Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-08-23

The following clever piece II irony is from
a student Of Richmond College. who furnished
Il to the scottsviilo Temperance Gaactte.
THE MAINE LAW.
While other States are continually agitated
by the spirit Of fanaticism, or ever seeking for
reform, Virginia stands proudly aloof, and qui
ct and seemingly disinterested observer of the
changes going on around her Too proud to
initiate or follow the example Of another, with
unparalleled liberality and wisdom, she con-
dennis every thing as absurd and impractical
bic except that when she herself has origin
ated. She has now an excellent opportunity
of exhibiting this spirit BY firm aud unwa
vering opposition to the Maine Liquor Law
This law originated at the Moth; and al
though this fact Of itself should be sufficient
to cause Virginia to reject if, there are other
aud still more weighty reasons Why it should
not lie adopted in the '0ld Dominion |"
In the fret place, it would deprive many OF
our citizens Of the means Of supporting their
families. In almost every country, yea, in
almost every neighborhood, there are stores in
which various liquors are kept for sale
These liquors, properly diluted with water,
(sometimes to suit tie taste Of the buyer, ard
sometimes to increase the gains of the seller,
are sold to slaves, free negroes, and decent
white people; and the proceeds arising from
such sales furnish the families of the keepers
Of said stores with the necessaries of life
The Maine Liquor Law is incompatible with
the interests of the store-keepers, and there
fore should not be adopted
In the second place, the welfare Of society
requires that this law should not be passed
Society, like the ocean, must be continually
agitated in order to be kept pure. II the
waters of the sea were not perpetually in mo
ton, they would become stagnaat, and ill the
world with disease and pestilcnce And if
there were not continual disturbances in soci-
ETY., it would soon become corrupt and immor-
al. Nature has happily provided for the mo-
ton of the sea in the ebbiug and flowing of
the tides. And rumseIers provide the ne
cessary disturbances in society. III the mobs
thetts, house-breakers, murders, and other
innocent diversions in which their traffic
causes people to engage. Abolish the liquor
traffic and you lose all its purifying infn
ences
AND, again, II this law was passed, who does
not see that evil would result to some of our
bestowed institutions, viz: our pententiary,
our jails. and our poor houses Most of those
who have been IGNORED with seats in these
institutions attribute their elevation to liquor
Then, shall not liquor be sold? Let the free
men Of Virginia answer. If Diana was great
in Ephesus, greater is the liquor traffic in
Virginia.
We will, in conclusion, sum up the reasons
why the Maine Law should not be adopted :
first, it originated iu the North; second. it
would deprive many citizens of the means of
support; thiri, it would destroy tho prosper
ity of our penitentary, our jails, ana our poor
houses; fourth, it would have tendency to
corrupt society. Then, let Virginia rear alofs
the banner of opposition 70 the Maine Law
and write in letters of gold, upon its folds,
this motto: ''the Liquor Trafie-Esto per.
petua." y Richmond Enquirer.