Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1853-02-24
4 HANNIBAL JOURNAL, FEBRUARY IA, 1853

a lawyer IN lnis COUNTY nhu salu that the
Maine Liquor Inv was unconstitutional, be-
cause itbfings q law Of State IN conflict with
that provision Ocfhe constitution which says
that Congress shull.have exclusive control over
commerce with other nations of the earth, and
with Indian tribes The constitution does say
that; but, il you give it such latitude of construc-
tioh that the Main Liquor Law can conflict with
IL, what becomes Of usp The idea ola lawyer
who knows anything about law, asserting that
State has no constitutional right 10 regulate her
own internal commerce, struck him as absurd.
If he had q boy 1--we years old, who, afterreading
the constitution three times carefully should
come TO him with such construction, he would
thrash him.
p These constitutional objections put him in
mihd Of preacher, when commenting on the
text in relation to faith coming by hearing. He
had great reliance on St. Paul, who wrote the
text, ard OH Mr.. Wesley, who had expressed
the same opinion; and lie knew they were smart.
er than himself; but he begged leave TO differ
from both; for he knew man deaf he could
not hear thunder, yeti that man had faith. Like
this preacher, lawyers are sometimes found with
tout Knowledge enough Of law TO kill them, who
defy, or do not know the decision Of the United
States Supreme Court. by which it has been de-
cided that state has power TO put down this
traffic. Five judges of the supreme court de-
cided that the states have this right. Since Web
ster, with all the power Of his gigantic intellect
argued this case FOR tie liquor sellers of Boston
ears ago, they have never carried case up 4
the United States supreme court.
Iii true that State cannot prevent the i'm
: poration Of ardent spirits; it cannot interfer
with laws of the United States regulating com
meree with foreign nations, but the moment a
: article passes through The hands of the inpor
ter, United States importation laws cease /
exercise over it any control. The Maine Ii
lquor Law will allow man TO import for his ow
use, but not for traffic; the moment cork i
drawn for the latter purpose, the liquor is sub
; ject 10 seizure by state officers.
: The Rhode Island law contained provision
conflicting with the STATE constitution, and
was on this account that its operation has been
) susp n led by decision of the supreme court o
the State. Since its suspension the most dis
orderly scenes have been enacting in that Stale
Since the Massachusetts Liquor Law ha
: been in force the most strenuous efforts hav
been made TO put it down. Boston got rid Of tn
provisions of the law, by turning out her cit,
! Marshal. Rather than have the law enforced
its opponents had the Marshal turned out, leav
ing nobody to enforce it. We have now
: chance to compare the state of affairs where tn
r law is in force with that where it is not in force
) 1t is enforced at Lowell, and everywhere but q
Boston, and the result is that all the drunkenness
= in the State is wallowing in the cutters at Bo'
2 ton. yanT Er5. ro..
I lis certain that man cannot get drunk if h
5 cannot get liquor. By destroying the distill'
ries, the rectifying establishments and the dra,
shops, you apply the AK to the root Of the tree,
hut it is said that laws of that character col
not be passed in this State. He guessed
would pass in Hannibal, il vote Of her either
0 were taken tomorrow. So it would in evel
= place in the State, except St, Louis, which w
a big grog-shOp, though it was improving