Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-08-25
Barnum on the Maine Law.

laws. The Maine law is Arbitrary. No 10.
gislaiurs in this free country has 4 right io
make laws declaring wha, we shall or shsll
no, cat, drink or wear."
"Pny, Mr. obisciOr, are yOa married
man"
"Ys,, sir, ! have wife aud three chill.
den."
"well, so home, Pu, on your wifs's pei'I.
coats. sud march down our streets disguised
a. woman. and Perh,p. you will learn that
We have laws declaring What We shall wear"
"oh! !. never ihOught of'hai. but tho
Maine law is arbitrary"
"No more so than scores oflaw, rpOn our
sialul. book, which se reeoghits az neeesss-
~. IL diving along the public sire Q, or
hiehesy. yon are compelled 10 turn TO the
right in meeting another vehicle. nyOo rurr
to III, len, ,nd damage ensuu, you mu,i pay
for tia, damage"
Dat you e,n's carry Oss the Maine l.- "
who told youso!"
'"Mr. Swizzlc, the liquor rehner, and Nr.
Smuz1le, tic di,rller. They both declare
they send more liquor to Maine than they e'-
er did before"
"Are they opposed TO the Mliae Law
"Of course they are. They called great
Indignation meeting against IL, and pay thou.
sands Of dollar, 10 oppose !, a, svery cleo
ton"
"Did il never sirks you asa linls ,insu
lar, ,ha, these men should 20 siIongly OPrO,s
a law which they say Increases their sale, Of
liquor"
"w.ll. ! had no, thought Of that, either"
Turn to Neal Dow's fret report, I. Mayor
OF Portland. sier tn, Maine law had been in
operation but three months, and you will
Learn ihat the house ofeorreetion was empty.
although before the law was epIeied il vas
I,o small TO contain the victims Of niemper-
snee. Such ficts ., these tell YOU that lh.
Maine law is carried out.
Now" .ays Mr. Dow, " The watehhOuss
i, used to keep SEIZED liquor instead Of dmns-
ard, and through the waste ways Of tho
lock NJ. dondemned liquors are passed on IN
To the cummon sewers, without having fllhl.
ed thsr mnion Of ruin and death 10 our cit
iIen."
Nc. Djw infolms Us, that street b"sqiog
ceased soon afer the ensrtmer; Of toe Maine
Law. and that one Of the temperance men IN
Portland, upon meeting little child who had
formerly been street bsGser, ,eec'ted her
thus,
How happen. it, my little girl, ihs, you
don, come to our house for cold 'le,ual' no-
a.dlys."
"Ah!' said the lule innocent, her bright
blue eyes cli.,enips with dclieh, as she sPoks
" you have 60, good law nUw f,lhsr can
&c, any liquor now he !, sober ,nd indu,ui-
ous; he earns two dollars every day, and va
have plenty Of VAIN 'letu,ls ,i our bOGS,
now, thank you.
What volumes does ,hi, little incident
speak. Oh, you poor eroaker', vhO fear or
pretend to fear, that our grain will rot on tho
farms II IL 10 not ruited into whiskey, reflect
that II will take much nor. corn TO msts
bread and beef for the drunkards wife and
chlldrcn than 1t req uirGd To tlslill into run
ior the drunkards use.
upd,r the old license lava Of Maine, vhsn
men 60, - drunk as to be living, staggering.
dem jolns of bad liquor, unable to get home.
they tumbled into the ditch and ~ers carried
oil 10 prison and locked uP--lnan and whisky
together.
Under the new regime the liquor is locked
up alone and the man goes home, sober and
industrious to project, support, and bless, bis
family. !, not .hls glouou, improvement
"Ah, but can never eonsentt to such ter
ribIc. destruction of property.
"Desruclion Of property We don't Do
,,roy the drnnkard DO we"
Certainly not"
"No We restore him to himself, his lam.
lis, and society. Well, do We destroy the
Iumsellcr"
"No."
"Of course not. We take him ou, OF the
miserable and degrading business in which
he is eusaged, and give him chance To take
hold Of something that is honest, legitimate
and respectable, and which lie is no, ashamed
Of I By the way, every lifuor-dealer is A.
,hamed Of his business, or he would tell The
truth and stick on, his sign, .aYing,-'Drunk.
ard, made here. - Piupe, and Criminals
made here Poison sold here, - F,mi'
lies ruined here, &c Neither do we destroy
the liquor sellers store, hi, house, he liquor
easke,, OF his d.mijohns.
mo, but We destroy his liquors. You
can't deny that"
"well, We acknowledge thar. We con.
(ess that in order to save the drunkArd and his
family, in order to protee, society from tho
mos, dreadful curse in our land, We do empty
the poor miserable, double poisoned, hlthJ.
ruinous whiske! upon the ground. We pour
i, into the ditch. Of this destruction Of prop
ery we plead guilty. Now, my friend, les
me ask, how do you propose saving a'S yala'
able proPeryr
"Why, drink it tot sure"
"Tha's il, exactly. You will save rum
as the psnurious old woman did her medicine.
kI,l..,,L A an gool health she ha;ns diratfai-