Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-09-01

ha'c es'sohStu oH tuir qutstioH
II will be time enough for me to show
what | dare do when I am placed in
circumstances where l shall be Obliged
to express my opinion publicly.
You know, | suppose, Mr. Morrison
that this question has already been de.
cided by the Supreme Court of the
United Statesi The rumsellers oil
Massa achusetts carried their case up tc
that court, and employed Daniel Web
ster TO defend II for them, and il was de.
cided against them in other words, th G
law was pronounced constitutional.
And when Mr.. Webster was asked what
he thought OF the decision, his reply
was, Gentlemen, II had been on the
bench, should have made the same de.
cision.' II is very clear, therefore, thai
In the opinion of that clear headed
statesman, law to prohibit the sale oI
ardent spirits as beverage in the state
Is not unconstitutional.
Yes, am aware OF all that but still
to force matters through In this way, by
law, makes costs, and creates unpleas.
ant feelings in neighborhoods, which
oaght to convince any one OF the i'm
propriety Of IL, to say the least. Mora
suasion should be employed, and not le.
gal enactments, to carry forward this
reform.
| have already shown you, Mr.. Nor.
rison, that it can never DE done in this
way. And besides, II it is uncon stitu-
tional to suppress the traffic by law, il is
no less SO to do it by moral suasion. In
other words, II the law Of Congress
which allows the Importation makes il
the duty Of the several states to buy and
use II, then law to suppress the traffic
in those states is no more unconstitu.
tional than the use or employment Of
moral suasion is to suppress it. The
truth is, Mr.. Morrison, IL your position
is correct, then every temperance or.
ganization Is unconstitutional, and every
lecturer is guilty Of opposing the con.
stitution OF his country. Indeed, Il
you are correct, then no man has any
right to persuade his neighbor or son to
abandon the use of liquor, for II tends
indirectly to Lessen the dsmand for inn
portation.
Really, you are getting quite captious;
you seem to be in one Of your hair-split-
ting moods.
Not at all ! only want to run things
out to their legitimate conclusions.
Well, Scribner, suppose you get the
Maine law this winter, " hat will you do !
Sustain it, for one thing, and enforce
II to the letter.
That can't be done. You can't en-
force II in this town. The opposition
to It would be so great that you would
need standing army around every gro
cery and tavern in town to carry II
through.
Ii what you say is true, Morrison, /,
most certainly we need such a law
This is very good reason why we
should have the law. II men have be-
come so depraved as to resist good law,
hat Is the very reason why you aud ev-
sry other good citizen should labor for
I. 1t would not be good policy to with
lold law from gambling because it would
'tir up opposition or from piracy be.
;ause IL would lead to bloodshed. But
You are not correct. II can be sustain
ID and enforced. Ii has been done in
several OF the states, and can be in this.
The people are not less law abiding
han in other states.
Well, suppose you get il and enforce
{, what practical benefit will result
rom it
Mr.. Morrison, there is no such thing
IS measuring the good which will result
rom Il in a very short time. In the
irst place, II would greatly reduce our
axes. According TO very safe calcu-
alton, more than two thirds of taxa
ion in consequence Of pauPesism and
rhine is the result Of intemperance. Ii
Ippears from official returns made o the
ecretary Of the State OF New York,
hat the cost OF pauperism. in lS49, was
light hundred and seventeen thousand
our hundred and forty.one dollars. Oh
his, six hundred and seventy thousand
me hundred and forty-threc dollars were
et down TO intemperance. IL would
'revent an astonishing amount Of hu-
nan suffering. There is no class on
'arth which suffers so much as the
runkard and Instantly; who can estimate
he amount OF privation, want, hunger,
old, nakedness, oppression, cruelty, and
'hysical and mental agony that the ine-
'rlate's family suffers, and all In conse-
Iuence Of the legalzed traMc IN rum !
All this, Mr.. Morrison, the Maine law
would prevent. The sale OF intoxicat-
ng drinks Is tho procuring cause of
line tenths Of the blasphemy,' Sabbath
'reaking, street brawls, assaults and
batteries, and defiance OF God and his
loly gospel. Stop the sale OF liquor,
md a change would follow Immediately
u the diminution of crime. 'Of the
me hundred and eignty thousand six
hundred and forty-six persons commit
ed in six years and a half, eighteen
thousand seven hundred and ninety
hrec were for assault and battery; twen-
y.iive thousand one hundred and sixty
our for dlsorde, ly conduct two thou
Iand six hundred and forty-fve for fight
NO in the street forty-iour thousand
hree hundred and elghty-three Tor in
.oxication thirty-fYe thousand and for
weight for intoxication and disorderly
conduct fourteen thousand eight hun
lred for vagrancy-making one hundred
and forty thousand seven hundred and
eighty. three for offences resulting al
most entirely from the use of liquours
sgally sold In dram shops. From these
, stibules of hell men come forth at ull
:, es Of hight, prepared to fight, fire
al, lings, excite stree. brawls, and TO
omn. ,it murder. The Maine law will
~, an end to all this Immediately. II
vould reform every inebriate In the
and. and save thousands OF young men
rom becoming drunkurds IL would
end peaee, comfort. and plenty into the
ebrlatc's family, save the Sabbath
m desecrntion In many thousands OF
;, grorroriee, and recommend there
- n Of Jesus Christ to multitudes who
!, - ,ow 30 stupefied that they have no
'en yth of mind toreform, or even to
inh Of death, judgment, anu eternity:
/ thi the Maine law would do, and