Grass Valley telegraph., 1853-12-15
For the Telegraph.
THE CALIFORNIA EXPRESS ON THE
MAINE LAW.


The California ErpresS of Nov. .23d, con-
tains leader which may be thought demol-
ishment of the Maine Law h1mbug. The
strong points in that powerful leader are
these; LIST, "The Maine Law is one of the
greatest humbugs of the age;" I'd, It's agita-
tion is pernicious in the extreme, worthy the
censure of every upright citizen; Sd, 1t has.
received a terrible quietus in Ohio-is retro
grading in public opinion, and the, ErpresS
does not regret it. Why? Because, 1st, Its
wrong in principle, to enact by statute thats
Imen must be grave, temperate. abstaining
from all stimulating drinks, is simply nonsen-
sical-smacks of pantomime I'd, It "causes
men to be hypocrits-to wear long cold wa
ter faces abroad, and guzzle at home;" Sd,
It is gotten up for effect by designing, un-
scrupulous men. Here you have it in nut
shell, but not in regular order What do you
think of it? We are nonplussed We have
been trying to load up with little Maine
Law thunder, being something of temper
ance man, and designed visiting Marysville,
in connection with other places, to blaze
away in the name of God and humanity. in
favor of such law for rum-drenched Califor-
MIA. But as ''its agitation is pernicious in the
extreme, and worthy the censure of every
upright Citizen" we will have to stay at
home, and hold our peace.
Mr.. Telegraph we will comment moment
or two on that powerful leader.
1st, 1t is wrong in principle" Beg your
pardon, Mr.. Express You don't quite hit
the principle. 1t is not the principle of the
Maine Law to make men grave, temperate and
to abstain from stimulating drinks. There
is not a word in any prohibitory law of any
State where it is adopted, about men being
grave, or what they shall or shall not drink
The fundamental principle of the prohibitory
measure is this: that no members of society
have the right to traffic Unfortunately in a
deadly virus, which directly destroys more
lives-causes more human suffering and mis-
ery-induces more crime, and demoralizes
and inebriates humanity general more than
any and all other agencies combined; /; and
that they shall not be allowed to inf1ict such
evils on society for the sake of gain. any
more than they shall be allowed torob, coun-
terfeit or murder. In other words, that men
shall not be allowed to murder and rob their
neighbOrs, through the instrumentality of
r,tnl any more than with arsenic, revolvers
or bowie knives. That men shall be temper
ate, sober and decent, is the object to be Sc
cured by the law, just as honesty is of the
law of theft, or chastity of the law of adul-
terry. viii the ErpreSS take this principle
upon his plate-chew it well-and let it di-
gest. that he may discover whether it lacks
the nutriment of sense? Now if he did not
know what the principle of the law was, he
ought, before denouncing it, If he did, he
does it great injustice, by giving its carica-
ture, clothed in a puritanical, straight jacket,
and "nonsensicap written upon it's forehead,
that the masses may jeer at it. But after all,
such efforts at straining at a gnat and swal-
lowing saac mill, will only split the throats
of those who make them.
I'd, "It causes men to be hypocrits" That
were grievous fault. Already too many
have been apt scholars in that science. But
may not that objection be urged against ev
cry law preventing vice? Are there not men
who evade every law, and yet appear honest
and law abiding? Are there not thieves who
move about in the garb of honesty ?-mur
derers whose guilt is covered with the mask
of hypocrisy, and adulterers who throw over
their pollution the robe of chastity? What
then? Had we better repeal laws, believing
that open and public vices are less injurious
in their tendencies than concealed ones? So
the ErpresS would teach US. Oh, SolOn.
thou hast come again from the shades.
Sd, at is G5tten up for effect, by design
ing, INSCRIPTIONS men," Certainly, it is
gotten up for effect 1t is designed to "dry
up" every rum hole and close every public
gateway to hell throughout America. to emp
ty jails and penitentiaries of their convicts,
asvlums and alms-houses of their inmates, to
remove one-half the crimes and criminal lit
;gations from our courts, to Tighten the peo-
pie of one-third their burden of taxes, to
clothe the widow, put bread in the orphans
mouth and to secure fire to warm them both,
and to improve the public morals thousand
per cent
Effects Certainly it will produce effects
that will astonish the natives, and the Er-
press too, if it lives long enough.