New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-30

Hfle to do IN criminal cases Such was ,he imnedate
resuks Of the Maine Liquor law What wa that "a"
hseh the result Off Tns 10 the question mat interesc
u; r. there be few none sbO would dispute me
sonseqaepees Of an abolition Of iufempo rance. The
doubt about III possibility Of such abolition at all; OF
sshervise than by the sacTibce OF something more IN
portast than the benefit 10 be gained.
The hsipe Liquor Law was obtained ny the sfnlp'o
determination Of he majority 20 abolish intn2erance
N the form ofdrink They did through the oAic'Dot
by electtDg Temperance men 20 the LeHslaofe' fOi
mary year,, valuable experience had been aceruin2;
The ordinary temperance movements had been urea
nere rs elsewhere n the Union and with the same
partial The success never be more man
partial where temptation and conflict remain as Ons
and gin shops stand Open snd the sneIi oil sr
he In the air, the weak and wagering VIII suher nnoer
conflict with temptation and often fall; pnysichns WI
teB in private Of the increase sota,y drnAhg
worst Of all and the "pled9ed" VIII De ID lover
state than ever having added perjury to Their nr9t
weakness II appears from experience tnat u Il yer
rble mttake 70 expect 80 serious and difcut pro-
sees as selfcontrol from such spnuus az as'clAuon
10 a Temperance sodety: and thus It turned out IN
Maine as elsewhere so the Legislature looked ";
not 20 rnt and regulate the sale Of intoxicating liquors
not d, ipsti,ute stringent licensing system pro-
kl utterly sale Of Intoxicating liquors for drnk
within the bounds Of the State. Such alaw passed
Ia ls16 BY large maores in both Houses But failed
qbe great majority Of the ciiizens who had procured
the law remsined 10 favor OF IT, and among the estthe
weak drunksrds who desired be aided in saving thea
selves and In securing their children from the vice. IL
IL oboeryed IN our large towns-in Liverpool among
otbers-that the strongest ssgerness 10 peon Fara-
men, for public house reform il shown by the aoorny
eass and the intenses of all by the drunkards among
them and O very touching spectacet 10 10 see tneui
bronsing 10 sign petition Ike that Just GOT up az Liver
pool. OF the 600 sgneTs. nearly all are wofklES
men and ifthey had the franchise and the ballot Ike
the men Of Maine, they would ike The men OF Name,
doubtless do something more than petition 49,,
The Maine law Of 1916 was failure Inc rum gel.
Ter, went on seng-secretly they could, and openly
rather than not at slpsyiDg the penalties, ana going
On again While the rum wss there, It was soid ana
individuals who bestrred Themselves 70 get the law en-
forced suffered from the malice Of the rum intefest-
Some citizens dwellings were marked some were even
burned and magistrates and witnesses were asseute
Still there good enough obtained 10 induce the CIT
zens 20 20 forward and not slide backwards IL was
very hard work for all the strength Of tho spiruous
pay was put forth in last desperate effort In the cleo
lions Of le49 After long and arduous struggle the
sober party uumphed and the result was the celeora'
ed Maine Liquor Law which passed on the 2nd OF June
1851 by majority Of sc to 40 IN the one house and IL
b. 10 In the other Some may ask here as many asked
here-What more could be done by law than prohibt-
ing the sale The thing more that was wanted vas
the destruction of the liquor ADD this is the most strk
ING feature OF the new law. The Intoxicating liquor
wherever found under circumstances which Indicate
sse IL rnpounded till the matter s tried and on the
conviction Of the sellers the liquor pourd out upon
the ground Every city and town is required or per
United 20 appoint annually, through It's municipal ON
eers m agent who is licensed for the year under re-
pponsibty 10 sell spirits for the IT
poses Of the mechanic arts and mcdicine and, up to
Ills time It appears that sufficient supply ia obtained
for I'll such purposes by this provision. And in every
other way the law appears 20 work well a. prohlo
ry Law ever does and certainly 10 the benefit VI sOcle
Nv within that State dram shop may be opened here
and there lust outside the boundary line of the State
and citizen here and there may import cask ospits
and give away the contents among those who will 40
h o. me favor in return but these are small matters
There general purhcatonthe smell is not in the
sir-tbe dram shops not open before the eyesthe
Temptation does not boset the wthe struggedoes not
perplex and weary the brain and conscience The
social results are clear that the exsnpehas been fol
lowed Rhode Island has followed IN the work in Maine
and 90 also has Massachusetta with the exception OF
Boston where the municipal authorities strong In vest
ed interests still hold out. TIE doubt was, at first,
whether law so stringent could stand--whether the
second year would undo the work Of the first 10
appears not Experienced American citizens believe
ths, would now be impossible 20 get the law repealed
The fret sentiment of Engl shmen on hearing this
story 10 be that citizens will submit
70 such law They feel that there would be danger to
our liberties II such law could pass Parliament
and Throne tomorrow. No doubt but this is because
We DO not as people, desire it, Ii the Americans
not selfgoverned, they would rebel sooner than
admit OF legislation so stringent But they are setgOv
srned and therein lies the chief interest OF the whole
matter They decreed for themselves first the uniyer
sal education which disgused them with Drunkenness
and warned them TO save the next generation iromui
and they decreed the exclusion of what they con
slider physi moral and social poison. II has been
ser, dictation to his personal habits imposes law
ON himself and submits thus TO discipline which he
would spurn if il came upon him In any other way.
Our fellow citizens cannot but watch with deep inter
the development Of this very strong Transatlantic
xperineRt