Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-05-22
THURSDAY, MAY II, 1866.


More Fanaticism.-NIaine Law-Now or Never.
In new settlements it should be the first care, as
it is the highest function of provident legislation
to found in the deductions of past experience, a
code which shall escape the perils Of experiment,
and avert the ineradicable evils of loose or pre-
cipitate policy. The enlightened spirit of mod
ern legislation no longer contents fself with pru-
ming away effects-with furnishing crme-with
covering up the running sores of social evil with
filthy prison -plasters and rags torn from musty
statute books and salves that hide the eruption
but do not cure the cause. 1t digs down to fun
damental errors, and strikes fearlessy at the root
of acknowledged abuses.
1t becomes us to anticipate by prospective en-
actments the enormities which would otherwise
find license on our soil. One vigorous and we'll
aimed blow of energetic Legislation. now, would
would extrpate an evil among US now in its in
cpency, which, if cherished by hesitating and
popular policy, or fostered by the connivance of
criminal sympathy-will reach eliminating
point Of prosperous impunity that will overmas-
ter all the engines of state-craft. ard mock for
ever, the impotent schemes of future philanthro-
pists.
There are no bounds to the Unsuitable usurpa-
tions of the Liquor Traffic, when once full grown.
With the daring impunity of prescriptive privi-
leee-this most terrible of social evils will grow
huger by the very barriers you interpose to its
progress. If you refuse to extinguish the fire
when it fickers and smokes doubtfully at your
feet, do not hope-when the dried hcrbage of
whole prairie has contributed to swell the head
long violence of the Hamc-do not hope, then, to
confine it's rage by the fimsy artifce of wooden
fence, or to drive it back with wisps of straw
No. if we sanction this devilish traffic in its incep
ton. we will be powerless to contend with its ma
turitv. II will be here as in some other States.
It will rise above all lcgislation-tower in hide
ous supremacy, Ike Leca, above all Law, fixed
immutably in the inaccessible depths OF popular
habits and traditions, and frowning down from
its dismal height shut out the light OF Gods sun
from half the earth. while the crushing avalanche
and the secthing lava conspire to overwhelm and
blight every green and lovely thing. And here,
as there, nothing but a social cosyuslon-no less
than a moral earthquake, with all the striite OF
contending elements and clashing interests--wiii
suffice to rid US of the scourge.
Next winter We are to have Maine Law here
1t is not so easy consummation now as twas
two or three years ago, when the Prohbtory Lii
quor Law passed by the Legislature vas neutral
lied by Judicial terposition--nevertheless one
year from now, no liquor Will be sold in the Ter
ritory Of Minnesota. The law is already made.
The supreme will of the people has made it law.
The Divine voice of a free people proclaims it
from the Sinai of popular Indignation, and writes
it in lightning on the Eastern sky. Some people
object. Let them. Much good may it do them.
but still thoy oh jeet-and this s not n revolution
of force, but of principle. They object and we
therefore answer them. 1t will be an unwarrant-
able stretch of legislative prerogative, it is said;
besides it can't be carried into effect. Th. Ger
mans of Chicago and Milwaukee say it. The
groggeries of Gotham, Boston, Bangor howl as
sent to it with surprising unanimity. 1t is the
consentaneous vote Of Dcbauchees and Drunk
unbasted in the havoc which Brandy has made
with their brains, yet cling to this one solitary
fantasy--the sum, to them, of all political Faith,
the one hope, the solitary star in their night
of darkness. They helieve it with most intense
and burning bigotry, with the desperate Faith of
a drowning catching at straws. They be-
lieve it as Nicholas believes in Despotism,
Brigham Young in polygamy. But Maine did not
believe it when her noble rose en- m1sse and
overturned the altars of this Baal, smote down
the idol from his pedestal of 200 years and de-
molished his temples with one Titanic blow Mas
sachusetts does not believe it. Ohio, Indiana,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Kentucky,
California, Nebraska, Nova Scotia, Canada, do
not yield credence to this ingenious fiction of the
advocates of Whiskey. Is the wisdom of these
States unworthy of our imitation? Was the stat
ute which is in full force in Eight States and in
evitable in all the rest-was it the precipitate
blunder of hcallong fanatic;sm? No, it is the
long sought and we'll earned result of forty years
of earnest, thoughtful agitation; of reform as
slow, as solemn, as high h-purposed as Christianity
in its step, as sublime Christianity in its disin
terestedness, its dev otedness, and its sefdenial
Its constitutionaity was thoroughly discussed be-
fore it was enacted. Its practicability has been
we'll tested by its triumphant operation. Its ene-
mics have left no machination untried to defeat
it, or to repeal it, and they have only succeeded
in procuring its unlimited ratification. They have
tried the people and the people say them Nay!
that rings to Heaven. They try the Legislatures
and even Legislatures refuse to be bribed to the
fearful treason. They appeal to the Courts-and
the highest judicial sanction is finally and irrevo-
cably, at once and forever given for the Consti-
tutionality of the Maine Liquor Law.
You object. your objection answered?
Then howl.
Prophetic.
1t is stated that some time since, at the request
of the Sunreme Court of the United States n sne.