New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-23
THE JUDGES ON LIQUOR LAWS.

Plain men are likely to be puzzled by the reports
from day to day set aoat and Oily propagated if not
magnifed by the Commercial Press, that this that
Court has pronounced the Maine Liquor Law unconsti
tutoDal In order to u,rd against injurious missppre
tensions we propose to sift these reports reducing
them to their proper dimensions By the exhibition of
uIdoubted facts. Be it known eyermore, then, that
/. No Count Of any authority has denied The right Of any
Legislature TO prohibit the Trfe in Intoxicating Bersr
ages and punish those engaged it, On the contrary,
the right TO do this has been expressly affirmed and es
tablished by repeated decisions OF the highest State
Courts, also by the Supreme Court of the United
States The latter has decided that the foreign origin
ofthese Beverages with the fact that the Federal Gov
eminent permits their importation and derives revenue
thererom does not invadae the right of any State to
interdct their ale among its citizens All the bar
slang about the Peoples nalienabe right to eat
and drink what they please and the consequent right
to buy and sell whatsoever any of them may please to
nbibe has been oyerrued and secuted in decisions
old jurisprudence and as authoritative as any deci
sions can be. free and Independent citizen has just
good right to set FIRE to his own house in the midst
of dense city to shoot rife-bas from his own field
throrged highway, as he has to sell Rum when
the State bids it,
2 Nor is il Judcialy douJtcd that the STATE
.scate destroy Liquor held for sale illegally intend
cd Gny Forbidden On the contrary the right to do
that has been abundantly established and is affirmed by
the recent decision Of tho Supreme Court of Massa
chusetts which the Rumsellers have wasted much
powder over Every principle we affirm or desire, so
far as ends are concerned have been settled in our
favor beyond controversy
What, then, 10 the trouble and what have our
enemies to exult over Where is the flaw in the in.
dctmert through which thsy hope to escape the pun
shment of their msdeeds and continue TO outrage Law
as well as Public Sentiment by the free sale of Intoxi
eating Beverages
The dodge is just here: They rant 10 dire US 10 en-.
rley intormers and SPIES ho tcN help riota. tie lao
in order TO arrest its rioation. Such is the drift the
scope the inevitable tendency, of the decisions injuri
ously affecting the Maine Law. While our adyersaries
profess tie utmost loathipg and deesation Of SPIES
they do their utmost with the judges help. 70 compel
to resor: TO them For nobody expects the bona de
tppler in ordinary cases 10 expose his own vicious
habit as welas betray bis sccomPlice BY giving legal
Information against the keeper of grogshop IT.
then we obliged to prove actual specific sale in
order TO convict rumseler must send spies into
bis den there to buy and pretend drink of his liquor
in order to be able 20 prove that he sells it, The grave
objections to this cours need not here be dlsted on
Whist we seek to do instesd Of this il simply 70 N IKE
The rrmStlrs necessary material Gnd implements prore
him rha he Obrioxsy u.s. without our being obliged 70
ince corniye at breach OF law for that purpose
For instance. You pass by store or building ia
thropged street, with only P. Quirk's House O,
Travellers Rest. or Gotham over the door but with