Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-11-01
TO BE CONTINUED.
GRANNY Connecticut Oct l

" /
Editor Of the Spirit ofMe Age: l have
now been in this State since the LIST. of Au-
gust, when the Maine Law went into opera
ton, and | have been an attentive observer
OF its effects on society. | have been one
among that numerous class of temperance
men who have had doubts as to the practi-
cability of a very stringent Liquor Law but
/ have seen here 80 much good and so little
evil resulting from the very stringent Law
now in force in this State, that every doubt
has vanished from my mind. The most en-
thusiastic friend of the law, the most violent
opposer of it, and every class of men between
the two, have been forced to acknowledge
that they have been disappointed in the a
mount of good that has resulted from the
new law. So guarded are the provisions of
the Law, and so faithfully has it been OBJ
served, that the sale of liquor has almost en-
tirely ceased in the State.
One section Of the law provides that when
a man is found intoxicated, he can be taken
up and kept until he is sober and then made
to tell where he procured the liquor which
made him drunk. This information is evil
dence against the seller. This clause efec-
tually stops the sale to persons of intemper-
ate habits, aud this class have been largely
benefited by the operations Of the law. A
great many men in the State, and several
within my own observation, who have been
under the influence of Intoxicating drinks
nearly if not the whole time for months, and
some of them for years, are now sober
Many more who had drank until property,
reputation and health were gone who were
O disgrace to themselves, q nuisance to soci.
ETY. and a curse to their families, have now
become sober, have gone to work and made
their homes comfortable and happy. More
than one of this class have told me they
looked upon the law as their best friend, anC
should hereafter vote In favor of it. | have
travelled in various parts of the State, have
been in large Towns and small ones, in man
ufacturing villages and in rural districts, anC
| have not seen a person the least disguised
by intoxicating drink since the law went In
to operation
1 last week attended the State Fair at New
Haven, which was visited by over Twent,
thousand persons, and not one in this who'll
assemblage did | see intoxicated Can a
much be said of the visitors to your Fai
this week? The good effects of the law cal
be seen on all hands :-grog shops and bar
have been closed work houses have becom
tenantless, and drankards have become sober
Children that were covered with rags ar
now being clothed; wives that had despaire
of any change for the better, now see bright
er prospects ahead, and even Drunkard
themselves begin to take couragei
When L have looked about and seen tn
good effects of the law here. the question ha
often occurred to me- When will Mort
Carolina be blessed with a similar Law? 2
When will her gilded saloons, her fashions
BILE bars, and her miserable grog shops b
closed ?-When will her drunkards becom
sober men and her youth be saved frol
temptation?' These questions / quito ever
temperance man in the State.
Yours in L. P. & F.
G. B. DIBBLE.