The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-05-10
Ths aaiuu 4 sunrual.
BDDEFoRD. Ne, NAY 10. 1867.
WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE,
WITH CHARITY FOR ALL.

WITH CHARITY FOR ALL.
Herewith we give the appeal Of the
executive committee Of the Good TEN.
plars in reference to the election on
the first Monday in June. Who the gen
ilenen are who issued the document, we
know only as they tell rs; but ,ha, they
arc inexperienced in the requirements ami
value Of law, and do M, appreciate the ri
fiondIt Of legislative cnactrnrnts, the peru.
sal Of their ineongruous "appeal" will
shows
FELLOW CITIZENS The Grand Lodge
of Good remplars Of Maine, fully alive ia
the importance OF securing an emphatic de-
rision in favor OF the amendments TO the
Maine Law, submitted to the popular vote
by our last State Legislature, authorized
The undersigned To issue mn Address to the
people Of the state, setting firth soms OF
tho reasons which call for the ratification
Of tl,oAe amendments by mn overwhelming
majority.
The crisis is mn important one In the his
tory Of our State. We have never before
bren called on tn act in an emergency like
the present. For nine years the liquor
traffic has been outlawed Ia Maine; yet for
MIN. wears, in utter disregard Of the popn-
lar will and with the brand Of criminal
upon his forehead, The rimsellcr has con-
Tunes, his terrible work in our midst. The
very corner stone Of o,ir institutions Is at
siakc. The solemn votc OF the people,
upon the one sale, the avarice Of the liz.
nor dealer, dciying the people, upon the
other, - which shall yield? Il is mn impor.
tant question; and will he decided on the
third OF June.
We have not space TO enumcrate the
hurIens upon the State. nor To depict the
misery anil wre,chesiness in a thousand
homes, I'll resulting from the liduor traffic.
Nor IL il necessary. The most thonch,less
must have noticed and the most indifferent
must have mourned all this. Whether in
peace or amid the appalling calamitics OF
war, in NIL the exigcncies OF the State, pri-
vate happiness and public prosperity have
lcen sacrificed To the liquor sellers greed
or gain.
This has caused three. fourtl,s Of oil our
pauperism and nine tcntls Of all our crime.
This has been in constant and open an
tagonism 20 our schools and churches
And this, in every village, has bred n
helpless inehriaie, and in every church
yard, has fill.yi ,lrunkarl's grave!
Having thus deficd the people, outraged
: .c;esy and insal,et God, the liquor traffic
il brought once more to the bar Of public
'oriaio.r for Judgment.
The amendments Submitted to the peo
l,is, provide imprisonment for every viola
lion OF the existing law-thiry days for
the first offence and sixty days Tor the
second. Is this too severcf (D
lfthere is one crime which, more than
another, Injuries society, il is rumsellng.
The criminal, thus cursiny the community
has no excuse.
The murderer may plead momcntary
passion In extinuation of his crime, but the
r,,mseller can only offer his love Of gain.
Hopeless poverty may tempt the thief to
violate the law. but the ruI,isellcr, reduced
To no extremity, seeks only an easy path to
wcalih.-lG in the punishment OF crime,
tie extent OF the injury md the absence ct
all exienua,ing circumstances arc to be con-
silcrcd. surely Imprisonment IS not too Sc.
ycrc for the riinsellcr.
HUT Inv has yet higher aim the pro-
ircIion Of society. And for this purpose
no necessary penalty is too severe. Is im
prisonmsni unnecessary? (2) Let expo
renee answer. Large profits have c,n-
hoLlcned the liquor-,lealer to scott mt the
Ir,iry fines and small confiscaiions. impos'
81 Tor convictiors under that clause Ut the
rr~-~nt statute, most eusily enforced. He
ixmlily Transfers arh penalties to his Gus
r'u,ers, by advancing the price OF their
,laily drains, and continues his business, ~
III concealed contempt for the law he u
thus enabled To- violate with impuniiy. The
good results of the present law have dem
frustrated the wisdom AMI expectancy OF
I'rohH~iion. t;il Hundreds OF grog-shops
have hecu closed hy 10, and thousands OF
inchriaies, thus relieved from tho constant
presence Of temptation, have been restored
In family. friends and manhood. In all the
SMALLER towns efiots tn enforce IL have
been crowned with bcneticcpt RESULT But
wherever. IA in our cities and larger towps,
the demand for liquor IL great, fines have
proved insufficient for the purposes of tho
law. Unless the people would abandon
the position they assumed in 1883 Sc
,rrer penalty Is demanded. This penalty
j. provided, IN tho pending amendments,
which wers framed BY a gentleman whose
L'.al aitainments mr.. only equalled by his
devotion To the cause. These amendments,
therefore. ars simply devised to execute
the will Of the people in the PRoHiHrrioN
of the liquor traffic. II ratified, prohibi-
iion win I've real, and not, n now, in many
Is,rts Ut our State, merely nominal. IL
rejected, the election will he construed, not
only in distant States aud foreign countries
Int in every bar.room in Maine, as the
overthrow Of Pronibition. The r,msellcr
win he encouraged; the officer disheartcn-
-,i, an,l the law. cs u notr stands, rM be a
dead letter! Tho question, therefore, is
virtually between, Free Rum and Prohi'
hilton. t.l
Voters Of Maine! The question is in
your hands Your decision on the thirl OF
June, will either crafty the ayarice Of the
r,inscller and pander to the lowest passions
~ our racr, or will advance the material,
moral anil religious interests OF our State
Surely you cannot hesitate how to vote
if you would he relieved Of the burden
of panper and criminal taxation; " YOU
would no longer sec the tears Of the worse
than widowed aud orphaned ones, coined
for the r,unselIers profit. vote Yes on the
ihinl Of June For the honor Of tho State
Tor the future Of your children, and in the
sscn,l names Of Virtue and Temperance,
we invoke you tn do NIL that yoi cnn to
make the majority overwhelming for righi,
on the third Of June. ''il
e. Pratt,
tl) Here we believe to be the vital