Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-12-18
For the Patriot.
The License Law.

To tie General assembly Of the State Of Tennessee:
hope, in legislating upon the Liquor Question,
you will not forget that your constituents are
composed of two classes. One, no doubt, wants
the restoration of the License Law, and the 'Har-
gest liberty" while the other, much the larger
class, is opposed to its restoration. know the
liquor seller, together with his patrons much
the most noisy, but they in the minority. It
is not every man who takes dram, who wishes the
Tipping Law restored, yet know many do. Aud
thousands, Of reckless loafers, are now waiting
and gaping for you to give them license to
to sell liquor. Many Of them have been 10
the business before, and have engaged in no hon.
est avocation since their license expired. One
thing Is very remarkable in this liquor ,trafic
Take man who has long been in the habit of
dealing out liquor to the people, and turn him out
of the business and he will loafer all his days and
do nothing else. Perhaps you have not noticed
this, but think-look back upon the old liquor
dealers you have kI own and Jon will And it true
to the letter.
A majority Of voters in the State, no doubt,
would approve 'prohibitory law, while = much
larger majority would oppose the restoration Of the
Liquor Law. Men can and will get liquor to
drink without license, well, let them do so. Il
certainly is not your duty TO furnish the liquor,
a suitable place TO drink It at. Men will drink
this is overwhelmingly true. Yet with al my
opposition 10 the drinking usages Of the country,
would oppose any set to prevent men from drink
ing as much or little as they pleaSe. By Fefas-
ing license Law, you are not refusing men the
privilege of drinking when and whatever they
l.. =. l.
the worst part of a community, where they would
be enabled to do the greatest amount of Injury TO
society; give these men license and they ask moth
ing more, they will take the last dime from the
palsied trembling hand Of the unfortunate drunk
ard. The cry Of the drunksrds Wiie aud children
not heard by him-she is spurned snd told to
''go home and mind her own business"
am honest in ny opinion, that II is the most hard
ening and demoralIziug calling that is pursued this
side Of the pit of torment" Esen the highway
robber wil sometimes, give back some Of bis sto-
len goods to help abe traveller his journs home
bat the instance lie not on record, where en- old
liquor seller ever helped the unfortunate wife aud
children Of the drunkard, whom his liquor had
killed, after having taken bis last diue.
Il Is demoraIiEingl have no doubt bat thai
nineteen-.weeutisth's OF the two thousand
dram sellers, under the old laW, psjarsd them
selves. They swore positively they Would not eel
TO negroes, yet everybody kBows that negroes di1
get liquor from them WithOut permit from their
masters. No man can sell liquor for years, with
out becoming perfect bankrupt in morals.
Your aas "salOons," or drinking palaces, under
the "License Law" mstrIealstsd ten young men
into the school Of vice where your Low doun dog
Ksries introduced one. Il Is up 10 these genteel
places. aud in gsa,sel company, these young men
form hsbIts which bear them through every grade
Of drinking. from the highest saloon down 20 the
lowest eung dOggssy that ever cursed any city.
In this hsppy eOunuy Of ours. We have greaI
many foreigners, who have come 20 ENJOY the bless