Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-10-27

VIC idAc Lhc cXildcI lIOc- al AZ
dress prepared by Committee appointed at
late ,aeeting of the Grant County Temper
ance League at Lancaster, from the Lancas-
ter Herald We regret that our limits will
not allow US TO publish the Address entire
1t Is an able paper and We ask Tor the portion
We publish an attentive perusa:
''Tho constitutionality of the Maine Law
we believe. is al presen! conceded by every
body, except the modern commentators in
Washington County. As our address will
not reach them. we shall not argue this point.
But /, is orthy OF remark, as coming events
cast their shadows before, our Legislature has
already sanctioned the bump of destructive
ness, prominent in the Maine Law look
at page 243 of our Revised Statutes. Chap.
/ so is To prevent the sale of intoxicating iiq-
uors to Indians. Sec. 2d says, it shall not bs
| lawful for any person to sell. give or dispose
| OF any intoxicaiing liquors to the Ninnebago
Indians within five miles of the mouth Of
Wolf river; If SO any Indian agent, u.agis-
trate, Sheriff, or constable, shall have power
to seize and destroy such liquor without, any
| further warrant therefor. The session laws
w,
the large county of LaPointe. Had We been
Indians, all of US, you kind law-giv-
ers would have granted protection, long
ago. Intoxicating drinks respect persons
and affect white man and Winnebago alike
This prohibitory law is copied from similar
law OF Congress. The officer of the army,
or the Indian agent. Vi no finds in,ox icating liz
| in, Ind 1os
| This law acts feeby on the frontier, but il 10
mighty in the heart of the Indian territory
! Congress saw that nothing but the destruction
| OF property would check the trader. The
wisdom and efficence Of the Maine Law 10
manifest. Men will not risk their money
The Supreme Court OF the u. S., in late
division, have gone the whole length OF sane
| .ion;ng the destruction Of intoxicating drinks
/ by State authority. This vexed question has
/ been quelled forever.
! .'And does the Maine Law restrain liberty,
nothing is entitled to the name of law that
does not in some degree restrain human ac-
tion. Our whole Legislature hithero-ths
Legislation of Congress, in reference to in
toxicating liquors, has been compounded Of
restraint, prohibition, penalty, destruction Of
/ property. The only possible position for the
! rum advocates to take, is, that Congress and
the State Legislature mistaken as TO the ma
| ,ure Of intoxicating liquors. Ii as Mr.. Bid
decome's law says, they lead 10 murder IL
I self, and all other grades of crime, then soci-
ely ough, to protec, its members against the
! poison. ], Is bound 10 do so.
! "Ali we have to say is, # these charges
are true, and the dealer cannot be restrained,
| he mus, be the most absolute despot that
regned over nation of slaves. Does he talk
| OF rights, of liberty Yes, be must be free
yet society must be chained like Promeihe-
f! Us TO The rocls-the alcoholic vultuTes must
gorge themselves upon its liver, yet TO chain
them would wound their liberty, The vsm-
/ pre must have liberty, but the victim none -
/ The only question is, does the public good re-
9ure the total suppression of the traffic. Af-
I ter all, your modern mushroom philosophy can
/ find no justification for law of any kind, but
] the necessities of society. DO the interests
and honor and prosperity Of your State call
/ for the suppression of the traffic !. Ia what
| do it's evils consist Not that il curtals hu.
man life-men are born TO die. Alcoholic IL
/ quors as luxury cost millions Of money
SO does .ea. coffee, tobacco. Others tell us
! of glut,ons. who like Boa Constructors, eat
more than their bulk and collapse like steam
I boiler. Is 1t not strange, that neither Con-
| gress nor State legislatures have discovered
that pipes and cigars were al dangerous as
dem,johns; tha. eatirg fatal as drink
I I,trs -.
/ intoxicating liquors. and all other forms of in
temperance. has been recognized by the com.
mon and stat.fe law from the earliest ages.-
| The law of 1851 exposes this difference in
dark colors, when section 10 announces. that
the traffic will among other things. give man
! unnatural passions, make him devilish-dzn-
| gerous even 10 his own family. Nobody in
| his senses would SO speak Of tobacco pipe
never was q dangerous weapon at law. bus
rather the symbol Of peace. No diabolicai
| passions are aroused by pie or pudding. and
neither courts, congress or Legislature have
ever been disturbed by elut,ony-an evil thai
has vastly increased in the minds Of some.
since they heard of the Maine Law. IL is
singular why the license law Of statutes pro-
hib,ed the sale of liquor to miners under Ia,
| but allowed them discretion In the panty
! Certainly, the Legislature did not know what
dangerous evil gluttony is. A criminal was
after long trial. recently convicted in Miner
al Point of high crime. 1t was discoveiee
after the jury had brough, in their verdict,
that two Of them had used a small quantity
of intoxicating liquors, pending their deliber-
a,ions. Judge Cothren on this ground. was
compelled to grant a new trial. Neither ci-
CARS nor pipes in the view Of the common law,
would disqualify jurors; gluitony would not
do IL; The common law withdraws all con-
hdence in Judges and jurors who use insoxi-
eating liquors whIle in the discharge Of their