New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-24
MORAL EFFECTS OF PROHIBITION.

MORAL EFFECTS PROHIBITION.
The Tribune hst the opponents OF the Maine law err IN
supposing the Probon consider drunkenness the only
evil from which their svore Is 70 preserve All
ornL of .pIuou, or liquors injurious Even glass
ofw " mug Of ale s hurtfu Drunkenness Is only the az
gsvaed form Of the vice The evil effects Of drinking in small
quantities large of drinking and getting drunk drinking
keeping sober differ only in degree They bear the came
relation each other that breaking man' leg bears t. break
Ing his neck Therefore must only prevent people from
setting unk hut must keep them from drinking 1t AL
We clad this. advocates Of Prohibition have st last found
courage of the logical results o. their theory We
congratulate them having safely passed that narrow boundary
which separates the impossible from the sbsud The oppo
their theories after demonstrating the impossbity OF
mailing men moral by legislation, had long ago pointed
Cut the road to those absurd consequences to which the
principle of coercion leads The Tribune, as unconscious
that absurd conclusion which the result of It's
ion the question of she Maine Law II the state hiss
power diminish the evil Of drunkenness and II ought 70
exercise thar power and ought exercise the of
diminishing the evil of dnkins shieh, as The Thbuae re-
marks differs only in degree This rglt assumed
duty be exercised 10 such insure the
desired effect We ony prevent the sale 'iquor-
TIE human boonas long as there desires 10 crafty
that s1 S &c es 70 Of Se oSs. ws thew
themselves The law must then guard every avenue BY ~nich
ana the ufscta1e Of liquor hu prohibit the eu
Of hose articles from which liquor made We must get
therefore have baroou disises, c1rrhelds and
vineyards five suffer the production OF that fou which
featured mi ht sres' ., the evil would exist
diaerDg only in degree just broken leg differs from
blCken neck.
u we oush BY law prevent from drinking iqpor BE-
d kiDE hurts them, ought 70 prevent theu dong
that think injurious When tae msjpiy have
esisbhh-a ihr ssasiiou that particular casom
podDcive of evil elects they mas fmsdiaey proceed TO
IT, by permission they by force II they Al
thst for the majority 70 become convinced Of the
huitre cDtom ojer have the whole machinery
government nd Of the L. directed t'is expsron On the
thssry the Maine Law the vii Of The nso,y
without reference the rghs opinions OF the minority
toned BY the descriptive Of We then
psciosSny OF the theory Let be successfully
ooRsuumsted, and VS. uiy soon witness the ins1gus.
| ,nn Of complete system of mNl leg sston.
We shall b. compelled by law 10 orsske cigars to-
bscco hurtul; shall be forced al Of ssss
becsr hey Immoral AM lead 10 gambling; shall be
coeIesd into srspng all habits and To the moral
code which Do ofdsned By the msj1v But the opin-
ions othe s,ority liable They claim
the tahy which antiquity aScribed the OF
Modes and ferssns The mutations opinion
provsbiA IL scAc-ly be expected that
Unless the Pohibonists de s@
proven, fIn seDg their views LEGISLATION this
Garnet be ths majority OF tomorrow Whs
cIie this will b. crime next year What be
done with inpuny msat soon De with the sever
estp~nstes Avrous this week nj nt without varying
bis conduct become vicious p-xt week, and thus our
code of morals would Re objected al the ycstndes OF
code Of fashion We shoud alter morals - 9en - ~e
change des There would be standard OF yr
because the standard Of ves would BE- petua chang
ing and sHolute CONFUSION Of all deA Of night and wrong
would Be the result Tse precepts which have
in al guided the conduc of would be weak
which have awsys been recognized BY the sseet II
mankind would be confused BY association with newly IN
code of criminal law. The standard virtue would be
weshensd By TO seS tests and instead Of being
funded great and absolute principles Of night saa
wns vord depsnd the everchsngns and IresPeanhls
vii Of The Eaisrty