage to
promulgaie. during the past year, for
the suppression OF rumselllng and in>
temperance within their own jursdic.
lion, should, with The least practicable
delay, aud with such notifications as
shall adapt II 10 the peculiarlies of our
own situation. be and become a law of
this state.
Your Commillce do not propose 10
detail or discuss the reasons Tor their
opinion. or 10 crilicise The objections
which IN some quarters are confidently
urged against leading feature of this
law. All this, in the view of your Com.
mltiee, can he done with greater propri.
ETY. aud effect in the form of free dis,
cussion, by public conventions like the
present, in town and district meetings, in
the pulpit, by the way.sIde and at The
fire-slde. Let copies of this law be
faithfully scattered throughout The State;
let the friends of this relnrm become
thoroughly inoculaied with a genuine
Puritan spirit, and address themselves 10
the work of designating aud holding up
before the public mind, upon all suitable
occasions, IN season anG out of season,
the design, the tendency, the virtues,
aud the hopeful results, Of this law, and
your committee confidently insist that
IN due time, il will secure the approval of
every humane and intelligen, mind with
IN our State.