The Delaware herald., 1854-05-31
Correspondence u the Herald
The Maine Law. Mo. /,


MrssRs. EDIToRs The subject of Il Maine
Law is now the all-engrosisng topic of CONVEX
sation in the State of Delaware. That its |
effects may beunderstosd by our citizens have |
extracted from work recently published in
Maine, few facts for the consideration of the !
people of our own State:
"Before the enactment of the Maine Law, lin !
Maine,) there were expended by the people of
this State, annually, for strong drinks, at the
lowest estimate, more than tUO millions of dol !
lars--and this expenditure involved u loss to
the people in time, diminished industry, un-
thrifty habits and other sources Of loss, to an
amount of at least two millions more; so that
we had an expenditure for these drinks, direC t.y
and indirectly, of at least four millions Of dol
lars per year"
Now, what is the result to the State of this
great expenditure for strong drinks Have
the people been the happier for it; better fed,
better clad, better sheltered, better educated
No, but just the contrary. This enormous
amount of four millions of dollars has been a
dead loss to the people year by year; and even
worse than that, for they have not only had no
value equivalent for it, but they have received
that which undermlnes, their morals and tends
directly to their impoyershment and degrade
tion while no persons are benefited by the
RUIN traffic, except few who have grown rich
in furnishing the means of ruin to their coun-
| trymen.
"The civilized world is now looking with
admiration upon this great experiment.; if it
succeed, the people of Maine Will be happy and
prosperous, and all the nations of the esrth will
follow her example; if it do not succeed, it will
be through the Indifference or tinidity of pro-
| fcssedly good men who fear to resist bad men
in their efforts to overthrow this law which re-
strains their appetites and passions, and elects
their interests.
ain the year during which this law has been
in existence its effects have been more decisive
aud salutary than its warmest friends had anti
cipated. The wholesale traffic in strong drinks
has been entirely annlhiiated throughout the
State; the grOgshOps are very finc and are kept
III dark and secret places, so that temptation Is
entirely removed from the way of the young
and inexperienced. The quantity now sold in
in the State cannot be more than one-tcntll
part so great as it was before the enactment OF
: the Maine Law, SO that the saving TO the pco-
pie is at least ono million eight hundred thou.
sand dollars Fer year. The result Of this cal
be IN tI2 IN proved ha bits and .rcums nee,
of our people. Many men, formerly mscrab!,
; LrnHkrrd>, are now perfectly sober, hecaus,
= temptation IS removed ont Of thr:r wHv--mamN
: families, before mis'.rlblc, and dependent m,il
the pubic OF upon charity for support, ire nov
v comfortably tc,!. clad, and lodged. Cur nl
: are almost truantrss, some OF them entirely 50
/ cur houses Ut cUrr'ciun are now almost with
: out occupants; and, all this, because few mel
become piuPcrs or Commit erin exc :pt u:ltie
II he influence U: strong drinks"
e Fellow citizcns: Why shall Delaware NJ
i enjoy the same bless d exemption!
Neal Dow, Mayor Of Portland, in his annGa
q report, says: AT the co nmc Ic1melt OF tn,
:, year, the number Of open rum shrps IN iul
Il operation III the city, supposed To BE- fruII
300 to 400; 300 WAS the lowest estimntr, q
s present fhPre is not oHe. The receipts of thc,,
\. places per day, at the lowest figure, nny b,
reckoncd to average three dollars; this, lo
a three hundred days, excluding Sunday
.r Sundays were the best days for such places
would givs S'21G,O0O per year!
&c 1T may be thought that tins sum is mucl
g too large to have been expended annually 10y
: the people of this city for intOxiclting drinks
, but 1t is believed that the number oi grogshOp
set down at three hundred, AID the sum receive,
by each per day, at $500, is within the tact.-
% But if we consider the expenditure IN this way
Of to have been only :s9J0,O00, about 81 % PEI
e day for each OF the three hundred shops. IN,
70 fact will be sufficiently important to arrest lht
r attention of every man who has any regard iol
81 the city and the welfare Of the citizens
AS have already exceeded my limits in M
l. next number will give you further extracts
Of Reader, ask you TO lay this matter seriously
r to heart-thnk OF it. Is such result not o
T infinitely more Importance than the success y
X any mere political party! Your good sens
will at once admit this. Then, JON the Main
81 Law League now forming in every part of YOU
- State, and assist to pat down this evil by elect
' ing men to Office who are above party cliques
!, who will legisiate for the prosperity, hfppncss
: and the protection Of their fellOw-citzcns, nj,
not for the " loavcs and fishes - Of party. Go
and your country calls upon you TO +" come II
a, TO the help of the Lord against the aightv.'-
y VIII you come! Or, will you risk The awful
!, consequences to your own souls, hy sustainIn
r Rum u N
e Wilmington, May ~.
m FAvERNs AND RETAILERS LTcExsEs.
- New Castle County Court recommended q,