The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-14

Real Work OF temperance I'm other Hands.
We published yesterday, at large, the new
Maine Liquor law agreed upon by the joint
committee appointed to deliberate and report
upon the subject to the two houses of the Lee
gislature 1t is substantially the bill of the last
session, Clark's own bill, wi few secondary
notifications. Possibly it may be passed;
probably it may be overruled by the necessi-
ties attaching to Stewards reelection; but, in
any event, the thing is of little practical con.
sequence, the real work of temperance having
been boldly taken hold of by other hands, COM
petent and resolved to prosecute it in their
own way.
The consistencies of our peddling Albany
politicians and philanthropical refsrmers are
remarkable and somewhat refreshing in these
degenerate days. The Redeemer of mankind
was pattern Of temperance in all things; yet
at the marriage feast of Cana Of Galilee, he
changed the water into the most delicious wioe
upon the table. Our Albany reformers, on
the other hand, propose to change all sorts
Of liquor, our lager bier and wines in
cluded, into Croton water. They are at
tempting miracle, and they will fail
But it is the consistency, the charming
consistency, between the bill introduced to le-
galize our primary elections, and this new Ii
quor law that challenges our special attention.
The primary election bill proposes to legalize
ruaianism, short boys, and the cliques OF whis-
key drinking cut-throats, aud vagabonds of all
sorts, that have, for SO many years, exercised
the mastery in our political affairs, through the
grog shop influences of our primary elections.
If this bill only comprehended an appropria-
election days, it would be complete. A special
committee from the Pewter Mug and Coal Hole
of Tammany Hall should forthwith proceed to
Albany in behalf of this amendment.
| On the other hand the new liquor bill pro-
poses to shut up the grog shops entirely, and
to limit the sales Of alcoholic stimulants of all
kinds to the use of such articles for mechani-
CAL chemical, medicinal, and sacramental pur-
poses. Of course, these available exceptions
will be made to cover the whole ground; but
how we are to reconcile this measure with the
primary election bill is a question of very diff
cult solution.
We repeat, however, that it is of little conse-
quence whether this Maine liquor law is passed
or fails to pass While our present system Of
primary elections and grog shop electioneering
caucuses continues to control the movements of
our political parties, drunkenness, tobacco
chewing and segar smoking. bad liquor, filthy
tobacco and the nastiest segars will continue to
rule the roast.
In another view, the party having the Maine
law in charge may spare themselves the trouble
of all further anxiety upon the subject; and
good and sober citizens may also congratulate
themselves that a new power has come into
existence, which will strike at the tap root Of
drunkenness and rufiianism, in the absolute
destruction of our present debasing, demoral-
izing, brutalizing and disgusting grog shop
system of primary elections In word, a
new, powerful and mysterious temperance
party has taken the field, on o platform different
from that Of the Maine liquor law, but calcu-
lated to do more real good in behalf of temper
ance, decency, law and order than all the
Maine liquor laws in the United States.
This new party are the Know Nothings; and
heir temperance platform is the total abolition
of our existing rumhole system of primary
elections. Can any man estimate the good re-
suits we may reasonably expect from the extir-
patton of these primary nuisaDces? Peniten-
tiary convicts, burglars, midnight assassins,
ana all the filthy savages who, with their
bludgeons, slung shot, knives pistols and
whiskey, manage the nominations OF our pri-
mary elections, will be thrown out of this en-
ployment and driven into the State prison or to
some honest calling Society will thus be re-
leved of reign of terrorism, peaceable and
inoffensive citizens will have the privilege Of
dregs of the corner groceries will cease to die
tate the selections of our law makers and the
instruments for the execution of the laws. We
are cordially in favor of this temperance move
ment, and congratulate our respectable law
and order loving fellow citizens of all parties
that it is fairly under way.
The Know Nothngs have taken the matter
in hand, and their quiet secret councils are
rapidly displacipg the influences of the wbiskey
drinking cliques Of our primary elections
We venture to say that the hired DULLES
Of these election managers, will find
themselves next fall, here and elsewhere,
throughout the State, reduced to the extremi-
ty, to a very great extent, of hard work for o
living, either voluntarily outside, or forcibly
within, the walls of Sing Sing. The quiet and
peaceable councils of the Know Nothings, in
this view, have been doing already a world Of
good in behalf of the cause of temperance, law,
peace and order in the community, aad for
the restoration Of decency at our popular cleo
tiops.
We say, then, that it makes very little differ
ence whether the Maine law is passed or post
poned. As a statute it will be practically o
| dead letter. So, too Mr. Aitkin NAV pass his