Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-08-20

IllescHt Spuot NV
~ different Legislation upon this sub
ioct is imperiously demanded, and ub.
solu,oly necessary to the public wei.
fare. Thus far are all agreed, and
wero it not SO, there would not be,
at this time, such prominence given
10 the subject Of prohibitory law.
But what can we do nowa This is
the great question:
1t seems to me that oil our efforts
should aim at two objects, for the
present, ut least. First, we ought TO
try to embody the public sentiment of
Virginia, so far as we may, in the
form of law, upon the subject of the
liquor traffic; and secondly, to use
our endeavors to carry forward the
public opinion to higher and higher
grounds, as rapidly as we may. We
should seek nothing which we well
know to be impruc'icable. We arc
not here assembled to consult as to
our own individual views or wishes.
We seek for legislative interference
of some kind, and when we come
to the legislature, wc of course are
bound to seek only what is prnctica:
BILE. Now, the resolutions proposed
by the Committee contemplate law
.prohibitory of the traffic in inlox-
;ca,inc drinks throughout Virginia.
The substitute which | have propo.
sed leaves the question of prohibition
TO be settled by each county for itself
rs the voters may favor or oppose the
sale of intoxicating drinks.-Now
are both these schemes practicable :?
If not, which isl If there is any
gentleman present more hopeful and
sanguine than l am, should BIO glad
10 hear from him on the subject. /
so as far as any man within the lin
its Of what consider practicable, but
I must candidly state that have not
the shadow of doubt, from all the
indications now perceivable, that we
cannot now procure the adoption of
any thing like prohibitory law
That end cannot now be attained.
Do you think that the majority Of the
people are now ready for such purpo.
ses! Far from it. l doubt not, in.
deed l have no hesitation in saying,
tina, if the question were put to vote
tomorrow, it could not be carried in
Virginia. 1t would be found difficult
to carry prohibitory measures, even
if the vote were TO be taken BY conn
tics. l defy gentlemen, in the cxis-
ting state Of public opinion, to pro-
cure the adoption ofprohibi,ory meas.
nrcs. go as far as any man, but |
doubt whether the end can be now
attained. Do you think that tho ma
iority of the people are ready for
prohihitory mcusures7 ] doub, not
ihuve no llcsilationin saying,hat such
hope is an utter fallacy, and its full
tilment as distant and as hopeless as
my thing which we can well conceive
of.
No county will unanimously adopt
prohibitory measures, nor will any
county establish them by an over
.whelming majority. or without 9 fierce
struggle. Mr.. Moderator, it docs
seem to me that many Of US are aim.
ing at absolute Representatives,, and
that in our zeal and ardent hopeful
ness, we are tempted to overlook the
obstacles and the fierce opposition yet
10 be met and conquered. ltisa ten
tlcncy perhaps honorable to our sin
cerity, but ut the same time not so
honorable to our judgment. Why,
sir, even in those counties where most
labor has been expended, and where
public sentiments said to be ready
if ready any where-for prohibi-
tory law, ihereis anything but unan.
unity. 1t is of no use to disguise the
true state of things. Even in POGO
hon,as county-named from the beau.
,ifIl and daring saver Of the life of
Captain John Smith-who, by the
way, has never been treated as he
ought as the founder of Virginia, but
who, it is to DO hoped, will one day
receive his merited honors. Even in
Pocahontas, say, that the opposition
to a Maine Law, or anything like a
Maine law, is such, that it could. not
he carried except at the point OF tho
bayonet.
l do wish and fervently hope that
the friends Of temperance would
pause and consider as well what they
can as what they would accomplish.
1t may be true. that in particular
counties, or tiers of counties, major
tiles might be obtained for prohibi,o-
nv measures, and this, too, would be
perfectly correct, as they, of course,
have the right TO manage their own
affairs in their own way; but to ex-
pect, in the present state of public
opinion, the adoption Of any thing
like Maine Law, is, in my view,
chimerical and absurd. l ask, Sir, if
itisnot possible, evenin good cause,
to proceed too fast and too iarl do
not consider it dangerous or untrue
TO say SO. We may go too fast even
in moral reforms. Experience has
proved this, not only in the temper