The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-07-14
For The Geesite.
THE MAINE LAW.

THE MAINE LAW.
| saw a noble and princely home and in
il sat lady in the morning of life, surround
ed by everything that wealth could afford;
she was beautiful, 50 very beautiful; but on
her face was such an expression Of hopeless
ness as the still breathings of despair can
alone depict. | looked around in astonish-
ment, what could be the cause! | soon
saw that a seourge worse than the plague
had entered that magnificent home. lie to
whom she had plighted her affections, look
ing up in his face with sweet trustfulness,
for wisdom and counsel TO tread LIES
checquered pathway, had fallen; nightly
now she heard from his lips the bacchana-
Ian song. The golden urn oil happiness
had been rndely snatched from her hand,
dashed TO the earth and broken. She was
looking forward now T. the dim future for
removal from that lovely home to one OF
priyation and poverty; but even this We're
sweet if shared by her husband; but he was
50 changed he seemed her husband no long
err She clasped my hand and said. go tell
the world the misery that not only l. but
thousands suffer from the gllttering vine
cup; it is like the whted sepulchres our
Savior speaks Of, beautiful upon the outside,
but on the inside full of dead mems bones.
The wine cup Is sparkling aud beautiful To
look upon, but il is filed with the dregs Of
the deepest crimes, misery aud woe that
the human family have ever known Tell
them what it Is to watch the downward
course Of a beloved being in whom every
hope of life is centred and see him each day
drawn farther down the precipice to destruc
ton, powerless to save, and at last turn
away soul sickened. with disgust and loath-
ing even for him; and then ask them, #
having eyes they SEE not, or ears they hear
not, else why permit they the plague to re-
main in our landn'
,...,., -, ..... -,t,t- second nome that visit
ed vas far different from the first. 1t was
a mechanics home. such an one as the spirit
delights to see; the ruling elements We're
love and peace. heard bursts Of childish
laughter, the sweetest OF all earths music.
because il springs from fountains Of limo,
ccnce. Surely said earth cannot be a
weary place while it contains such homes
as this.
A few years passed, again | visited that
homo, but the scourge Of ntemperance had
preceded me; woe, want and misery dwelt
where once was love, peace and joy. The
mother drew her two beautiful boys to her
side, parted the golden hair from their fore
heads, s:see," she exclaimed, my noble, my
beautiful children, they might have graced
Senate chamber and words ofwisdom ard
counsel might have fallen from their lips
for a nations good, but alas, who shall
now watch their infant steps, who shall
stretch forth their hand to save them from
the pitfalls ofsin; leave them an inebriatc's
heritage: sin, poverty aud disgrace. Will
they ever be able to rise above them! But
even in this darkness there is hope; with
the Maine Law comes freedom
Freedom and the Maine Law, strange
words TO associate together, said.
"Yes. freedom and the Maine Law, free
dom from the States prison, freedom from
\ the insane asylum, freedom from the yeriest
/ tyrant earth ever saw. | see in the Maine
Law not an infringement ofindivdual rights
but liberty, Gods best gift to the family OF
man
In this glorious country, our proud, our
beautiful America intcmperance, the tyrant
king, sits cnthroned on her bosom and
thousands pay him homage. The man OF
proud and lofty intellect, bows before him
and swears allegiance TO his reign; the
noble the good, the wise, those to whom we
would cling TO pass through life's tempestu-
ous journey unframed, trust their bark TO
the guidance Of this tyrant, are wrecked and
lost. And now would say few words to
you that Sit in high places You see parents
reveling in intoXica,ion and innocent child
hood wandering in the streets homeless and
Griendless, exposed TO every temptation.
with no hand 10 restrain them, and then YOU
wonder at the viciousness Of youth and
manhood. You permit them to have the
maddrning poison to drink and when thcy
destroy all that is good and noble, and