Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-07-15

Of ardent spirifs.'' Mr.. Justibe Catron says:
S'If the State has the power of restraint by Ii
cense to any extent. she has the discretionary
power to judge of its limit aad go the length
of prohibiting it altogether, if such be its pol
ICY" This testimony, so plain, explicit and
unequivocal, is all the reply we need to make
to those who insist that a Prohibitory Law is
unconstitutional.
The necessity Of such a law is to be speedily
and energetically proved, by the record of our
criminal courts, by the throngs of inebriates
confined in our prisons, by the burdensome
taxes to feed and clothe the victims of intem-
perance, by the tears of orphans and the wall
of widows, made such by this fell destroyer
This great moral and social reform which it is
our object to secure, is not an unknown and
untred experiment. 1t is, in several of the
States .fred fret, vindicating itself by its
wholesome and beneficent influence, pouring
tide of blessings upon thousands Of families,
and protecting the young, the inexperienced
which the rapacity of avarice would spread in
their way. The Mayor of Augusta, Maine, six
months after the enactment of a Prohibtory
Law, said: '.The police were usually called
out one hundred nights in the year since the
enactment of the law they have not been call
ed out oncei' Professor Stone makes the
following statement -EsIn a farming town of
Maine of 2 400 inhabitants, there were eigh-
teen dram-shops. All but four were yolunta-
rily closed, on the passage of the law. These
continued open until the magistracy laid it's
hand upon them, seized all their liquors, and
poured it upon the ground. They were now
without the traffic and their pauper tax, which
the year previous was eleven hundred dollars
was reduced 10 three hundred. The inhabi-
tants met they had by this operation cleared
eight hundred dollars, and they resolved to add
six hundred to their school fund, and reserve
two hundred to prosecute INSCRIPTIONS men
who should feloniously attempt to fasten upon
them the evils from which they had Just es-
capped.
''It has been estimated that by a thorough
application of the law to the single CITY of
Portland, its honored birth place, it will save
to its own Inhabitants annually three hundred
and tlcenty-eight thousand dollars. This large
sum, worse than wasted, would furnish house
rent at 500 each for 1000 families give to
each Of these families five cords of wood five
barrels Of -four, and $50 worth Of clothing,
and then have surplus sufficient to build fifty
dwelling-houses at 5000 each, five meeting
houses at 900 each, twenty schooI-houses
at $500 each, appropriate Sl2 ,000 for instruc-
tion in its temples Of religion and science.''-
The Rev. Mr.. HadIy Of Portland, says One
hundred dollars will accomplish more for the
moral Improvement of the poor than thou
sand could during the reign of ALCOHOL 1t
has been said, that more liquor is now used in
Maine than before the law was enacted. Bos-
ton liquor dealers make a very different repre-
scntation. One of this class, in REPLY as to
their trade in liquor in Maine, said:-ssWe used
to have three hundred customers from Maine
who each traded with us from five hundred to
three thousand dollars per year; but now,''
said he, call Maine is not worth having.''
In Massachusetts and Vermont, the same
general effects have resulted from the suppress
sion of the liquor trafc. q member of the
Common Council Of Springfield asserted that
a diminntion of thirty per cent. of crimes, such
as assaults, larceny, disturbance of the peace.
hlbitory Law. Hon. Amasa Walker states
that s'crime has been lessoned three -fourths
and pauperism in corresponding ratio'' in
those places where the law has been fully ex-
ecuted. In Vermont two common jailS have
been tenantless ander the benign influence of
a Prohibitory Law, and have been advertised
to rent.
Now, it is for the PEoPLE in our great and
noble commonwealth to decide whether we
shall be participants Of like blessings, or re-
main under the dynasty and curse of rum
whether our youth shall be protected or fall
victims to the fell destroyer-wbether our
poor tax shall become more burdensome or be
reduced one-half to Observation-Disclosures our
prisons shall be crowded or be comparatiyely
enpty-whether our fifteen thousand grog-
shops and lager beer saloons shall continue to
send forth tide Of poverty, misery and death,
or be shut up-whether parents shall see their
fond hopes blasted or realized-whether pow
erty or plenty, domestic broils or contented
quiet, fierce passions or genial tempers, ours
ing or blessing, sorrow or joy, veal or woe,
shall be in the aseendent. 1t is, we say, for
iio r1oFLE; III Iieii ihftteSty anu hliSnt TO ue-
eide these momentous issues. Ii they saw |
hat 'srnm and ruin'' shall be perpetuated, so
It will be. But will they thus say? Ten thou |
sand voices from hill and dale, from cities and
owns, from the vallies and the mountain tops, |
give au emphatic response NO, MOI!
How, then, shall the needful reform be at |
aimed This question is of vast and vital i'm
'ortance. The answer, however, is brief and |
conclusive. We must cast away our party ties |
md predictions so far as they interfere with |