The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-02-27

nay DO more than TIVE thousand rum lllers
licensed In thk State Who docs Dot know
has, whether more % hess, they Gao supply
-sy.tha regardless of coussq usnees. they
Ire anxious 10 supply-every man IN Maine
xith all the liquors he vii purchase. IL
he number be increased a thousand by unli-
,ensed dealers-as IL unquestionably is
This will not increase the quantity sold. IL
s only question rs to irho maybe permitted
10 sell. and not holr much, OF for Thai yur- |
pose IL may be sold. The slave vi appetite
can be plundered Of his last dollar at IL
censed as well rs an unlicensed dram-shop-
and the poor wife and mother, whose fam-
lshing children are crying for food, cares not
which. The coroners july who inquire
concerning the dead body found by the way
side. report not whether tho murderer was
licensed by the mayor and aldermen to do
his work OF death. IL matters not. except
us i, may involve those who license in equal
gull. And as the doors Of the poor.house
and the prison open 10 receive their victims,
IL Is idle % ask whether those who have
brought them TO that condition, be man, or
iew-licensed or unlieens d. IL this TT de,
50 full Of all evil, is To be allowed by law,
we care not whether IL be monopollzed by
few, or open to all who are willing to share
IN its guilt, inf.my and shame.
Speaking, then, in behalf Of tho temper
rance men OF Maine, whom We represent
who, as we believe, constitute a majority oi
the people-we demand the rc-enactm"nt OF
a prohibitory law. We do not desire that
IL should correspond in all its provisions,
with either Of the other statutes we have
ever had but we do claim that il shall
prohibit the manufacture and sale OF intox-
ic,ting liquors, except for medicinal and
mechanical purposes.
In regard to the machinery by which 1t
shall do its work, and the penalties which
shall attend It's violation, we expect that
there may be differences of opinion. Expe-
rience alone can eonelusiyely determine what
means are best adapted to produce the dc.
sired resut So far as this test has proved
my means to be efficient heretofore, We
doubt not that they will DO applied hereai-
ter.
A uniform principle Of criminal law
one which the melioritions OF the code have
in no wise changcd-is that punishment by
Imprisonment, is more effective than by line.
The great leader in that herOic struggle for
English liberty in the time Of Charles the
First, saw clearly ITS practical Importance
"lt is true without all questions" says
Pym, that exemplary punlshmenis conduce
more TO the safety of the st To than pecuni-
4ry remratiOns,- who would not VEN
ture 81 raise fortune, IL the wOrs, that
eau f.lll DO restitution merely Z" 50 lorg
~ the only Ienalty for selling alcoholic
liquors he bat a fne. large profits will cover
the whole risk Of detection. All liquor
laws, whether for license or prohibition
not excepting even The present license law OF
this Su,te-have recognized the force of this
vrinciplc. The application OF it, however,
with all the details Of the law We arc con-
tent IA leave with those whose duty IL may
be 10 frame them.
And yet we will add the suggestion that
we desire no heavier penalties on this sub
ect than forother Offences. Experience has
undoubtedly shown that penalties may III
such Us to prevent conviction. We ask
ur no Impractical gislLtiun-nOthing that
shall outrun the public judgement. We
know thar il is the certainty as well as tho
,sreriiy Of the punishment, which restraints
irUm the commission at crimes and the
latter should not be sought when il can b.
Obtained only at the expense OF the former.
We have thus reviewed the ground on
which we sGInd-the hopes which W. cher
Ish. We have no interest in this matter ex-
cept IN common with all. We seek no self
Ish purp0Se-no private advantage. But
our feelings are rs strung rs they are disin-
tcrested. he question ola prOhibitory law
Is, with US, paramount to all other questions
now in direct issue, aud is superior TO all
party attachments We believe that such
:, law will bring comfort and joy To many
households, restore peace and quiet to many
communities, diminish poverty and crime in
our State, ana greatly promotes private and
public prosperity. From 1916 To 1856 we
rad such hw-thOuSh not alike efficient
for the whole time-and during no other ten
years of our history have we advanced 50
RAPIDLY in all the clements of welltn and
power Other clu es. douhtiess, contrib. /
ltcd something to this lt,-but 10 the
prOgreSs of the temperance r~iorm, which !
,,yUs 50 much Ol time, and labor, and prop I
,rty,-which incites, and encourages, and
strengthens all that is good IN socicty-phy-
seal, intellectual, mOral-we owe moro
than ~ all other causes combined. And
We call upon the people OF this State-Of
whatever party-as they cherish our free in
and hope to transmit them unim.
paired to their chillren,-as they love their
children and desire to see them worthy to
receive and capable of preserving this inher-
Itlnce,-to unite with us in erecting the
barrier of prohibitory law against the
tide of evil which, unchecked, Is sure 10 IN
rulye communities Us we'll Us individuals i'm
prOhisacy and rum. Ii is for you to say
now long before the darkness that now COW
,rs us shall be followed by the light of u
new mOrning--ihe dawnlng Of happier,
! better day.
We are told in Greciln story that when
)rpheus touched his lyre-a sacred gift
rom ApolO-wild beasts were tame. Tan
sllus forgot his thirst, the wheel of lxiOn
,toOd still. and the Furils rclcntcd in their
work OF torment. Such gin from Heaven
- any people who will except IL, is u pro-
military law. IL alleylates suhtrings and
ortures more cruel than those OF HIntaius
nd lxion, and subdues eueni that are
more dangerous than any beasts that ever
u,lmcd in ancient forests. There are thou
,lnds ol wretched families ia our Stats that
Iro waiting, longing, praying once more to
lar It's blessed music. Voters OF Maine
when shall il b.?
p. MoERlLL, Gao. DowNEs,
4 X. AnBurr, CuAs. Hill,
Nc. IllrnrnRN, AuSER CoBuRN,
ID. &. MAcorX, Josrrn COvELL,
IL. "a. Rrss. II u. RASpaLL,
JosEPu b. HALL, W. q. SARGENT,
TnNAs CIIASE.
Augusta. January Goth, 1857.