The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-03-05


T. H:M msssar, Vice Presidents. =
E E: Ii. Vi 'd Fullerton. Secretaries. ...>
*NearIy one thousand Of Tire petitioners are Is-
gal voters.-C. & A, Sec.
Address to the People Of Minnesota.
Unanimously adopel at the recent Cos~uios m st.
Paul.
Six hundred of your fcow-citizern, of alb parties,
assembled from different places, in Convention at
Paul, unite in presenting to you the 'oHowms Aa'
dress:
We are met to take counsel together concerning Il
matter which we deem of the highest Importance to-
our Territory. We met As friends oi the " MIN
nesota Liquor Law and we feel prompted ny
sense of duty respectfully call general attention to
the claims which that Law has upon the people oi
Minnesota at the preseut time
We ask "A candid consideration Of the following
principles and facts.
The liquor-tr exists among us as an Immense
evil. We will not abuse your intelligence by any
effort To prove what is evident and so generally
admitted That great evil demands powerful rem
edv. Moral su,sion has been tried. Inc License
system in various forms has been tried. Moral Sua-
sion and the License System have proved insufil-
cieut Both, acting together, have failed even to
hold the traffic in check. The time has como When
we must Law upon the traffic Il stronger hand. we
believe that such is the Deliberate and Just con-
viction of a large majority of the people OF this
Territory. Hence our young Commonwealth, as well
as older portions of the country, has been asltated
for more than year the subject Of prohIbitory
law. Such a law partially and nOn'Inaly III
force during several months of last year, and under
combination of the most unlavorabc crc unisanccs,
it inflicted during those few months pow erlul blow
upon the forbidden traffic. From the day on which
was officially proclaimed Law by the Governor,
no, a single new grog-shop or bar was opened
though many would have been Opcncd during last sea-
son. had not been for the restraining influences OF
that statute. But it accomplished more than simply
the prevention of an increase OF SroS-shops. Win
no than hali-adOzen prosecutions onc-hali oil
our former dealers retired from the business. The
number of persons engaged in IT decreased from one
hundred to fifty. But sooner was the legal re-
straint removed by judicial decision, than, liquor
sellers immediately began to multiply; so that al
rcadv in Ramsey and Washington counties alone,
between fifteen and twenty places have been
opened for this species of traffic. and this too, while
ma vigation is closed. These facts respectfully
commended to such of our teow-citizens as regard
the law of last year failure. There can be no
doubt, however, that in some thnly settled parts OF
the Territory, more liquor sold than before,
several dealers in the large towns made hast to send
their stock of liquors there, in order to dispose OF
them and retire from the business without loss.
In view Of the saluary workings Of the law while
il was in force, and in view of the alarming increase
of liquor sellers and of drunkenness since 1t was set
the present Legislature its re-enactment; and (for
the reason, pcrhaps) its opposcrs have rcmon-
str,tcd. Thus far the only effect has been TO make
more palrable the comparative strength OF both par
ties. The names of petitioners thus Tar sent III
amount to seventeen hundred and the rcmonStrants
three hundred and eisty-cight. Thus has st been
twice shown that large majority Of the people are
in favor of such Law; first by direct vote, and
now again through petitions. Nearly one Thousand
of the petitioners legal voters. bill for the
Law in amended and improved form, is now upon
the Council table, and it is hoped will receive the
lcgsltvce sanction. And yet there is serious
to fear th2t political tricks and crafty maneuvcrny
will defeat the great object which many hearts
are set, either by killing the Bill, passing it in
such mangled form to render it of little use.
| Aside from the one hundred men who and have
been engaged i'll the traffic, the opposition pro-
hbitory law would be very trilng. And it is easy
to see why they oppose. Their craft is in danger
They clainor about an assault upon the ir ''sacrcd
rights But human rights interfere. If, as
we believe, society has right to protect itself from
great and evident injury, then individual rights
| culo Of Eastern New York, '.No man has IA right to
live at the expense Of the health, peace and happi-
ness Of his fellow -b.ings. Every citizen should be
ashamed to ask the privilege of supporting himself
out OF the rum OF his friends and ncghbors.' Even
IN rcspcrcct to the m0ny argument, who has reason
for flt-indng, the liquor seller and the grave
digger!
Adopt prohbitor, law, and who is wrongcd,-
me? no' INC 'ic'' oil oe'ra!cn appetite, saved
,ho f,,n; 81 , ,' ~" 10 '''hhood' not
' ,s W inc ,ll'p' 'ast '".sed nom poverty, sor-
10" anu sl,'e, 10 'o.l'o; Joy ana resrec'ai'y;
nor ,nc community protected from violence and vice,
anu '", 'Ic "t."eis o. pa"ref ana CRIMINAL taxa
!. ronroJ h, lev ,;ci' eI: mar 'he rumSecr
traffic already forbidden by religion, morality and
: . pun, gu II "HeS MIN from ms business
Ia,no,,i '"''' oie'' '" "'"S' ana proper en-
poy meh'S.
I6u. III a.:
,,;I, W, raa !" '',Gn IN .h'S Address, several
carry ON, tho nr;oc;nles nf ,h;s ] i'u'p' ana
'',t "u' .he principles o' inns celebrated Law.
,I ,.I"t p,. ""n~ ,c'''HehS To weigh well the
nn ~ r. ,i,o w .,''os. certain to come
"r Th" i'.' VI, , ~ snup s.sTln roninncs.
;ntcII;gcni cza" hn " '"e oanoI ooT' and every
htc''S'nt 'HNli. WHO loves q popular government