New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-01
A WORD OR TWO on TIE LICENSE Law.

To he Editor Of The n. Y. Tribnn.
SIR You and differ most decidedly on many points;
but tnk that we agree heartily as to the wisdom,
rightfulness and expedency Of TOTAL PRoHIBITIoN.
We both set out from the immutabe principle, that all
alcoholic beverages are poison and from these pre-
mses reason straight to the logical conclusion that
the egazed sale of such alcoholic posons is an aboni-
nation; az grogshops public curse we believe
that they ought TO be suppressed by law. These pro-
hibory doctrines we have often advocated on the
same platform, and hope we may both live to hail
their universal triumph.
/. Yet, with these very views, am persuaded that
We ought to sustain the Excise law in such way
as TO make it prohibitory and not license law. Tho
principle of licensing men to do evil we both condemn
as untenable and wicked if the law, therefore,
required licences to be granted. should exhort all
Temperance to give it a severe letting alone
The new law does not say licenses must be granted,
but that they may be granted If the Commissioners
of Excise in TOmpkns County for example, should be
Temperance men, and were well sustained by the
orderloving community they can refuse to license
sin gle tippng house in the county This done IN
many townships of this State under the old License
law and hope to see it done over again under the
present statute The granting Of licenses left to the
Commissioners The first duty of good Temperance
men, az il strikes me, Is TO sustain the said Commls-
sioners in refusing TO license tipping whether
of high or low degree above ground or below ground
=, The law OF course an evil one IN tnat IL
ooars the egaized sale of alcoholic poisons in this
vital particular, il differs from what we are striving
fora prOhibtory enactment. But IN addition 10 the
fact that licenses mag BE- trihhcid under this law, it
has several excellent provisions closes the dram
shop ON the Lords day. II forbids the sale of liquor
TO minors and servants. Ii puts the ballot on
election days out of the villainous stencil OF the
whisky bottle. II requires sobriety among the
crnploifs of railway and stage Companies II pun
isles drunkenness by fine. II Furnishes the I'M
licensed sale of alcoholic drinks. II gives every neigh
borhood the chance of outlawng the dabolcal traffic
if there il backbone enough in the said neghborhood
10 enforce the whole law. Without such backbone,
even Mr. BOWS admirable Maine Law would be
pOwerless.
g. The present Excise law should not be regarded
by Temperance men rs " fnallty.' Far from H.
We must look to and labor for total Prohibition rs the
ultimate principle. and only use this law in so far as
it tha hasten forward the great object of suppreSsng
the liquor traffic. 1t Is not name we are c0ntendhS
for but the Ming itseiE-the radiance of dram-shops
from the land. Any law that will secure the thing
aimed at we should support, without reference to
names or antecedents. If the moderate" party give
us statute that will cose up tipping houses let Us be
thankful for the statute and enforce IT, Perhaps the
present law has some advantages from the very iac'
that was not proposed advocated by our PrOhbl-
tory friends II the law fails let it fail through inner
emf weakness and not from want of fair, adequate
trial. But il, having been fairly tried the new law
proves worthless then we can 60 before the people OF
the Empire State and urge them to adopt simple,
efficient law Of Total Prohibition Loathing as do
the very idea of legalizng sin, have no very lively
faith in any cense-law nostrums; but am ready to
advocate fair full, honest experiment OF the last
specimen of such legislation which our Lawmakers at
Albany have given us Things cannot well be worse
than they are In the strength of God, and in the
name Of suffering Humanity, let us lay aside idle
contentious and set about making them better. While
hquOr-dealcrs setting at defiance an fdr let NOT
Temperance men give them aid and comfort no.
Yours till better DAY dawn t L. cUYLER.