The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-13
New Sumutl,ary LAWS.

|
| New Sumptuary Laws.
Several Of the northeastern cities and States
are just now scenes of rather Incorporate
agitation in favor of temperance sort of holy
war, waged by champions of total abstinence
against the manufacture, traffic, and use of alcO-
hol. The temperance question, per Sc, is essen
TALLY a social question, and one with which few
can be disposed to quarrel. With many draw
backs in the style Of its advocates, its progress
has been productive of an immense amount of
good, and its position at this day cannot fail to
be a cause of congratulation to all who feel in
terested in the removal of great social evil.
The movement has derived its whole efficacy
from its purely voluntary character. 1t has
meddled with no mans privileges
on no mans rights its friends have had no
weapons but those of common sense argument
and benevolent persuasion its converts have
been held together by the slken cord of COM
mon interest; and its results are amongst the
most striking proofs Of the ability Of organiza-
tons, humble in their beginning, to modify and
amend the customs of society
| 1t is the fate of philanthropy, however, to be
often ruined by an excess of service. The line
separating zeal from fanaticisIa is frequently
overlooked by men intent on reaching dis
tant goal, and the oversight proves fatal to a
work which greater discretion would have
crowned with success. In other days, and
| distant countries, zealOts have striven to regu-
late faith by DEGREES and legislative acts-to
mould creeds after their own model-and to
| fix the standard beyond which intellectual ca
pacity should not grow. The "blue laws" of
the New England puritans are another notable
instance of the lengths to which good men some
times run in their anxiety to take care of the
souls and bodies of their neighbors. Still later,
there have been movements to render compul-
sorry particular observance Of the Sabbath;
while the schemes and ordinances Of French
Socialists serve to remind US of another class
| of nterierences-dlfieren in their outward
character and tendencies, but proceeding from
the same root, and justified by the same alb
stract reasoning. They have all had the same
origin and the same end. All have grown out
of conviction that Governmental action could
bring about sort of terrestrial paradise-in-
dustrial, moral, and spiritual; and all have
resulted in showing conclusively that Govern
ment, though it can do much, cannot do every
thing-that its province is limited by certain
| clearly defined lines-and that mankind, with
strange perversity, are prone to maintain that
each shall determine for himself how he shall
think and believe, how long, at what time,
and for what price he shall labor, and how.
when, where, and what he shall eat or drink.
The agitation now being carried on in New
York, Ohio. Maine, Massachusetts,. Rhode
Island, and several other Northern States. indi-
Gates the fact that large portion of the total
abstinence reformers in that section of the
country are anxious to renew the experiment of
sumptuary laws, as applied to liquor. Maine
took the lead by enacting law of extraordi.
nary stringency; the Senate of Massachusetts
have passed one yet more stringent, subject,
however, to the popular vote; while New York
Rhode Island, and Ohlomean to have such laws,
if the temperance societies can have their way.
As the Maine law is the most famous of the
whole, and is, indeed, the model according to
which the others have been framed. we give
the sublOlned abstract OF its provisions, as pre-
pared to our hands by New York contempo-
rary:
"rhis Maine law says that person except 9
paid agent shall be allowed to manufacture, or cell
in any way under any circumstances spirit-
uous or intoxicating liquors of any kind or descrip.
ton. This paid agent ia to be appointed and paid
by the selectnon Of any town and the mayor and
aldermen OF any city, TO sell wines, spirits &c.
for medicinal and mechanical purposes, and no
other II any other person sha sell intoxicating
liquors, and he shall be convicted Of the sell.
ing he shall pay fine Of $40 for the frst offence
and the costs Of prosecution; and If he will not or
cannot pay, he shall stand committed until be
does pay On the second conviction, he shall pay
$50 and costs, or stand committcd;' on the third
and every subsequent conviction, he shall pay
$50 and costs, and 'shall be imprisoned in tho
common Jail not Icss than three months or more
than six months Tie same fines and punish.
ment arc to be visited upon any clerk, servant
agent, or other person in tho employment or on N,
premises ofanother who shall violate the provisions
of this law.
"Thc law then goes on to provide for the rcco
very OF the lorciturcs penalties arising out Of it,
md it provides for it pretty stringcntIy The for
fixture is TO go to the town where the convicted
party resides, for the of the poor and the pro.
secutor or complainant may be admitted no a
witness on the trial' Should any party zee TT 70
appeal, lac shall recognise in the sum of 600
with two good and sufficient surcties in every case
80 appealed, to prosecute his appeal and to pay all
costs, hnes and pcnatics that may be awarded
against him upon final disposition Of sucb suit or
complaint And then he must give bond in the
sum Of $500 that he will not violate any Of the pro.
visions Of the act during the tendency Of such
, appeal And then, If he should be convicted on