The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-05-20
From the London Times.
The Maine Liquor Law in England.


government as a matter of course, to
see what can be attempted and done
by people really and Immediately
selfgoverning. We may doubt and
disapprove of some things done by
our Republican brethren across the
Atlantic, and think that we should not
like this, or the other liability or GUS
tom Of theirs F.; but is to be hoped that
we can cordially admire and honor
certain occasional achievements of
theirs, which are quite beyond any
thing we can effect or dream of effect
ing. We can really hardly know any
thing more striking than the history
of the rapid abolition of the vice of
drunkenness in several of the States
of the American Union; and it is
with feelings of the deepest respect,
that we desire to direct attention of our
countrymen to the action of the State
of Maine with regard to that vice.
The Maine Liquor Law was obtain
ed by the simple determination of
the majority to abolish intemperance
in the form of drink. They did it
through the balIot-boxes-by eIecting
temperance men to the Legislature.
For many years valuable experience
had been accruing. The ordinary
temperance movement had been tried
there, as elsewhere in the Union; and
with the same partial success. The
success can never be more than par
tial where temptation and conflict re-
main. AS long as rum and gin shops
stand open, and the smell of spirits is
in the air, the weak and wayering will
suffer under conflict with temptation,
and often fall physicians will tell in
private of the increase of solitary
drinking-the worst of all, and the
"pledged" will be in a lower state
than ever-having added perjury to
their first weakness. 1t tappears, from
experience, that it is a miserable mis-
take 10 expect SO serious and difficult
a process as self-control from such a
stimulus as association in temper
ance society, and thus it turned out in
Maine, as elsewhere. So the Legis-
lature was looked to, not to limit and
regulate the sale Of intoxicating Ii
quors; not to institute a stringent IL
censing system, but to prohibit utterly
the sale of intoxicating liquors for
drink within the bounds of the State.
Every city and town is required or
permitted to appoint annually, through
its municipal officers, an agent, who is
licensed for the year, and under re-
sponsibility to the magistracy, to sell
spirits for the purposes of the mechan-
ic arts and medicine; and, up to this
time, it appears that sufficient sup
ply is obtained for all such purposes
by this provision. And in every other
way, the law appears to work as well
as a prohibitory law ever does, and
certainly to the benefit of society with
in that State. A dram shop may be
opened here and there, just outside of
the boundary line of the State; and
citizen here and there may import
a cask Of spirits, and give away the
contents among those who will do him
some favor in return; but these are
small matters. There is general pu-
rifcation-the smell is not in the air
the dram shops are not open before
the eyes-the temptation does not be-
set the will-the struggle does not per-
plex and weary the brain and con-
science. The social results are so clear
that the example has been followed.
Rhode Island has followed in the wake
of Maine, and also has Massachusetts,,