Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-04-08
HERALD OF THE TINES NEWPORT THURSDAY MORNING APRIL Is

our reform, ana, which will be kept
there, 50 long as avarice aud appetite
can triumph over the principles OF eicr-
n,l 'istice.
The license question Is the evil alln-
ded to, and II is one OF vast import
ance to the cause We advocate. Much
Us has been said and wriihn, still il is
very inperlect!y underslo d, Charity
/ compels MS To the conclusion, that, #
property understood. not a lew oi
those who now sustain, would oppose
it, as vigorously as ourselves. We
are lrcqrently reminded Of the fact, by
those who m other respects are friend
" To us, that the sale of intoxicating
liquors have always heen regulated 10y
law, and still must be. That it is dan
gerous to go Ia the extremes Of any re-
form, III advance ofpnbhc opinion, and -,
that II is always dangerous to remove
ancient landmarks, aud particularly
those transmitted 10 us by our ances-
tors. We readily grant, that license
To sell lnlo,icarng liquors, is an an
cient Ian lnark with Rhode Island,
and that 1t has come down to us from
the settlement, OF the State but, we
enquire does that ma e it right .
Were our ancestors inialliblc ? They
also believed in Witchcrah, and pun
ished such as were suspect d of it,
aud, why no, return to that folly for
the sane reason! We also contend
earnestly for the continuation of all
good and whole some laws. but, we de-
ny that one which has produced so
much misery, poverty aud crime, aud,
invariably Disappointed the hopes aud
wishes of lis friends, in every age,
and under every circumstance, should
continue to disgrace our statute books
after it has been so clearly shown, To
he opposed no, only to the good of
men, but also, to the law Of God. -
"Thon shalt love Thy nciehbor IS thy
selr' says the Almighty, and, will you
IN defiance Of that command, grant a
license, Tor Il certain nuniber of dol
lars for one Sc, OF your fellow citizens
t. Cypress ano h porlionl Do you,
say that licenses dlminsl:es the use OF
these drin 5! teny it. On the
contrary IT increases the traffic, as
shown wherever tie inve. tigaion has
been made. There is ne feature APP
parcnlly IN is favor, and that is, If you
pnt the license AT a price very high,
So as 10 exclude most OF the dealers,
you diminish the Euinber of places
where II Is legally sold. but, who does
not see, even IN this, an act OF injus-
tice inasmuch as the customers of the
poor ru,G-seller is turned over TO the
oue OF better worldly circumstances,
who, ia many instances is not the best
of the two. We'll says an obiector
even this apparent advantage is no,
gained, for, If you refuse one man the
boon granted TO another, he will sell
in dei,ance Of Law. Then does this
make it any better! Is it right to make
one man pay for license, aud not anoth-
er The truth is the whole trade is
wrong. No one should he permitted to
sell alcohol. IN any form, eXcrIt ar
medicine Is sold, and, TO make tins more
certain. llccnses shoul,l DC withheld
from all. even Apoihecarics, unless sold
by advice oi n respectable physician.
know we are told that men Will have It,
and it is very arliilIy aided, if you will
not let uood men sell il, bad men will
enjoy the trade. This is true, and this
is lie object Of all good temperance
men. We mean To drive every good
man irom the trade, and let it be car
ried on. i! indeed it must be, by such as
are alike destitute of character and in
llucncr. In such hands, the present
race Of drunkards may continue
% get their supply, and, we new and
then may hear OF youth tnticcd to
such places and destroyed &; but, what
has the community TO fear from the dis
slpalion of dir'y cellar grocery. in
comparison with the elegant and fash
ionablc saloon, where SO many of our
youth resort, and which daily leads
, them in the si!ken chains OF the deceiy-
err down 10 he druDkards grave
But this is not our ofiy, or our prin-
cipal argument against the license sys-
tenn. No. Our chief opposition is this,
you hare no authority from Tie uord Of
COD 10 grant one man tie TTir'iege Of
Wjuring another; and, as II is certain,
that no man can supply another with
spirituous liquors. to he used as a bev-
eragr, without injury 10 the man. 10 his
family and TO Tie community, it is con-
sequcntly directly contrary 10 the re-
veaed commands of Jehovah. and all
such laws should be abolished, whether
eracted by Legislatures or otherwise. |
am aware that the statute Of our State
de, larcs the sale OF ih,oxIcaiing liquors
public good, and on this assumption
lays lie foundation oi ule license eys-
TEN; but. lee Eie enquire, If this is truth2
Is the public good Iromoicd hy intern
perance by poverty crime2 Insanity?
ldiosy? Disc ,se Pauprrism ldleness?
and Il host Of other evils Z if ii is, then
i. the statue lguc; but # not. then il is
false, An whoever framed il or voted
ior il framed or voted a lalsehood, lor
the public good requires that the -nle
ol all such drinks should be prohibit
edl
If the public good requires this, Why
is il not dealt nitlI, as with provision
clothing, or any other kinds oi business?
WAY ~ II singled out for taxation and
restoration, when none others are thus
iuteriured with Answer this question
Ie; as see whether public good, private
gain or political captai was the para
mount object OF IhIs law. But says d
very cunning opponent Of ours, he r,ry
best t,ie"ds of tempe,dHce voiet tor Mm
idr, and some say Ctdmsd ii. Well, |
an not able to dcEy Ills, and all can
say in excuse Tor such, is, that cons,itu.