New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-31
MAINE LAW IN CONNECTICUT
Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune
Nxw-Hxyxg. Wedpesdw. DC

Correspondence Of The N Y. Tribune
Nrw-HAvxs, Wednesday, Oct. IS, 1854.
Upon few stubborn facts, ask the readers Of
TEE TRIBUNE to judge for themselves whether our
Liquor Law Is curse or blessing to Connecticut.
This law IL more stringent than the original hane
Law: II went into operation the first Of August AT
that time more than one million Of dollars was in
vested in the wholesale and retail liquor traffic in this
city; and the retail sales amounted to more than SIR
hundred thousand dollars annually
Previous 10 August first census taken 70 ASCERTAIN
the number of erog shops showed the number TO be
tro hundred and ninety besides some that the CON-
mttee could not ascertain though suspected of sell
ing but thought it three hundreds low estmste.
The amount Of money received, or number OF regu-
lar customers, at each grog-shop, could not be cor
recfly ascertained but at q very low estimate, we
wnl suppose each shop had only fre customers that
will give thousand fee hundred regular customers
Of the drsm-shop, in population Of $4,000. OF
these fifteen hundred at least twelve hundred
spending money for liquor, which really needed
by their families for the common necessaries Of life
money that ought to have been spent for bread for
hungry, hafstarved children. About six hundred Of
this number annually found their way to the Aims
House or the County Jail, helping to swell taxes
already burdePsome and leaving helpless families to
be supported by charitable and benevolent persons or
societies.
last year at least $500 900 spent by the poorest
classes who could i'll afford spend farhng for such
eefs stimulus OF the three hundred liquor shops,
just two hundred and twenty were kept and frequent
ed by the lowest class in community showing that the
poorest people are the principal supporters OF the
liquor traffic.
On the first day of August last, every dram.shop
was cosed, and there was not place Ia New'Haven
where glass of liquor could be bought for any price.
Wholesale end retail iquor-dealtrs voluntarily
stopped the traffic knowing IT would be useless to re-
sist the law. The question may be asked, How the
fifteen Hundred customers Of the New-Haven grog-
shops got their liquor The Weather class of DRAM
DIN hair from New. n
of "hQuor express but the poor fellows, sans money,
sans credit could not drink because they could not get
IL. What blessing to themselves aud families
great charge was visible soon after this law went
into operation ia New-Haven. The noisy gangs Of
rowdies disappeared and their midnight brawls
ceased; and oar streets were quiet night and day;
and the most violent opponents Of the law said,
"such the effects of the law we will oppose 1t no
"loDger." A few persons got intoxicated upon
liquor from New. York, and were promptly arrested
and fined eco and costs, which they paid or went TO
jail The following list of commitments to the Watch
House show coDcusively that there less drunken
nes than formerly and these statistics contain I'M
answersble arguments:
Commitments in July. 1s5t...."............"73
Com mitments In August, 1884,
Balance In favor of prohibition .................5s
The commitments TO the County Jail for the month
btoye and the month after the law went into opera
ton show the same cheering results. Committed to
Jail for drunkenness and offenses caused directly
thereby:
In July.
In August, fSo4 ..........sslo
In favor of prohibition. .......................%
The Jails and Aims Houses in various parts Of the
State Of Connecticut getting empty. The Wind
ham County Jail at Brooklyn has only solitary oc-
cupant and there is much speculation about the use
ofleepiDe up jail there any longer; the good peo-
ple of that town talk Of converting It into hotel
some kind of school, or a female seminary
A large lumber of our most desperate villains who
formerly kept erog shops and gambling, houses. have
a. L..cs had IN MOI HAY
Several that kept gambling saloons and houses OF ill.
fame in defiance Of law, have declared that neither
one nor the other be supported without liquor,
and have moved to ew-York; where, they say, they
can enjoy their liberty TO get drunk and make others
so and where they can continue their infamous busi-
ness. and be as much respected as anybody. v.P.