The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-12-02

net " Wletu' Cne most powerful lnHu"
ence Of any nation on earth--enabled
her to extend her commerce to every
sea, and bring home the products Of
every cline? 1t was the wisdom and
patriotism of the statesmen, the In
dustry of her people, and the talent
of her historians and poets. There
was property in the minds Of Shaks.
peare, Milton and Newton. What an
immense amount Of property there
was In the mind of Newton, which
traversed the Universe, and made
suns and planets to be heads that
played upon his lively induction
What was the value of California;
There was more property in that
mans mind than in all her golden
treasures.
The opponents Of the Maine Law
talked about thee destruction Of pro.
perty, and thought it was a most law.
less act to knock in the head of
whisky barrel But what was the
value of their property, when COM
pared with that of the multitudes of
human beings that were daily de-
stroyed by the traffic in intoxicating
drinks? We had better destroy the
alcohol, than to allow it to destroy the
grandest intelects of our land-men
of genius, talent, energy, enterprise,
and moral worth, we're destroyed in
almost countless numbers by this
desolating scourge.
Some who opposed a prohibitory
law, were in favor of partial re-
sraint, and did not oppose license
law. But there could be no consist
ency in standing halfway. The
traffic was either right or wrong. If
it was right, we ought not to restrict
it at all. II it was blessing to the
community, let it be as free as the
traffic in any other article, and let u9
throw the strong arm Of the law
around it for protection. But if it
was a desolating scolrge to society,
and laid waste the best prospects of
the country-if it was devil, let US
up with sledge hammer Of a pro-
hlbitory statue, and dash its brains
out.
\ He was no enthusiast in this mat.
ter. He did not think we could stop
the traffic entirely. We could not,
by a prohibitory law, stop all the
sales of intoxicating drinks, any more
than We could stop the commission of
various crime, by the laws that were
made against it. We had stringent
laws, with heavy penalties arrayed
a ainst crimes of various descri ption,
but still these same crimes were fire.
quently c, mmitted; but no one called
the laws powerless on this account -
There was no doubt but that they al-
forded vast amount of protec ion to
society; they prevented crime from
being committed in open day, and
drew il into obscure places. Now, if
we could not annhilate the traffic in
intoxicating drinks, we could a" least
shut up the splendid saloons-the
most eniicing and fascinating places,
for the manufacture of drunkards.-.
We could drive it into the holes and
corners, where it would not be con,
tinual source of temptation to the
poor inebriate who was struggling
against his craving appetite,
He was most emphaticalIy in favor
Of stringent prohibitory law, to
stay the tide Of intemperance, that
was spreading desoIation throughout
our land like an atmosphere poisoned
with miasma. Every good citizen
would admit that something must be
d ne to stay the progress Of the great
evil. Now, if we did not like his
plan, and had a better one we should
bring it forward. If we had got a
patent fire annihlator with which we
could smother the fire o. intemper-
ance, that was devouring the,morality
and virtue of society, he would have
| no hr;nrit on hut ha wac in favor of