The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-06-09
The Liquor Law.


escaped the memory of some of our readers
at least, that that the Indiana Prohibitory
LIQUOR Law will go into effect next Tuesday,
June 10Th. 1t is to be expected then
that eyery grocery, saloon, coffee house or
other place in which liquor has been retailed,
will be closed, so far as the sale of liquor is
concerned. We trust that there will be
general acquiescence in this law. so that the
experiment of its merits may be fully and
fairly tested-and that any violator of its
provisions may be treated as an enemy to
law and order, and not only be made to suffer
the penalties of the law, but be compelled to
suffer under that condemnation of public
opinion which has more terrors with some
tina fines and costs of suits. We do believe
that public opinion throughout the State SO
far as it is in the power of the majority to
constitute public opinion, is most decidedly
in favor of this law, and most strongly deter
mined to see it carried out. And wherever
properly carried out, we believe it will bring
its blessings in the form of good order, de-
creased taxes, and happiness and plenty in
families which have not known the terms
for years.
We have heard many "moderate drinkers"
declare they approved this law, and wanted
to see it strictly upheld when it went into
force They wished the temptation removed
from themselves and from their neighbors.
and they were even gratifed to make indi-
viduaI sacrifices for the public good. Now
these are the very men upon whom will rest
a great deal of the responsibility of preserv-
ing this law, or at least securing for it fair
trial. Let them rebuke all attempts at dodg-
ing the law. Let them discountenance all
secret sales in violation of the law. They
can thus exercise powerful influence, for
upon them will depend almost the entire sup
port of such secret sales and artful lodgings
generally.
But to the Temperance men-to their
watchfulness and determination at every
hazard to resist and secure the punishment
of every violation of this law-do we mainly
look. This law is principally of their maxi
ing, and if it prove powerless to affect much
of the great good promised, upon them will
fall the responsibility. 1t is due themselves
and their own works to guard this law--not
to prosecute, but to see that it is obeyed.
We have heard good men say that this
law will soon be forgotten, and be dead
letter-that we have already had laws on
this very question which were never carried
out, and so will it be with this. We beg
leave to differ with them. We never had
any similar law to this, and never before
was any liquor law in Indiana so firmly and
broadly founded upon public opinion as this
They may rest assured that there never
were such attempts made to carry out any
previous law, as there will be to preserve this
inviolate in all its provisions. If it do be-
come "dead letter." through lack of spirit
or of moral courage on the part of its friends
we hope never to see another law enacted
on the liquor question. But we have nc
such belief. We trust that every gooc
citizen will at least so far as he is concerned
lend willing obedience to the law-and nc
> man can be good citizen who does not
All parties have united in making the law
and all should unite in sustaining it till il
may be found "great mistake and in suct
case they will unite just as heartily in free
ing the State and the people from what may
then, and not till then, be considered legis
lative error.
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