New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-04

effort to speedily repeal excfse Dus, Dehevmg tueW 70
he unjust and unconstitutional enactments." '
The Herald likewise favors its readers with
Sunday discourse, whereof the burden is the in
compatibility Of the notions prevailing in the COun
try respecting Liquor laws, and other such abrids-
ments of natural liberty, with the free-and-easy
notions on those points cherished in this City. II
SUMS up the case a. follows:
a. The opponents of the Liquor License
act greatly outnumbe in this city, its adherents, and
they have on their side the municipal authorities and
probably the Judiciary In of the rural countless
where the prohbitory act was enforced without diff
Guilty, doubt the paiisans of the present license
law ounumber its enemies bHt in the large cities and
hourishng towns we imagine il is nowhere. The
chances are very strongly in favor OF IFS nuihcaton
by the Courts At the same time the chances are also
that the members of the Legislature representing rural
constituencies will at their next session. pass another
law that viii be equally offensive TO people here
For the real difficulty in this liquor busness-as in
or two others-is that don't understand one
another. The people OF the rural districts want no
end of prolbitory and coercive enactments. They
darent trust themselves alone with loaded pistol or
gin-botle, pretty girl. steam hammer, with
out good stout law to protect them and keep them IN
bounds. They have a profound sense Of their own
weakness and utter helpessness and are all the time
crying out for something to lean against, somebody to
support them some keeper 10 look after them There
fore they like prchibitory laws, and license laws and
blue laws against kissing, and other pleasant little
abrdgments of natural liberty. We city folk, on the
contrary, stand good deal of freedom without
making WY faces. We are not much afraid OF trust
ing 10 ourselves TO teach us what il right and what
wrong; don't need law to prevent our running
our head against stone wall. We have an idea that
shall take much better care of ourselves than the
Legislature can OF us: and we would rather, II you
please try TO do Sc. We think We know better what
we should eat and what we should drink than John
Smith or John Brown of Otsego or Columbia, and we
would like 10 see John Smith and John Brown purvey-
ing for their own stomachs regulating their own COM
msaat by any quantity OF legislative acts they please
but leaving us 10 provide for ours
This is we apprehend, the true secret of all the
trouble about liquor laws. The laws which suited the
rural districts very we'll did not suit US, while our laws
were not stringent and severe enough for them. Why
not admit the fact in a manly straightforward way,
and allow that both parties may have been right
Why persist in the Procrustean plan OF enforcing the
same law on people 80 heterogeneous, so divided in
habits, sentiments, ideas, and principles Why not
make the liquor queston--what IL always sh0uia nave
iemaned-a municipal matter. subject to the NUM-
cipal laws and governed by the fancy OF the people
Of the municipality Then those who fancied liquor
laws might have them, and we quiet people In New
York who don't want to be tied up quite so tightly
might have sensible, judicous license system OF our
own making, that we might hope to carry out 'F'
We cannot consider this New State project
hopeful one but it is the only safe recourse. Mayor
Wood may keep possession Of the Police for
time, by means of his injmctions, &c, but this
cannot at best outlsst the present years while the
prospect of any permanent change in the public
sentiment Of the rural districts Of our State into
conformity with the dogmas Of Human chattel-
hood and Free Rum which dominate in this City Is
confessedly hopeless one. But New State
composed of so much Of New-York as lies south of
the Highlands would be an impregnable citadel for
the rumseller and eongenial hunting-gromd for
the slayecatcher Decidedly, the New State project
is the only one in which We could advise the Liquor
men to invest their superfiuOus cash. Having once
secured triumph in this direction they might re-
pose on their laurels and enjoy their liberal profits
achieve under the egis of our State must BIO eva
nescent and illusory.