Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-20
FOR THE SPIRIT OF TIE AGE

Many Of your correspondents have written
upon the subject of legislation, on the liquor
traffic. All, | believe, have expressed them
selves favorable to restraining this nefarious
trade, by law and all seem to approve of
the purposes of the memorial presented to
the General Assembly at it's last Session.
l propose giving you briefly my views up
on the subject, and although I differ very
widely from your correspondents above re-
ferred to, | hope l shall express myself with
courtesy and not bring down upon myself,
any severe structures for my opinion. At all
events, | am honest, in what shall say, and
can, therefore, afford to bear all which may
he said.
l regret that the Grand Division, at the
meeting at Salisbury. said any thing what
ever on the subject. IF had been present
| should have opposed the movement with
every power | possess. It was bad policy.
1t did more to injure the cause which all Sons
of Temperance have at heart, than every
thing which has been said against tha Order
and its objects, by it's ignorant enemies, the
" Hardshells." They, in their stupid bigot-
ry, have charged that the purpose of the Or
der was to control the Legislature SO as to
make it pass laws against the use Of Goods
blessing" and thereby interfere with the In
alienable rights of man. It was denied. 1
denied it, and unless I mistake, you denied
it. 1t was proclaimed that ours was a work
Of moral reform-that we aimed to influence
men by moral suasion," not by legal COM
%pulsion. Still they cried out, that we were
enemies of the rights of the people.
Yet the Grand Division memoralized the
General Assembly to pass a law for reform,
and then took the very step that these bur
lesque specimens of christianity wanted it to
4oLo t. f,on3ckoI Sc E.ooJ.u., DJoloj)
(Whew! what q paper!) with the very wea-
pom which it was wanting all the while, with
} which to war upon the Order. It is vain to
talk now-they have gotten their favorite
argument and you cannot take it away. So
much for the present, on that subject. Now
for the Memorial, which was presented to
5 5 the Senate and by that body treated with
i contempt.
Il That instrument proposed the passage oil
7 a law giving to each neighborhood, the right
) to protect itself from the nuisance of a grog
shop. by requiring each applicant for license
{ to retail, to present the recommendation of &
majority of his neighbors. Thus far, al
e was we'll. If the memorial had stopped
here, it would have been right. But instead
q of that, it strikes down the republican fea
2 ture which was its chief recommendation t.
$ favor. by saying that the license fee shoulC
be 800 in the country, and $500 in towns
How many licenses would be taken out, a
d these prices? There would probably be tel
n licensed shops in the State, and all of then
o in towns-but there would be still thousand
of scoundrels of the meanest class in society
selling at night, and thus making the Law
worse than a %nullity. The price. of license
as proposed, showed the object to be prohibi
ton, and not protection, as set forth in th
memorial. If it meant to prohibit, it shout
" have said so and no more" As it was, i
5. /" held the word of promise to the ear an
broke it to the hope" 1t was therefor
IN wrong.
70 I charge no evil motives to the memoria
Sc lists. They were actuated by q laudable dc
it, sire to rid the State of the most ~sinferna
nuisance " which poisons its moral atmo.
Ia phere, and brings ruin on the land. All
h mean to say is, that they should not hay
h. petitioned the Legislature to pass a licen,
to law, when they should have known that til
re tax would make the, law prohibitory. If
were q member of the General Assembly
in would vote for no bin carrying out the praye
r Of the memorialists, and | claim to be as goo
IS. and reliable q Son of Temperance as thel
" is in the State. I am one from principle, NJ
r necessity, and expect to remainone until II
az folly of its managers shall make it a club fl
IT. legislative Influences and not an Institute
for m1r1l reform. IF that should he the cas-
in I should unhesitatingly leave an Order who
of purposes were different from what they we,
n. when I i became a member.
he am not an alarmist. / have serious
Cd reflected upon the topics which | have
hi briefly noticed, and every reflection serves
nd confirm ne in the opinions expressed.
wish there was not a grog shopin the Stat