Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1853-09-28
Communications.
For the Grant County Herald
Maine Liquor Law.

| MIR. EDITOR :---l perceive by an article in
your journal signed s'Cvis.'' addressed to the
citizens Of Grant, an inquiry made by him as
How are you going to vote on the
Liquor Law and if you are opposed to the
Prohbitory Liquor Law, and if you calculate
to vote against it, what are your reasons for so
doing? ?" AS one of the sovereign people of
| Wisconsin, feel interested in these inquiries;
and being an inquirer after truth, friend to
constitutional law, an admrer of republican
principles, and disciple of Thomas Jefferson,
| seek information upon this perpiexing cues
ton. ssCivis'' has in his article presented
what he denominates 'scogent reasons'' for sus-
tanning Prohbitory Law in regard to the sale
OF spirituous liquors. The first argument pre-
sented, or reason assigned, is-Liquors poison
the stomach and weaken the mind No doubt
when taken in excessive quantities they pro-
duce that effect upon some persons. And in
connection with this reason farther extended
so as to embrace the whole retinue of evils
flowing from vitated and gluttonous appe-
title, would inquire-does not eating too much
food of any kind disorder the stomach, weak.
en- and seriously injure the mind? If such be
fact, would it not be policy, yea humanity it.
! self, to have an agent appointed in every town
to deal out food in just sufficient quantities to
alleviate this evil too, and have stringent penal
ties attached to the law to compel us trembling
serfs to take our allowance from our masters
hand. Again, he says it produces Insanity
! admit the fact; and also admit that love. ;ea-
lousy, and other passions that men posses. will
also produce insanity. Cannot :sCiyis,, No
pare statutory law that WI; remedy this epp;l9
for humanity knows no metes or bombs; s
confined in no narrow sphere, but like the dews
Of heaven, sheds its blessings upon the Whole
family of man. Again-he says it produces
ldlocy. This may be SO in limited degree.
VIII not attempt to palliate or deny it, for
..ecls are stubborn things to me incontroverti-
Bile; but it the law must pass in consequence
OF this reason, apprehead there should be a
0ew principle introduced and attached to the
law, and that is, to make the agents appointed
to sell liquor responsible for all idiots born in
Wisconsin, from and after the passage of the
act. Again-they lead to Pauperism. So does
Iidlenes some. people, through sickness, be-
come paupers and there are various causes
wherein pauperism arises. Does it follow be-
cause men become paupers through liquor that
we must have a Maine Liqhor Law? VIII!
that prevent pauperism? Will that stop men
eating and drinking? Have not. men a natural
right to eat and drink, yea a constitutional
right to do So? And if they have, can any
constitutional right be violat ed or abridged bv
statutory law? / apprehend not ;but perhaps
E"Civiso will say sfwe do not mean to violate
constitutional Law, all we desire is, to crop off
Isome of the facilities of obtaining liquor, Tiers
by accomplishing Indirectly what we dare not
do Directly" Either horn of this dilemma is
an aggravated encroachment upon the rights
and liberties of the people. Again, foreign
liquors that have passed the ordeal of theCus-
tom House, on which duties have been paid, in
pursuance to law regulating imports and ex-
ports, must. by this act, have the preference
NO man through malice or suspicion can enter
your cellar with posse comaaitatas. and seize
1T and destroy it. Are not the manufactured
articles of American citizens equally inviola-
bic? Does American constitutional law grant
better protection to foreigners than to our own
citizens? For the glory and honor that should
ne attached to our free institutions. thope not
AND again, would ask ssCivis'' how this
Name Liquor agrees with Article 1st, sec 10
or the Constitution of Wisconsin. which says.
Inc property of no person shall be taken for
puohc use without just compensation therefore,?
Does not this law authorise an officer to enter
your cellar, seize your property, destroy it.
and the compensation that if allows Won to in
flct-a fine upon you? Is not LIQUOR proper
lty! does not law thus declare it, and when
you DESTROY 1t do you not destroy private pro-
perty When it is seized and taken by an of
ncer, Is il not in the custody of the law. or the
cFlmln2t
prosecution? And is that not taking private
property for pubic use, and paying the owner
therefor with seyen-fold vengeance i? fyon
can reconcile this provision with the constit,I-
ton, would be happy TO hear from you.-
There are other points / wish to call svonr at :
ltentlon to, in order to obtain information.
must confess that this Maine Liquer Law IS TO
me bitter pill, and rather hard TO digest.
oeneve II at the best of very doubtful constit,l
ltlonality OF expedience, and must see some hot
ter reasons assigned than those alluded IL he
tore am prepared to control mems apnetites
or morals by legislative attachments. I vi h
not that any one will entertain the opinion +, ~
am opposed to temperance: far be If fro,n !, !
to seek to innjure so noble a cause. I would
that all mankind were temperate, honest and
religious. But when we are called mon T. ~ ~
force virtue, morality and temperance hv 81
ing to our aid the strong arm of the law. an
pFehend we are exerting an influence that hps
ian opposite tendency. and that will evantnaIrs
spread whitening blight and curse ,,nsu
Happy land. q. upOi our
( somewheres, Sept. s, 1853. = : ~ =.