The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-05-04

DISRUPTION OF THE TEMPERANCE PARTY
The temperance party has gone to pieces.
Nothing is SO often heard as abuse of them and
their principles. Many who formerly stood by
them and voted for Clark and Raymond are
now strong on the other side. As party they
have sbrunk to shadow the merest shadow Of
their former strength Old Tammany is more
hostile than ever, even to ostracism Of tempe
rance candidates The Know Nothings have
agreed to have nothing to do with them, to re-
pudiate their nominations and oppose their
candidates. On all sides, men eschew them as
though their friendship was fatal.
The reason is very simple. A prohibitory
law in prospect, and the same law in force are
very different things. Under the influence of
the indignation created by the prevalence of
crime and the apparent incapacity of the au-
thorities to check it, people were ready-or
fancied they were ready-to try any expert
ment which promised relief They had patched
and repatched the city charter, but made it
worse each time instead of better. So when
the country wiseacres proposed prohibition, a
majority of the people of New York agreed to
give it trial Straightway a law is passed of
most intolerable stringency. A law, remark
able, if for any one thing more than any other,
for its clumsiness, is enacted to pronounce the
sale, and Of course by implication the drinking
of liquor moral and legal offence to be
punished by fine and Imprisonment. This law
now impends over the city.
But in the meantime, q great change has
taken place. A new and efficient Mayor has
been elected, and most of the more necessary
laws are faithfully carried out. Gentlemen do
not carry revolvers in their pockets or knives
in their belts. Men are not knocked down in
Broadway and robbed. These changes all of
which have been effected since the passage Of
the liquor law, have operated revolution in
the popular mind. They have led people to
discover-wbat they ought to have known be-
fore-that the grave evils which they sought to
cure by sumptuary law can really be met by
q reorganization Of the existing government
and choice of proper men to ill posts of au
tbority; and as natural consequence, people
ceasing to regard prohibtory law as in any
way necessary, it has come to be viewed as an
vi mitigated nuisance.
There is another reason for the decline of the
temperance excitement AT the last election a
good number Of Know Nothings voted with the
temperance men. Many Of the candidates
strove--aDd with some success-to be en- all
sides Of all questions, and polled Know Nothing
votes as freely as temperance ones. They viii
not do this again. 1t is the design of the Know
Nothings to suppress rum drinking in their own
way to discourage it by their personal exam
pie and precept, and to make all their nomina.
lions through the Councils SO as to avoid the
drunkenness and rowdyism inseparable from
primary meetings. but not to legislate or con-
sent to legislation on the subject of liquor.
There can be no doubt but they will carry out
these views at the next election and that the
teetotallers will find themselves in minority
Indeed, on the whole, it is safe to say that the
temperance excitement in this State has passed
its apogee already, and has nothing before it
but its decline.