Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1855-09-27
Cir C5Iasgoh Gims,
from the Journal OF Commercial
The Maine Law in Maine,

ma te, The stronghold OF Compulsory lem
l,eTa &C, is sold 10 rum dealers and rum
sellers, and the glory Of Ichabod is depart,
cd" Al of which in plain English means
that At tat recent election, Gov. Morrill has
tee, defeated, and al nti-confusion, anti
"Rr uutica.." Senate I'D Assembly have
been elected. As every sensible person
iorcsaE, the mighty excitement with egard
t''.UNr sts..I..- produced lion 10 the
s,rt. cA',Tt. One wear ago, ii was already |
perceived mat in most places the then ex-
icing statu;e vas dead letter. Men aurst |
not and would not and longer incur the
odlum attached 10 making complaints in the
manner prescribed and we heard without
surprise, tina. ;hc opinion OF several OF tine |
'oremos. original advocates Of a restrictive |
law had changed, and that they looked upon
tn" experiment as 4 failure. More enthu- |
,iostic persons thought differently, and un-
der the leadership of Meal Dow, they sue !
cccrl in procuring the addition Of more
stringent provisions 10 the law than it before
contained, and Mr.. Dow was elected Mayor
rf Portland, merely as token Of gratitude
oi the inhabitants Of that place, for his be-
ncyoience and philanthropy. The practical
workings OF the law, with supplementary
adiHucs, have, however, again been found
wanting.
The provisions of the Maine Law Statute
were so evidently the united products Of
demapogueism and fan; tcism, and are SO
ek;7 m their spirit to the working OF Abo-
litionism, Women's Rights, "Note yourself
a'arm," and many similar modern effcrves-
oences, that we have condemned them, and
iorseen their necessary final explosion; but
we should equally dep!Ore reaction to the
other extreme.
Many OF our readers remember the foun-
doton Of the first Temperance Society. II
was instituted in Boston in 1925 26, and
under the auspices Of s,rch men as Woods,
Hewett, Beecher, and others, commenced
successful crusade against fashionable tip
ping, ard brandy and water hospitality, as
well as pubic dram shops, which carried
with Il the good will of nearly all classes of
society. The voluntary system was the on
" one employed; yet, before ,he society had
long been established, its effects were SO APP
parent that it began TO be disrepu,able for
gentlemen to ask each other "to drink" as
they he'd done before, AZ! hundreds Of thou
sands in this country and England, had sta
ken The pledge" Men were ashamed 10
he seen entering drinking saloons, and la
boring men took pride in avowing them
selves recruits 10 the rapidly swelling ranks
Of the organization against drunkenness
II in addition to the efforts that were then
mIdn, prudeIt and stringent license laws
had been passed, and pans had been ta."n
10 carry them into eiIeCt,--Ahi II means had
been used to remove from cur large cities
portion OF its demoraiZed Immigrant pop
ulation--the new system would have prob
ably continued 10 prosper, and It's healthy
Development would hHye heCn felt at The
present day. In 1896 however, or even
sooncr, the clover foot CT tdndticiSm made
its appearance, What the enemy OF all good
could not 0 pose, he sought TO ruin by his
embraces. in nc cause If Temperance, he
brought the al OF intompcl.e action
From that tina 10 this, the Temperance So.
ciety has progressively decayeI; first Of all
by introducing III absurd opposition to the
for instance, ,ilcr, beer, ard even coffee an!
tea, and then by changing into on invoun-
ta-y and compulsory SYSTEM which had been
begun or the principe OF moral suasiou, and
an appeal 10 the nature Of man. Aud al
thong most OF he old members who are yet
living, continue to adhere 10 their frst prin-
ciple5, they have refused actively TO coop.
crate with those who overthrow me most
wise and phianthropc endeavor to do good
in Temperance, t..ot had yet existed on this
continent.
II process Of time, there came 10 The aid
Of Te.t,talers, . n.icst ron ireland, who,
in view Of the great amount OF drunkenness
in that country, called upon his corntrymen
TO enter into rsiig'oGC obligation, or vow
% =, stair from Intoxicating drinks. 1t is
difficult to estimate The relative value 81
Father Mathews 'auois, but we believe
that most members oil his own persuasion
e'er, alo nov convinced that, although h 5
Hrs. success Was apparently great, the uit-
mate result to those VINO incurred the obi
El.lSn !" required. was as general remark
injurious. lie still has partizdns, but the
wisest enemies Of drunkenness think that
tbs Ie,.otaIiSm has not benefited, but been
a drawback to the Legitimate cause of Tenn
perance. lie, more than any Other man,
brought the subject Of Total Abstinence be-
fore y; paople IN such shape, that Eas-
tern Demugogues began to court it as a val
liable political adjunct to AbOitionism; and
1t has been used as such to the present
nno.
The rise and progress of the Main Liquor
Law agitation is well known. 1t has pre-
scented that miagIing o. good and dangerous
features which easily seduces hj5hty enthu-
sia. -, and has done more in consequence of
the basis of sound principles on which it
appeared to rest, than any unadullerated evil
would have been likely to accomplish. Ev-
cry good citizen is friend to Temperance.
Every virtuous man shrinks from the con-
tannation to his family, friends and country,
which may be the result of the abuse of al
choholic drink. 1t is not difficult to imag.
inc a statutory support to Temperance, which
would be constitutional, and which might
deprive lntemperance Of portion of its al
lurements. Therefore the Prestigein favor of
The Maine Liquor Law was great; and had
it bee n essentially sound and true in prlnci-
pie. il might have bestowed q lasting beneil