The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-02-13
Governors, Messages.

! Lhey must tHetSioFe say soihethlh5 - ~ -
faint praise, or decided appreciation. Cover
nor Wood, of this State, who was never sus-
pected Of being strong temperance man. or
in any way favorable to the progress OF the
cause-so far, at least, as example is con-
cerned-could not forbear, in his late message
to the Legislature, to allude to the subject.
He says:
! The 18Th section Of the Constitution declares,
that no license shall hereafter, be granted for
the sale of intoxicating liquors. This section,
submitted in a separate article, was adopted BY |
large majority The traffic can no longer |
be legaliIed BY statute. The power to prevent |
evils arising from the use Of ardent spirits, so
far as it can be done by law, is, nevertheless,
conferred upon the General Assembly. What
provision should be made, is matter for ser-
GUS consideration. Laws hitherto have not
produced the desired effect They have been
the origin of many prosecutions, but they have
not prevented the retailing Of intoxicating
| drinks, though prohibited under severe penal
| ties. Drunkenness and immoralities arising
| from the use Of ardent spirits may be punished
ds crimes, but it is doubtful whether any legal
enactment will prevent their being sold, by
retail, while their importation is permitted by
the laws Of the United States, and their manu-
tacture by our own.
Societies and individual phianthropsts have
spared no creditable and worthy action, to stay
the evils of intemperance, for many years,
Their exertions have done more good by
moral force which they have given to public
opinion, in social intercourse, than all the laws
that have, as yet, been enacted. The subject
is submitted to your care.
| If ever there was fine specimen Of nom
committalism, an attempt to carry water on
one shoulder and whisky on the other, this is
that specimen. At the first reading, a temper
ance man is inclined to say, "AlI right--the
! Governor is with u.s." at the same time the
quor-seller claims him as his champion. The
Governor refers appropriately to the adoption
Of the license clause, and says truly, " The
traffic can no longer be egalized by statute
But what do we find nextl "The power
to prevent evils arising from he use Of ard
snts pirits, so far as it can be done By law,
| is, nevertheless, conferred upon the General
Assembly" Does the Governor mean to be
understood that the clause, " the General As.
sembly may, by law, provide against evils re-
sulting theretrouI, refers simply to those evils
resulting from the use Of Hquorl There can
be no ether construction put upon the Ian
guage Yet, with all due deterance to the
emmnent legal knowledge Of his Honor, we
maintain that the clause means evils resulting
from the traffic IN, not the use Of, intoxicating
Liquors. The Governor ought to have been |
more explicit. Ii he thinks the traffic beyond |
the reach Of legislation, as liquor-selers main
tain, why not say so Why rely upon mere
nuendo and inslnuaton
Again: he says Drunkenness and immo-
raLtles arising from the use of ardent spirits
may be punished as Crimes but it is doubtful
whether any legal enactment will prevent their
being sold, by retaH,' etc. His Honor is either
iguorant Of the popular sentiment on this sub.
ject, or else he does not wish to fairly repre-
sent that sentiment 1t is not proposed to pun
Ish drunkenness and consequent immOralities |
as crimes; but to prevent drunkenness ami |
by blottng out grogshops, the
cause Of these disturbances. Our plan is pre-
ventiye, not vlndictve. This is what the peo-
pie are demanding everywhere. The prudent
man will lock his stable before the horse is
stolen, and a wise government will direct its
efforts to save society from desolation, rather
than to repair the ruin after it has been
wrought
The Governor avows himself in favor Of
moral suasion, and speaks approyingy of the
Efforts Of philanthropists, in these years OF toll
He thinks more has been done in this way than .
by legislation. In this he Is right; Tor the .
legislation has been designed to regulate rather
than prohibit and the officers sworn to enforce |
the laws have been, and are, generally, the |
sworn friends Of the liquor traffic. The intel. /
gent Governor might have alluded most hap |,
PLY to the law OF Maine, which has in a very |
short space Of time relieved the State almost
entirely Of " drunkenness and imnoraliles
arising from the sale Of intoxicating drinks"
Notwithstanding the language Of the message
may be construed 10 suit everybody, yet we
have too much respect for the INTEL genCe Ol
Governor Wood, to entertain a suspicion that
he thinks the Constitution places the traffic
itself beyond the reach Of legal euactments,
He certainly will not maintain that the Gen
eral Assembly is limited in its enactments to
the mere evils growing out OF the use ofiiquor
We think he will agree with US, that the Gen
eral Assembly has a perfect right to legisIate
against the evil, and that it IS only prohibited
from becoming in future, what it has been in
all times past, the body-guarJ Of this nhuman
trade.
Governor Hunt Of New York, calls the at.
tention Of the Legislature Of that State to this
subject, but is very careful not to recommend
any remedy for the EVIL, or even to suggest
that remedy may be applied, He says:
An extraordinary number Of capital offenses
and a considerable increase in other crimes
have made the last memorable year in the
Judicial annals Of the State. This melancholy
fact must be attributed in a large degree TO the
| prevalence Of intemperance in our cities and
| larger tOwns-a growing evil which has become
the most prolific source Of wretchedness, pau
perlsm, and crime.
During the year, seventeen persons were
found guilty of murder, and three of arson in
the first degree; and several more are in prison
awaiting tral. OF the number thus convicted,
SIX have been executed; the sentences of five
have been commuted to Imprisonment for life,
aud nine await the time to be fixed for their
! execution
When shall we have Executives who will
speak out upon this as they do upon other
questions' Both these distinguished men are
prompt to utter their convictions upon the
great questions Of national policy, and talk
eloquently Of intervention in the affairs Of
Europe, and pour out their hearts full srmna.