The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-12

evil Of dignities but there Is no divine precept for
bidding us to pray that our rulers may oe endowed
svinced. with the blessing Of Heaven, and the
combined efforts of the friends Of prohibition, we
th at men shall be elected to the next Legisa-
ture who will put forth earnest and resolnte Efforts
to purify the fountain-men who will extirpate the
Boh0D upas, root and branch, and cast II int0 the
fire. The legalized traffic IN ardent spirits, with the
ten thousand appalling facts proving its cruel de-
vastation, an insult 70 the Intelligence OF the peo-
pie, and fragrant wrong upon their sacred. in.
aenable rghts 1t IL time to say, with an intlexi-
BILE determination, Iii men will engage in this
destructive traffic. ifthey will stoop to degrade their
longer have tie law book as their pillow, nor quiet
their conscences by the 0piate Of court license
1t h readily conceded, In regard to most inpeni-
ing social evils that society has the right Of self
protection. It is the right Of society to protect
Itself against burglares, incendiaries, and midnight
aseassins. Il is her right to protect herself against
tainted meat spoiled provisions, unwholesome odors
short weights and measures, and the storage Of gun
powder. Now, II the pr0miscuous sale Of intoxicat
ing drinks Is infinitely moro fatal to ia peace and
happiness than all these combined, can there be o
doubt that 1t Is oonstitutionay right and just to re-
Court Of the United States has settled this question
definitely and forever. Chief Jsstice fancy ssys:-
II see nothing in the constitution Of the United
States to prevent any State from regulating and re-
ator ether, If it thinks proper" Mr.. Justice Mclean
fays:-"A Nuisance may be abated. State may,
in the exercise Of that great and comprehensive po
Ice power which is at the foundation Of ITS pros
Justice Catron says-"If the State has the power Of
restraint by license to any extreme che has the dis
cretonary power to Judge OF its limit and to 60 the
Length q prohibiting : saoo Ge is
all the reply we need to make to those who insist
that prohibitory law is unconstitutional.
The necessity Of such law may be easily an
satisfactorily proved, BY the records of our courts
by the thrungs Of inebriates confined in prisons
by the burdensome taxes to feed and clothe the VIC
tins Of intempe ance, by the tears of orphans and
the walls Of widows, made such by this fell de-
stroyer This great moral and social reform which
It is our object to secure, Ia not an unknown and
untred experiment. It s In several of the States.
fixed fact, indicating itself by its wholesome and
upon thousands Of families, and protecting tie
young, the inexperienced and exposed, from the
gins and which the rapacity Of avarice would
spread In their way. The Mayor Of Augusta, Maine,
said:-"Tbe police were usually called out one hum
dred nights year; since the enactment of the law,
they have not been called out once" Professor
Stowe makes the following statcment:-"ln farm
eighteen dram shops. All but four were volun-
tarially closed on the passage Of the Law. These.
continued open until the magistracy laid It's hand
upon them seiz cd all their liquors, and poured i
trafc, ard their pauper tax, which the year previ
ous was eleven hundred dollars, was reduced to
three hundred. The inhabitants 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 un-
scrupulous men who should feloniousfy attempt to
fasten upon them the evils from which they had
1t has been estimated that by thorough applica-
ton Of the law TO the single city Of Portland-its
hoD0Ied birth place-it viii save to its inhabitants
asnnua three hundred and thousand
furnsb house rent ct 800 each, for 900 families;
give to each Of these families five cords Of wood,
five barrels Of flour, and $50 worth Of clothing and
then have surplus sufficient to build fifty dwelling
houses at 5000 each, five meeting houses ct $1,000
EACH twenty kchool houses at $500 each, and appro
pirate $4,000 for instruction In tbese temples Of
religion and science. The Rev: Mr. Hsdly, Of Port
land, says: Zone hundred dollars will accomplish
mole for the moral Improvement Of the poor than .
thousand could during the reign Of alcohol" It
has been said that more liquor 10 now used In Maine
dealers make q very different representation. One
Of this class in reply as to their trade In liquor in
Maine, said: 1--WE used to have three hundred Gus
toners from Maine, who each traded with us from
but now" said he, "an Maine u not worth hsv-
ing"
In Massachusetts, and Vermont the same genera,
effects bave resulted from the suppression Of the
LIQUOR traffic. "A member of the Common Council
per cent Of crimes, such % assaults, larceny, dis
tubance Of the peace &c had been one ii the fruits
Of heir prohibitory law. Hon. Amassa Walker stsaes
that "crime has been lesseDed three fourths, and
pauperism in corresponding ratio" tn those
places where the law has been fully executed. In
Vermont two common jais have been tensntless
under the benign influence Of the prohibisory law,
Now, It is for the people In our great and noble
commonwealth to decide whether We shall be parsi-
cipants in like blessings, or remain under the dy-
b protected, or fall victims to the fell destroyer
whether our poor tax shall become more burden
some or be reduced onehaH to tw0thirds- whether
our prisons shall be crowded or comparatively emp
lager bier saloons shall continue TO forth tide
Of poverty, misery and death, or be shut up
whether parents shall see their fond hopes
blasted or rsalised-whether poverty or plenty,
passions or genial temperr, cursiDg or
blessing sorrow joy, veal or woe, shall be in the
ascendant. 1t V, We say for the people, IN their
Se
petuated, 20 IL viii be. But win they thus say
Ten thousand voices from hill and dale, from cities
and towns, from the valleys and the mountain tops,
give an emphatic roe ponse, NO NO!
How, then, shall the needful reform be obtainedl
This question Is Of vast and vital importance The
answer, however, IL brief and conclusive. We must
east away our party ties and predictions, 80 far
- they interfere with combined and vigorous effort
to elect men TO the Legislature who pledged to
give their influence and untiring efforts for the &C
! complement Of this, the most important reform
! Of the ago. The friends Of temperance cannot In
trvth and canSor Be charged with precpitating tots
earnestly endeavored to avoid this issue. Bot the
coureo persisted In BY the last Legisature In spite
q entreaty ana respectful remonstrsnce, has lefi
them no other alternative. Il was small favor
assuredly,. that No. asked. that moderate, judi.
/, cious prohibitory law shouli be passed, and the
! great question Of its repeel shoa(d b submitted
10 q popular vote. II this most ressonaole
proposition had been acceded TO, this convention
| would mot have been called. and M staua vro,Id
have been taken to eelect Q temperance ticket. But
the majority Of our representatives refused this
| small boon. They chose 70 do - they have done
stituenss, and perpetuste the liquor trafac. They
have acted their pleasure. u Il pleasure 70 &c
lect true men-faithful men-wbo will care more for
principle than party moro for the people than the
fore Il ulnfn and Nv eor.ces4 ana Amazon n.