Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-17


That a prohibitory law will be enforced. NAV
be inferred from the fact that it will not be
suddenly sprung upon the people. 1t will not
take them unawares The subject has been
before them for months and months. All pre-
vlous notes of warning will have been given to
the small minority than may suffer from it.
Let it be remembered that the people of Penn
sylvania are, generally speaking, virtuous
people We are law-lovng, law abiding, a
law observing people. We obey the directions
of the sacred Scripture, submit yourselves to
every ordinance of mani for the Lords sake"
Such is the character of PENNSYLVANIA, that she
obeys laws which are revolving to her sensibil-
ltes The fugitive slave law is repugnant to
our Unborn love of liberty, and our abstract
views of freedom; and yet so attached is Penn
sylvania to constitutional law, and convention
al rights, that the law is enforced through the
length and breadth of our Commonwealth -
Judging from the character of our people, we
say that prohibitory law can be enforced.
There is salutary principle pervading our
whole political and social economy-it is, that
the minority yields to the majority. When a
President or Governor is elected, however tu-
multuous and fearful the excitement and party
spirit previously to the election, the storm soon
subsidies, and the minority quietly abides by the
choice of the majority. Thus when laws are
passed. however unpalatable and ungracious at
first, the minority yields to the majority, and
makes no resistance to the enforcement of the
law. We are not like the people of South
America and Mexico. In these countries, if
law is dspleasiag to party, they make a
pronuncaamentO and take up arms But we are
an enlightened, and educated, and, upon the
whole, virtuous people we respect and obey
the laws passed by our representatives. We
agree that prohibitory law could be enforced
in our State from the example set by our sister
States, such as Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, and Vermont The law has been pro-
ductive of the happiest effects in those States,
and no one offers opposition, because, as will
be the case in Pennsylvania, it is backed and
and supported by an overwhelming potency of
public opinion
ALI brethren and fellow citizens, the tears
of mothers cry to our legislators for just and
righteous and stringent laws There is a moth
er in yonder street She has been jaded and
weary with the days household duties. And
she has gone to her bed. She endeavors to
steep herself in forgetfuness-bu in vain the
effort. She cannot quiet her distracted mind
Her mind is % like the troubled sea, when it
cannot rest" Are her thoughts upon the Or
derly, the dutiful children, who are reposing so
sweety in their chambers? Oh? no her
thoughts are wandering from sacred home
She cannot compose herself; her brain beats
like the death tick upon the wall. She be-
thinks herself of her guilty son. That son is
in the vile, low drinking house. He is reelng,
and cursing and disappearing The mother
raises her head from the pillow she inclines
her ear, for there is sound of feet upon the
pavement. But the foot falls are not her sons
They are the firm, stalwart stepping of the
watchman, as he treads his beat Again she
lies down. All is quiet-all is still And she
counts the stricking Of the clock-one- two
hree-four-fve--six- ix-seven-eight nine
en-eleyen-twelve. The hours seem length.
ened out to a mysterious length. And now
she recognizes the uneven, irregular pace OF
her lost one-she hears him mutterng and
curSing as he tries the door and then he finds
an entrance.
Oh where, where is the child, that years
gone by, she clasped to her bosom ?-the flax,
en- haired little boy-the red checked little bov
the bright eyed little boy-the idol of her
heart--the loved one, who kneeled down and
put his hands within his mothers, and prayed
lead US not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil" He is hcre-but all changed
He lies on the foor-a wretched, degraded
brute Oh! mothers, mothers, will you sit in,
dolently down, and not put forth your energies
to arrest a monster, that devours what is dear
er to you than your own lives? Could you
look with apathy on some panther or bear, from
our mountains, seizing on your children, mang-
ling them, tearing their limbs asunder sucking
their very life's blood? Could you endure this
with Indifference Oh no-you would not
you could not Your children before YOU bath
ed in blood every fibre of mothers heart
would be stirred And yet there are beasts
of prey, in human form, that are destroying the
bodies and souls of your children and you
make no effort to arrest their ravages
But objectors to stringency of Legislation
say, why do you not employ moral saaSioa
Why do YOU not persuade men to be temper
ate and virtuous ?" Have we not tried moral
suasion-haye we not tried it the last twenty
years? And what amount Of great and per
manent good has it affected? We have per
suaded men to avoid the tavern as they would
the cholera or the pest house. We have, un,
der God, done something in the way of reform
but temptation offers her bats in every street
and men relapse into crime We have attempt
ed to persuade men engaged in vending ardent
spirits to renounce their infamous traffic but
they shield themselves under our conniving
laws, and treat us with scorn Moral suasion
to men who deal out liquid damnation," is
but casting pearls before swine, they do but
turn again and rend u.s.
The noble founder of our Commonwealth,
William Penn with his fellow colonists, enact
ed wise and salutary laws. They knew that
moral suasion alone would not prevent crime
They knew that +" the magistrate beareth not
the sword in vaino They wished men to OBJ
serve the Sabbath; but they knew that they
could best uphold its Sanctity by furnishing its
violation They therefore passed stringent
law against the proclamation Of the Lords day
They also enacted several laws against the dis