Litchfield enquirer., 1852-11-25

working in the reform, all his people should work with him, with high hopes of success. But how, then, shall we labor to advance the cause 2 We an swer, by laborirg 10 have the Mains Ldw become the law of the whole land. That law, so beautifully and so appro. priately called "the Star of the East" must arise to mid heavens and gild our whole horizon. You know, doubtless, how unanimously and how enthusiasti- cdlly that law was adopted by the great Saratoga Convention about year since. This was almost tEe first ray of the star which fell upon the State of New York. About the same time other rays began to fall on the great gathering at Wor- cester, and all Massachusetts was soon illuminated. And then Rhode Island looked out and beheld it's light. And now eaeh of these States have the Maine Law. And upon the great and growing West light has already broken in. 4Rim> aesota, too, has the Maine Law. In our own State we have it not yet; but under God we are destined to have it, and we must laboi for it with zeal and deter imitation which no obstacles can long re- sist. Our Synods and Presbyteries are speaking for it, and will continue to speak. And so have the ecclesiastical bodies of other orders. It is just what is needed. It is plain and right to the point. It contrabands the traffic, and confscates the liquor. It does it for the same reasons that you destroy the i'm plements of the counterfeiter.
 It does it for the same reasons that any other public nuisance is removed. And why should it not? If all men are not allowed to engage in whatever bus mess they may prefer, without regard to results. why should poison vendors be permitted to go on in a traffic, the fruits of which are poverty, crime, wretched- ness and death? Where are any food gates of vice and crime which can con- sistently be shut down, while men are allowed to sell these liquors as bever- age? What other business is obviously so unjust? These men are making themselves rich at the expense of others. Your merchants must not sell their goods at too high d profit. Twenty five or thirty per cent. is as much as public opinion will allow them to make. But ] how is it with your rumsellers? :? They pay some eight or nine dollars per bar
 .el for whiskey, and sell it for more than | fttg dollayst Sell it at profit of sea Hundred per cent. And who does not know that wha. they sell for the best spirits, is often only vile compound, costing hardly as much as the cheapest whiskey? And who does not know, al so, that into their whiskey they a,e in the habit of putting at least one gallon of water to four of whiskey ; so that in retailing barrel of whiskey. they make d net profit of not less than sixty dollars. Now, let your merchants deal upon this principle, and how long do you think you would endure it? Let them at tempt to make six or seven hundred per cent. on their flour, molasses. sugar. tea and other goods, and what a stir it would make at once. But why would it be any more unjust for them to retail goods at six hundred per cent. profit, than it is for rumsellers to. retail rum at such profit ?
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 And now who will say that we shal not have the law of Maine in the State of New York ? The drunkards them' selves will not; their wives and children will not; nor can any good man. The corrupt politician may object. because he may want to buy votes by the means Of 1t. The makers and vendors may. But their a1o is only like the crying of tEe hyena, lest ;s prey should be taken away. We ask, therefore. if you are !o forego all tie benefits which would come bfrom such law i; in inebriates reformed and restored again to their families; ir social joy, and order, and peace brought into ten thousand homes in removing f,om the young so' great source oi mptation as the intoxicating eup; ii taking away the cause of so much poverty and crime, and extra taxes and prema ture death and in removing one of tho most powerful foes 10 all morality. virtue and religion ;-we ask if you are willing Ito forego aH these, and ten thousand oth Fer benefits, just for the sake of accom- modating those whose work it is to kil I-kill virtue kill honesty kill indus try /; kill all social happiness kill al fear of God; kill the body. and soul too. for eternity. We hold it to be . sacred duty to treat men as men. so long as they arc nsen-liks. and in their business to help then, So long as they will follow callings not prejudicial to the public good. But if men will make vultures o1 themselves, and be satisfied with nothing but the graSdiest preying upon the very vitals of the community. it is time thai they knew in what abhorence they arc held,. and that they be brought to fec .lhe only kind of power by which they can be kept from doing it. We call up