The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-08

DAILY PRESS.
Friday Morning, March 8. 1857

PORTLAND

| License VS.. Prohibition
On the questioned aProhibitory law. doubt-
less much may be said both for and against
it. The same is true of License law. It is
not our purpose to discuss the merits of eth
er, in the present article. For many years our
State has been committed to the doctrine of
prohibition Other States have borrowed their
legislation in a large measure, on this general
subject, from ours. From time to time in
creased strineency has been given to the law
and the demands of the working friends of
| Temperance have usually been granted; with
what practical results others can Judge as well
as we. In relation to these results, as in re-
lation to the policy and wisdom of the law it.
SELF good men differ. 1t is too late in the day
to dispose of all who are sceptical in relation
to the wisdom and benefits of prohibitory
law as 'rummies,' as it is too late to brand all
who favor such law as fanatics"
AS we have said, good men all having the
cause of sobriety at heart, and equally at
heart, differ on the questions under consider
atiOr. Their shades of difference we need not
here state, but we assume that all good men
wish well to the cause of temperance per Sc.
IF they differ in details-on questions of ways
and means-it is only because they differ in
their estimates of results. Convince the
friends of license systematic temperance
friends we mean-that prohibition may be
practically enforced and that it will accom-
plish the results aimed at by its advocates, and
hundreds who now oppose would become the
friends and supporters of the prohibition poll
cy; and may we not with equal truth assert
that thousands of prohibitienist would at once
cease to uphold that policy and adopt some
other, were they satisfied beyond all reason
able doubt that their favorite scheme for pro-
noting the cause of temperance would signal
ly fail to advance the interest which lies so
near their hearts?
The friends of temperance are laboring for
thing rather than a theory for victory Ov-
er appetite rather than victory over oppos-
ing sections of sober-minded men. 1t is prac
tical result that they wish to secure, and not
the triumph OF this or that scheme. To dry up
the fountains of intemperance and thus les
sen the fearful aggregate Of pauperisn, crime
and suffering is the objective point for which
all the friends of temperance are aiming.
The new law just passed by our legislature,
and which is to be submitted to popular
vote, was brought forward and enacted in obe-
dience to widespread demand from the
working temperance organizations of the
State. While many members of the legisla-
ture no doubt voted for the new bill under a
sincere conviction of its wisdom and necessity,
and its admirable fitness to promote the cause
OF good order and sobriety, we dare say many
other members, either with no fixed opinion
upon the subject or while secretly doubling
the wisdom of the measure, gave it their votes
because they would not be understood as op-
posing any means of reform proposed by the
working temperance men of the State, and
were disposed to give them fair and open
field and all required laws to exhibit the eff
cheney of the policy to which the State is COM
United, and thus bar out all excuses for fail
ure on the ground that proper facilities for
the enforcement of the law were withheld by
the peoples representatives. That the law
may work good results, if approved by the
people, is our sincere desire; still that it will
do SO is seriously doubted by many good men.
The Bangor Wing, edited we think by thor
aHEh End Refsa tata S} tna anaef %p ooR a9a
ground against the bill during its pendency in
the legislature, giving reasons for its opposi-
ton which have appeared in these columns
and which surely were not without weight,
and yet we dare predict that if the law goes
into effect, no paper in the State will more
sincerely rejoice in its successful workings and
its good results than the Whig. That the
new law will be triumphantly sustained at
the polls, we have no doubt. fa i
In Massachusetts where prOhibitory law
is in force, the people and the legislature are
taking sides on the questions of license and
prohibition. A strong effort is being made TO
supercede the existing law by stringent IL
cense law, and a legislative committee has
long been listening to testimony upon the
subject. Clergymen, physicians, judges, at
torneys and municipal officers have been be-
fore the committee, and the testimony indi-
Gates very marked change of opinion on the
subject among even the best men in the com
| monwealth.
The friends of prohibition are represented
before the committee by Rev. Dr. Miner of
School Street Universrlist Church, Boston,
who subjects the witnesses to thorough cross
examination, and spares no efforts to bring
out all the strong points in favor oI the law as
it is. We extract from the testimony at one
of the sessions of the committee as reported
in the Boston papers:
| Rev. John b. Robinson. city missionary of
| Boston, said that intemperance is increasing
| in the north part of the city, and many women
and children have lately become its victims.-
He would like a prohibitory law if we could
have one in fact but from his observation he
| had come to the conclusion it was impractical
| be- He believed a license law would have a
| most beneficial influence, and reach many
cases which are now beyond reach under the
present law.
Rev. W. r. Alger, Unitarian, of Boston, was
! called. He believed that in Boston the probib-
itory law was null and void, and that intem-
perance had increased very much within the
last six years. He believed a judicious license
law would be far more practicable to suppress
lntemperance.
Rev. DR.. BlaQden, of the Old South, ortho-
| dox, thought lntemperance to be increasing,
that license law would promote Temperance,
and that there is likely to be more drunken
ness where liquors are used surreptitiously
than where they are used openly
Rev. Father Taylor, sailors missionary,
thought intemperance was diminishing in his
part of the city, and that landlords should be
allowed to keep liquors for their guests
DIR. George f. Bigelow, secretary of the
Howard benevolent society, thought intem-
perance had been increased by the prohibitory
law. He was formerly in favor of prohibition,
but he had changed his views and now believ-
ed the license system would be better than
any prohibitory law which has yet been adopt
| ed.
Albert G. Goodwin, president of the Boston
Provident association, said he had observ-
ed that intemperance was on the increase, and
that the number of cellars and garrets where
| liquors are sold was multiplying He once