Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-04-23
Communicated ]
No License.

closes bN saying that evidence upon
the oppaite Side would next be taken.
Ii tho latter has come to hand in
your exchanges, it should also appear
in your columns. But your leading
editorial shows that tile object OF
publishing the one-sided statement
must be TO influence the result of the
coming Charter elections III this viii
lage, so as to prevent a general whis-
| key-drouth hereafter. 1t is quite
possible, that many Of your readers
are not we'll pleased to find the HER
AID the prolessed organ OF the anti-
temperance party, ignoring the fact
that there is another side. But that
/ large class OF yoWr readeas who favor
the closing Of the iniquitous saloons,
and whom | presume you respect
personally as much as their opponents,
have reason to expect that the same
| iournalthat can give such length the
the proofs against the Massachusetts
Liquor Law, viii devote u little space
to the evidence in favor Of it. One
would think, from the last HERALD,
that none Of the opposing testimony
had yet appeared; but the fact was
/ chat some ten days before the date
Of that paper, there had been twenty
five witnesses IN faror of the law,
examined by the le gslative Commit
tee and where il their evidence !?
None Of it has reached us, among
/ these witnesses nearly all professions
are represented, including many men
Of distinguished character. The
State Liquor Law Commissioner,
Assayer, and Secretary of Board Of
Education the Chief Justice of Mass,
several College professors, mayors,
Judges, ministers, &c, &e., are among
those who have testified against the
repeal sought for by the petitioners.
AlIo, several editors, whose journals
are not found arrayed against prohi-
bition
If the opinions of the clergy of a
whole state are of any weight, as to
the right or wrong, of the proposed
repeal, letL8s not suppress the fact
given by the New York Tribune,
that circular letter was sent to the
clerical profession, Of all creeds to
obtain their sentiments: that 1925
ministers replied, Of whom 1903 de-
clared for prohibition, Sc for license,
and seven were in doubt. OF these
Sc free license men twenty -five were
Catholic Priests. If the prohibitory
policy has been such a cause of vice
and crime as the repealists claim,
is it possible that ninety four per cent.
of the clergy would record their tests
imony in its favor? These facts are
sworn to by Rev. g. Otheman before
the committee. And thoagh the
western papers fail to print the re-
butting evidence with the alacrity
with which they published that Of
the license party, yet we are told BY
eastern papers that the friends Of the
existing law still have the advantage
in the contest.
Tho leading editorial of last week,
much as il may please Your license
readers, seems so weak and contra
diotory as 70 be almost harmless. and
amounts nearly to an expression Of
your preference for the old state Of
affairs. Let US quote, eve confess
to fayoring the licensing Of the best
men that will undertake the sale be
/ lieviag that less crime viii follow
the sale SO regulated than by eng
0ther D actice" The "othcr practice"
that ne prefer, is to render the sale
illegal, and prevent it all we can
Do you clain that this will cause
more caime than now exists?
Again: eve would use the whole
law and its interpretations to reg
ulatc the sale, to keep sellers and
drinkers within due bounds &c."-
In this we agree: we would keep
them in the safest of all moral bounds
total abstinence. We do not pro-
pose to tantalize the drunkard by
getting him two-thirds tipsy, and
then cut short his supplies, leaving
him crazy for more. 1t is easier to
withhold the first glass than the
seventh. 1t is easier to keep fire
away from powder than to extinguish
it when it is half consumed.
But in the next quotation you ad-
nit the Justice ofour whole position,
by saying eve grant it you'd be
better to abstain, and to enforce abe
stinonce upon all, were itpoSslJJc &c"
This.is very cheap and easy thing to
say it was said by many voter,
year ago, who proved his sinccri>
ty by voting directly opposite. i is
an assertion always INDUCED in, by
those who would not personally al
low total abstinence to prevail for
any amount, yet wish to be classed
as moral, temperance men, Nine
tenths Of those who support whiskey
tickets, every where, will admit, just
as you 90, that liquor selling and
drinking IS not right, and even pre-
tend that they would ike to sceit brok
enup; because they have not the face
to openly advocate that which oil
the world condemns yet ask them
TO aid il doing away with the traffic,
and they whine ont ooh we temper
ance men arc so weak, and so few.
we can't DO il, better keep quiet and.
wait for glorious future Now if
the editor OF The HERALD, and half a
dozen other men, who profess to care
for and watch over the moral village
of Lancaster, were to act in accord
ance with the words first quoted
from Your article, which all Of them
Lenlorse ii words. hnt not In deeds.