Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1853-1853, 1853-08-16
From the Cincinnati Atlas.
THE MAINE LAW AND ITS ADv0oATEs

THE MAINE LAW AND ITS ADvooATEs
The Times Of yesterday has the effrontery to
say that ''not single paper Of this city has
come out equivocally or unequivocally for or
against the Maine liquor law, except the Times"
Our readers know how false this declaration is.
The Atlas, for one, has repeatedly avowed its
convictions, that the highest welfare of our city
and State requires a prohibtory law. While
we make this declaration unequivocally from a
profound conviction Of its necessity, we have
no disposition to conceal our belief that in some
important respects the Maine law needs some
modification, in order TO its immediate success,
and to the permanency Of the reform it may eff
feet.
We are in no way the organ Of the Maine
Law leaders; we express nobodys views bRt
our own; we see and are willing to acknowledge
the very grave objections which may be urged
against the proposed law; but at the same time,
so great so growing and so overwhelming are
the evils attendant upon the manufacture and
sale Of alcoholic drinks, and so useless have all
other modes Of stopping the evil proved, that we
are constrained 10 say God speed" 10 q law
which in other States has swept paupers from
the poor house, left iails without inmates, re-
stored domestic peace to the drunkard's
lireslds, and covered towns and cities
with unnumbered blessings. Rather than have
IA prohibitory law fail in Ohio, we are willing
even to forego our convictions Of what principle
and policy seem TO us to require in the details
of legislation.
OBJECT as we may to theoretical defects in the
law there stand out i'll all their horrible atrocity
murder, assassination, robbery, breaches Of
trust, domestic abuse, poverty, wretchedness,
and crime Of every sort, as the daily effect Of
the sale Of ardent spirits, and every humane and
every patriotic man is compelled 10 decide either
to defend or oppose the oRly Law which, as yet,
has proved itself competent to destroy these
monStrous evils. We are no bigOt TO the Maine
Law. Show us better way and one that has
any chance to succeed, and we will give it our
hearty support. But in some way the traffic is
doomed to be put down. The humanity Of the
State stands pledged for its suppression. The
movement is no mere temperance one. Men Of
all ways Of thinking upon that subject, will unite
in solemn determination that they and their
children shall MT be met by temptation at every
corner and every turn, that they will not suffer
the further wreack Of the best hopes Of parents
and friends, that no more colossal fortunes
shall be built up on the premature graves Of the
young and the promising, and that the common
mother of every crime which ruins individuals,
and burdens down the State, shall be baRiShed
from society. We regret the position
the Times appears to have taken-we re-
greet that it has better remedy for the contest
ed evils Of the trade than the moral suasion,
whose absolute failure is borne witness to by
hundreds upon hundreds of grog-shops in our
midst, and we still hope that it may yet be found
an earnest advocate Of the only treatment which
possesses the power ehectually to cure the evil.