Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-01-20
At Albany.


That the Maine Law is to pass the
present Legislature, as promptly as
due consideration of its details will
allow, no one who has mingled with the
Members can doubt. Coming fresh
E....aa A.
as TO the emphatic preponderance of
Prohibition sentiment throughout the
community. That Intemperance is
disease which will never cure itself--a
fire that will not go out merely because
it is let alone--but that the irresistible
tendency Of Free Trade in Liquor is
toward wider and deeper moral and
physical degradation--are facts estab-
lished by an experience so uniform
that only the obStinately needless or
willfully blind can fail to see them.--
The great majority of earnest, intelli-
gent, observing, rejecting voters have
resolved that the experiment of an inn
peratiye Legal Inhibition Of Liquor
selling shall be fairly and promptly
tried, and have chosen Legislators who
reflect their sentiments and will give
effect 10 their wishes.
A prohibitory Law would be passed
Immediately ilthe details were now
settled. We trust a well-considered
bill will pass Mt least one of the Houses
next week and the eother soon altcrward.
Yet better delay of a month than the
enactment of law which will prove
odious and imperative. There are
many points to be guarded. such as
the extinction of the present Licenses,
the inhibition of any renewed of these or
granting of new ones, the liberty to
sell for purposes not inimical to the
public welfare, &c, sc. 1t isvcry easy
toteat such law shuld consistof two or
three sections; but no such law will
ever suffice to arrest so gainful craft
as the Liquor Traffic. There are many
creviccs to be stopped, many legal qub-
blers to guard against. Let the law
extend TO forty sections, if need be, so
that it does its proper work.
On one point all former Prohibitory
Laws have been defective--namely, in
providing inadequate penalties for a
first violation. TO endeavor to stop
the liquor traffic by fines of $50 orS3O
is ridiculous Many sellers are ma
king SO much per day, and will go on
selling until complained Of, consider
ing each days impunity somuch clear
gain. The penalty for any violation
OF this law should never be less than
$500, and for the second ofense should
be backed by Imprisonment.
There is rumorhoating about the
Capital that Gov. Seymour is consider
ing the policy of yetong the bill when
passed. We do not perceive that basis
for this report in the Message which
some have discovered there, and be-
lieve there is no other foundation for
the guess than the Governors desper-
ate fortunes. Having nothingto loose,
he is just in the rightcondition TO make
a dash for the liquor support in the
next election, and the luck which re.
peatedly attended the ventures of his
/ Connecticut namesake in that line,
may possibly induce him to try it,
We are moisture, however, that his veto
would prevent the laws passage, at
this session, and we shall not believe
him capable of SO fragrant defiance
ofpublic sentiment, 50 gross an out
rage on the moral sense ofthe commu.
nifty, unless and until he shall compel
us to do so.
As to submission TO the people, op'n-
ions are about equally divided resPec'
ting it, and the opponents of Prohlol'
tion can defeat it if they see fit' AS
We desire to see the law not merely en-
acted but enforced, and believe pop
ular ratification would greatly invigor'
ate the arm of its champions, especially
in the localities where the Tcmperan &C
sentiment is weakest, we trust il viii
be accorded; but only in a bill separ'