Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-04-19
For TUE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
County Candidates. &c.

Mr.. GoRMAN: I ask the liberty of sub
mitting through your paper few conside-
rations, in connection with the Temperance
movement now agitating the public mind
in our State.
1t is evident that in the judgment of
many of the wisest and most prudent of
our citizens, the time has come when the
public. interest demands change in our
License Laws, by which. the traffic in in
tCoxIcaUIug Ilquors as beverage shall be
restrained and its abuses corrected. The
melancholy experience of the past fully de-
monstrates the utter ineficiency of the pre-
sent License system, in restraining the sale
and use to what the law itself contempIates,
by the moderate wants of temperate COM
munity. And the consequence is, that vi
cious and unscrupulous men, by formally
complying with its acquisitions, are made
legalized agents for corrupting the morals,
and destroying the health Of large por-
tion of the community who are apparently
unconscious of the dangerous tendency of
such communicating influences.
But it is not my purpose here to en-
large upon the evils of intemperance, or
discuss the necessity of reform. Such an
effort on my part would very Justly be con-
si6aeqeaa eaa pr pers}tuitnus.- But while it is the A.
of reform to suppress intemperance entire
ly in the State, and while they believe the
time has come when the traffic in intoxi-
eating liquors as beverage ought to cease,
it is certainly not their wish or desire to
insist upon the passage of a prohibitory
Law, in opposition to the will of maiori
ty of the people. Strong as our conVic-
tions are of the necessity and utility of such
law-anxious as we are to erase the Ii
cense law from the statute book-much al
we would risk in order to obtain it; we arr
too republican, too democratic, to desire i
until the people demand it..
1t is matter then, of some considera
ton, with the friends and advocates 0
prohibition-a matter of principle as wei
as policy, to ascertain as near y as may b
public sentiment upon this question, befor
the passage of Law. By this, however
[ shall not be understood as disapprovin
all legislation until we are satisfied publ
opinion is with US entireIy; but with tn
as other measures of public policy, popul;
opinion must sustain legislation or it vii
as a legitimate consequence, be MULTI
For these and other reasons | cannot I
gard as the dictate of policy, the propos
ton advocated by some, to run Candidat
for the ensuing Legislature, upon the tel
perance issue. In consequence of other il
portant issues, that must Of necessity ent
in and to considerable extent inhuen
the result, the temperance strength cou
not be brought to bear or rendered avai
BILE. ...-.
In view Of all the circumstances, it
ours to me that the better plan of poll
: for the action of the friends of Temperar
: reform, would be to submit the question
: prohibition or restriction, in some form,
t rectly to the people, And to effect this
It might be required of the candidates of bc
r political parties, to pledge themselves
the support of proposition to that eff
!, before the next Legislature. No Can
d date could refuse to submit the question
y the people, whatever his private or pers
IS al views upon the subject were. This do
er I have no fear that the result would be
q favorable. This proposition has been c
TO vassed 10 some extent in this county,
er SO far as I have heard an expression of
ID pinion, meets favorable consideration.
IN apprehend that it will be acted on in
ID county at the ensuing election. We she
y like to hear the views of the friend
- Temperance, with regard to it, in o.
~ sections.
Oxford, N G. April, 1854. E. G