New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-28

For years, the Temperance men of our Sta1e
have been reproached as fanatic and imprscticaole
in that they have insisted on Prohibition Of the
Liquor Traffic, which Git was ursed) they could
not carry, when they might have had an efhc'ent'
benefcent restrictive License Law, if they only
would. The raPacious dog who dropped his bone
into the water in his hot pursuit of its shadowy
counterpart therein esped, was not more FOOLISH
in the opinion Of our moderates than the Temper
ance men in holding on to a Prohbitory Law.
We did not yield to their view Of the matter until
our Court Of Appeals had broken down our Law OF
Prohibition and rendered its reestablishment tenn
porarily unattainable. Then, in pursuance Of our
general rule of preferring a practicable lesser TO
an impracticable greater good, We succumbed, and
said, "Be it as you say, friends! Since we cannot
have Law of Prohibition, let US have the best
possible Law Of Regulation and Restriction"
Such law we trust has been enacted-a law,
doubtless, that experience will prove defective in
some Of ts details, but which is probably as fair
and forcbe in its general features as any new law
of its kind can be- We demand its faithful execu-
ton now, in order that experience may demon
strate its excelences and faults enabling to hold
fast to the former while we correct the latter.
share in the framing of this act which the friends
of moderate and reputable drinking impelled and
originated, and though we were subjected to many
and harsh reproaches from valued coworkers in the
Temperance cause because of our early acqui-
escence in its passage, we believe there are not
10 in our Stafa Xh M mil
with US in saying {" Let this act have fair trial
If it works well, we will uphold it; if badly, we
will swell the cry for its repeal-bu not till it shall
have been fairly tested
But how is it with the advocates of moderate
and judicous use of alcoholic beverages 2 Do we
see them generally ralying to the support of this
measure, originating in their counses and embedy-
ing their fundamental ideas We grieve to say
No. The great majority of them either maintain
rigid silence, vie with each other in seeking to
make party capital out of the natural rumselling
dissatisfaction with the act, or are openly and
bitterly opposing it
Ofeourse, our Liquor-dealers' Association, which
is said to have $780, 900 at its command enters the
field as contestant of the consttutiOnality of the
ACT \INOH -d-uals, every oCs tnot msciioioe WIN
mans profits or pleasures is in his view unconstitu
tional) Two hundred thousand dollars would 60 q
great way toward judically establishing the uncon-
stitutonality of the Constitution itself. We shall
of course have the best lawyers engaged on the side
of Free Liquor, and giving such opinions (price
ranging from 500 to l,OOO) as the Liquor inter
est may require. We doubt, however, the power
of these opinions. or of any influence that can be
brought to bear by their authors, TO induce the
Court of Appeals to break down the new law.
That Court has enough work cut out for it in the
way of notification, without adding this job to its
already heavy task.
We urge the friends Of Temperance, Order,
Thrift and Morality in every County to take care
that this act is fairly administered and faithfully
executed. Let them urge upon the appointing |
power the selection Of good mem for Commission |
ers of Excise, and then entreat those Commission
ers to do their duty unfnchingly. This act, well |
enforced, will dry up many fountains of vice and
misery; while it will add several thousands, now |
useless as rumsellers to the productive aborers of
our State Let US all, then, whether moderate |
drinkers or total abstinents, resolve that it shall be
enforced.