The Portland daily press., 1867-05-18
THE PR ESS
Saturday N rning HAY 13, 1867.
The Amendments TO the Liquor law.

The Amendments TO the Liquor Law.
MIR. EDITOR: Rim your paper Of the II tn inst,
you question the expcdiency, of adopting the
proposed amendments to our law prohibiting
the sale of alcoholic liquors. Will you a'io"
me, in this and one more article, to ofler some
reasons why think it not only eXpeoieh,, p"'
important that the amendments shouiu oe
adopted?
lam not surprised that the democratic pa
pers in this State should oppose the amend
mant, They are coniiste mt. They have OPP
nosed all our modern legislation on this sub
iect except the license law of 1857.
The Republican party, and its papers,
have taken different ground. And it is not q
little surprising, that not only very few of these
nspers Gd6ocdte the adoption OF the amend
ments, but that several of them are in open
opposition, and this, too, in spirit and tenn
per of which they may, perhaps, hereafter be
ashamed.
For instance, one would think on reading
some of the articles referred to, that the amend
ments were designed to commence a crusade
against cider. But the fact is, they do not
prohibit the sale of cider any more than the
spect, ......
The Augusta correspondent of one of our daily
papers writes as if the State Constabulary had
been at work in a way calculated to excite pop
ular Indignation. But the truth is, neither
the State Constable, nor either of his deputies,
has yet commenced a single prosecution,
served single precept.
And even the genial and pleasant editor of
that paper allows his assistant, who makes up
the local news, to repeat his low attempts at
wit at the expense the officers who are try
ing to enforce the law in this city, and opens
his editorial columns TO one who denounces
large body of the best men in this State as
''guerrilas," waging war against most think
ing men as common enemies" l --.tt
1t is true that, personally, all this ;sof little
consequence. But when we remember that
intemperance is most appalling evil and that
these attacks are made upon the only class of
men who are even trying to stay its fearful
ravages, the matter assumes public impor-
lance. The liquor traffic is very lucrative, and
rs supported by immense capital. With what
ever law and by whatever means, we attempt
to suppress it, the work would DO difficult if all
respectable men would sustain and encourage
ed us. How much more difficult it is when SO
many claiming to be respectable do nothing
but find fault with the officers of the law, and
continually hold them up to popular contempt!
Do the men who do this know, that in the end.
all such weapons must recoil upon them
selves? .ra s.
The course of the Press has been different
aud would meet its suggestions in the same
spirit in which they are made. .-f
You say that the amendments greatly in
crease the severity of the law, because its penal
ties are all additional" But you do not no.
tice that, in most of the cases, the additional
penalties are for the first and second Offences
There are as severe penalties underline present
law, as under the amendments but the amend
ments put the penalties sChere they aoiU be felt
A penalty that is never applied, except upon
the third c0aoicti0n, is practically good for no.
thing. 1t is good Tor shoao, not for use. There
are exceptions, but not enough to change the
rule. The main design Of the amendments is,
not to make the penalty for selling liquors
more severe,-but to pat the severe penalties
aohere liquor sellers aoiH ind them,
But what if the penalties are more severe
They will trouble no one il he does not Uiolate
complain y s.t. 4 s... I.r ....
But some say that it is the certainty and
not the severity ofpunshment that is effective
and this assertion is repeated in the paper re
ferred to, as if it had become a maxim of the
law But the statement is sheer assumption
Both of these elements are essential. A severe
penalty not enforced is of no value. An made
Qudte penalty is equally worthless. The his
tory of legislation is full OF illustrations. A
sentence from recent letter of Lord Brough-
ANS, in the London Times, furnishes one.-
when the slave trade existed, its profits were
such that men ran the risk of capture and for
teiture; but when my act made it punishable
by transportation, no one chose to run the risk.
and the abominable traffic was extirpated."
Many writer's on the science of law have
questioned the policy of furnishing by fines in
any case, for the reason that it enables the rich
to escape with impunity. However this may
profitable, fines are of little value When man
can pay the ordinary fines in am Illegal bust
ness, and still make money By IL, it is high time
to apply a different penalty. Many man has
paid his $2226, and returned to his decanters
to continue his accused work. who will not
care to run the risk OF the iron door and the
= grated window. ll:t DO osla 900 ta
l have some more things to say; but
must leave them tor another occasion
a.i-H -alai 81 H-s w. ID.