Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-03-11

tons, praying the enactment of a prohibito
ry liquor law, and bill referring to the sam
subject, begs leave to
REPORT
That having given the subject the careful
consideration its Importance merits, he is com
PEELED to differ from the majority by recon-
mendlng the passage of the aceompanyin.
bill. Containing as the bill recommended
does, clause designed to obtain the popula
sentiment of the state with reference to it, i
is not necessary that this report should dea
either with the merits If the bill or the prin
| clple 1t involves. When it comes before the
people Gf that fate should be conceded il
its merits will be thoroughly Investigated, and
1t will doubtless be rejected if either in its
principles or details it should prove to be un-
satisfactory. Suffice it to say, that in fran.
ing 1t, while it is believed to be fully adeuuate
to the end sought, care has been taken to
guard against those features, which have been
condemned in some of the states by the courts
of those states. The friends of the measure
have sought to make the bill as perfect as pos
sible, and are satisfied with it, and if its enc
mics see or think they see Objectionable fea-
lures, they will doubtless leave them to add
additional condemnation to the measure be-
fore the people. The bill is voluminous, but
not more SO than necessary.
AS sufficient reason in his opinion for
the action herein recommended, he Legs
leave to say, that 10y examination he finds
that there are now before the assembly, in
the hands of the committee, and herewith re-
turned, the names of about eleven thousand
petitioners asking for prohibitory law, and
the names of about two thousand remonstra-.
ting against such law. Besides this there
are in the Senate some four thousond peti-
TONERS, and perhaps two thousand remon-
strants--making in the aggregate before the
Leglsture, $4,000 petitioners and 1000 re-
monstrants, which number in favor will prob
ably be largely added TO if not doubled be-
fore the close Of the session. He finds also,
that last session of the Legislature, there
were some $4,000 petitioners asking for the
law, and comparatively but few remonstrants
Never before, probably, in the Legislative his
tory OF the state We're tlsceaso many petition
ers for one object. =. ENStwftion to this il can
not be doubted Or denied that the public
mind of this state is agitated on this subject
to a much greater extent than is indicated by
the petitions. Other states have tried the
measure, and every record of its effects tells
that it works as well as its most sanguine
projectors could have hoped, in overcoming
the public evils felt from incompetence, and
whenever an appeal has been made to the
people of those localities, they have sustain
ed and upheld the law, until it has grown to
be fixed fact on their statute books. This
state of affairs makes it inevitable that the
great majority of the temperance loving peo-
pie of this state should contemplate the en-
actment Of such law sooner or later here.
and the reason why, probably, they are not
before us Ell masse with petitions, is because
more is hoped from the manifest fitness and
intrinsic proPriety Of the action now recon-
mended, than from the mere force Of any
number of names. Such being the state Of
the case, and th5 number of petitions being, us
is stated, greater than was ever before present
ed for any object, it seems to be not onIya nat
ural and proper course, but an inevitable DU-
TY, to take some incipient steps in the matter.
And further, it cannot be expected that
the popular wish or feeling on this subject
will subside without some clear knowledge
that the object sought can or cannot be at
tanned. If we now refuse to act we shall
find ourselves more zealonslv beseiged here
after, and that something must and will be
done some time, can hardly be questioned
A refusal now, will simply give rise to re-
newed agitation, and we shall soon find that
party distinctions and local interests and qucs-
tons are swallowed up in the greater agta-
ton occasioned by this question Laying
aside then, for the time being, the objections
urged against the principles and details of
such bills, is it not manifestly good policy to
submit to the pcople--the supreme and SOW
ereign power Of the state-the decision of
this question! Should their expression be
favorable, there are few but will rejoice, and
the matter will be settled; should it be unfa-
vorable it will be equally settled, and both
the Legislature and people will be relieved,
and time and money both will be saved.
1t Is true these petitions, or but few Of
them, ask the submission of this question,
the great majority asking the absolute enact
ment Of the law; but while it is believed
none who have petltioned for the law would
object to the submission, it is also thought
the peculiar nature Of the question requires
this action. The history of the tempe
rance movement, ike all other great reforms,
shows it to be progressive movement Az
itatlon on the subject has arrested popular at
tention, and awakened the popular mind
From time to time in the progress Of the
movement various laws have been enacted,
corresponding with the then popular view Of
the subject, until, in virtue Of progrcs, the en-
tire prohibition Of the traffic is now deman-
ded. Being a movement of this character,
the force Of any law enacted, must depend
entirely upon the character of the popular
sentiment-and particularly a law so funda-
mental and radical as the one proposed, there
fore it would be not only advisable, but nee
essary that this sentiment on this law should
be clearly asce1tained and understood, which
is the end sought by the action recommended
And action Of this kind should peculiarly
recommend itself to those who rest their
hopes entirely upon 'moral suasion," forinno
manner can moral suasion" be stimulated 50
actively, as by placing this law before the
public mind for the public action; SO that