Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1853-1853, 1853-04-13
From the 0h,o Organ Of 7smprnscG
DouhlasD iatlIlaA Aaaniaaa.

bling about the great law IF liquor prehibiticn,
than on any other one subject. A prominent
journal Of the day comes out strong against it,
because it is ga sumtuary law;" an assertion
which no decent, half-brsd lawyerOr Judge in
the Union, would sincerely attempt TO prove, or
could prove, if he did attempt it.
"None but pride.broksn Vassals will submit
to be dictated TO by law, ITO iUhaf Ahd{ how
much they may eat or drink" We find snsh
mean contemplate twaddle in one Of the lead
ing journals Of the country. The writer ought
10 know, and doubtless doe, know, that the
Maine Law proposes no such thing. II isa
studied and deliberate lie, told to take away the
odum attaching to the liqnor traffic, and fasteu
it upon the measure proposed for its extinction.
To add to his baseneSS, the same editor, in the
same article, proposes and recommends the en-.
actment of law which would be obnoxious to
the charge he prefers against the Maine Law
Hear him; "The man who gets drunk, and
makes a beast os himself should meet with. ex-
emplary punishment. He should go to the pen.
itentiaTy, and with SHAPED head, ponder tho
virtues of soberRess and chair bottoms" I'D
But, Mr.. Editor, you have Just said that none
but pride-broken VaSSals will submit TO be dc
tated to by law as TO hoo much they may eat or
drink" You dsnounce the Maine Law for
what it is not, and then propose the enactment
Of one obnoxious to your charges. You propose
law which shall send man to the Penitentia-
ry, and procure for him q shaved head for
drinking more than he can navigate under. II
seems to us that this looks like debating witha
vengeance, as to how much man may drink.
We know some editors, who, on the enforce
ment Of such law, would, with shaved heads,
ponder the virtues Of soberness and chair bot
toms" in q less inviting place than their sane
tumS.
Moral suasion should be applied to the liquor
seller, to induce him to abandon a business
fraught with such terrible results but the PEN
itentiary, a shaved head, striped jackets, and
the lOck-step, should be administered without
delay TO the poor, tempted, deceived, deluded,
ensnared victim Of the traficl Such reformsrs
as these fill US with unutterabe disgust. They
may not deserve the Penitentiary, but they
ought to have some retreat where they may
"pondeT upon the virtues Of sobeTness and chair
bottoms" We would prefer the citizenship
and companisnship Of drunkardS, to such a man.
IF drinking man shall read this article, we beg
him to reflect upon who are his friends. The
| liquor sellers and their defenders would send
you to the Penitsntiary to shield themselves
from msrited disgrace. The advocates Of the
Maine Law would unbind your chains, break
them in pieces, and restore you to your families
and friends, freeman. Does it not reveal a
"heart regardless Of social duty and fatally bent
on mischief" to protect and encourage the be.
trayer OF innocence, and then Eloat over the
punishment Of the ruined victim We speak
strongly, for we feel deeply, and our regret Il,
that we have not command of language more
expressive Of our feelings.
We know OF scores Of poor, wrstched ineb,i.
ates, whose scared eyes weep ever their deRra-
datiOn, and whose every word and lock, and
even their hlthy rags, besesch uS to take away
from them the temptation.
Shall the multitude, who life I'D their cries
for help, amid the rapid current that 10 sweep
ing them on to the drunkard's doom, be unhsod.-
edp Reader, let your humanity answer. .
Vermont Liquor Law.
A slip from the Windsor Journal oiEce gives
q sketch of the decision Of the Supreme Court
Of Vermont in the case of G. Robinson Powers,
who was taken intoxicated in his fathers house.
in Woodstock, and who refused to disclose the
name Of the party Of whom he purchased the Ii
guor-which the Vermont law requires
whereupon he was imprisoned by tho Justice
of the Peace. Tho ease was brought before
the Supreme Court of the State upon writ OF
habeas corpus, and the Court decided that the
Justice took candid and correct view Of the
disclosure made, or protested to be made, BY
the rclator that the character Of the disclosure.
and the manner of its being made, were such 40
to induce the Justice to believe, and that he did
believe, that the prisoner knew mere Of the
transaction than he saw fit to disclose. 'Uf 7t
Chief Justice Redifeld says, in ooncluSion, Of
at IF tha laNuy s.sht - R.ls.