New-York tribune., 1867-04-12
MASSACHUSETTS.

POSED AMENDMENTS 30 THE CONSTITUTION i
From Our SPECIAL CorrePolieot ,,,ro,- ,,,1 o 1sc-
The hearing before the Legislative Committee on
tbe question of change in the liquor laws was
broapht 60 a close ON "Wednesday. The Rev. y Il
Miner who at great sacrifice of time and comfort
has appeared day by day 10 defend tho cause Oh pro
lbition made an able argument for the rclnOstIdHS
against license law, and sGov. Andrew replied III
speech still more thoroughly prepared, ana wmch
will attract more attention than Dr. Miners because
A. nresents views which have been kept in the bach-
ground for tIc last dozen or fifteen years during
mi, time until very lately, there has been almost
no discussion Of the Temperance quesV""
by the enemies Of the prohbitoTy principe anu hos
a great deal by its friends. The hquor dealers hot
being greatly hampered in their business Dy the laW'
did not care 10 oppose it, AS general rule, l Sus-
pect they arc but impcrfectly acquainted with the
ethical view of the subject and until they heard Gov
Andrew or read his. speech, most of them probably
knew very LITTLE Of John Stuart Mills opinion of the
Maine Law or of the theories of Liebg as to the nu-
tlitious qualities of strong drink. don't know as
ought to say this, however, for Mr. G. A. Richards
the only lquOr seller who summoned before the
Committee seemed to understand the qucs-
tons involved very well, and was
A better witness than some of tho lawyers
and clergymen who spun their long yarns on one
side and the other Of the legal and theological qucs-
lions was struck with the pcrtincnce of one Of
Mr.. Rchards's answers. When his attention was
called TO the law. and lac asked how he could
Justify himself as a profosscdly good citizen In
daily violating it-"m the same way suppose ihe
repiied as the Judges lawyers and cloreymcn justify
themselves for daily tempting me to violate it,
There really did not much to be SAID IN the way
of animation after that. To return: l was
saying that the liquor dealers did not care to oppose
the law. Tho temperance men had no press, except
lIc lV N
except the Rev. Edwin Thompson, and their
principal reliance was upon the secret
orders of Sons and Daughters of Temperance, Tenn
rlars of Honor, or so on. who helped to Keep the
fcrisature firm and sound. Four or five years ago,
however. TIC first mutterngs of tho coming storm
began to be heard. People OF all sorts began TO see
that the drinking habits of the community had not
sensibly diminished, and that rum in Boston and in
express WAGONS, il not in the country groceries, was
plentior than ever. The remedy seemed 10 the ten-
perauce men 10 be State police, and bill giving
power 20 the courts TO purge the Jury don Oi C0t E
tlary- minded JUrYmen. Coy. AnmcW NejOttl ,tng
jury bill in 1854, and also IN ISo' al an4 a. Ga9 no
lice plan state COnstabulaTy,- winch has proved,
under Constable Jones. very efficient machine Tor
the ANNOYANCE and damage OF inc l9moI oI-ueaEls'
Tho persistent attempt 10 pass jury bill, however
saused great dis abstraction among many temperance
men especially OF the old Radical, antlSlaVery SORT
who even If they were not fully persuaded OF the
truth of he old axiom that II IS the chief end oi gov
e,uet 10 cet twelve men into the iUry-hOX did not
see t 10 go to the other extreme, and oyciturn the
,ysteni Of Jurisprudence for the sake OF getng llqIr-
lealcrs into the prisoners box ana thence mo lne
House Of Correction They began to doubt the WIS
dom and Uallibihty Of the temperance readers MI;
Francis L. Parker of the Senate Ot lSO) was placed
3. tho head oi % committee, which examined great
number OF witnesses. and came 10 some cohcliSOiS
well calculated to disturb the c0npidcchcl oi the
friends OF thc present law In lN! tiie jury D was
killed in the House without any lntepostlon rom
the Governor. Then Camc mp the present aeltdtlOll
with 5000 more petitioners Tor license ana
tnany moro IomOnstTaHtS, hearing OF SIX or seven
weeks a biz pamphlet OF 400 Ci 80 pages, ana Two
pondcfous yci interesting speeches, TO be read spite
sfl to imndafs results. II ia evident that there
the lSyy, gDi That lie state Constaluary will be re-
jnfoTcrd 10 te fun extent desired by its chief and
its supporters. The jury bill however, has barely
escaped defeat the majority for 1t on the last vote
haipc o.ily six and am hy means sure that 1T
Nillnot bc rcconsdcrcd and defeated. But other
results thero viii be, and not unmpOrtant ones. lhe
asSun,ption that in order TO bc temperance man,
friend Of morality and religion, q phllanthrOpist
republican and good citizen, 1t is necessary To ac-
rcpt Chapters So and 81 of the General statutes State
Iiauor Agency and ALL as the last result OF correct
thinking and the high-water marx on legislative
wisdom is at last swept away. President Hopkins
1bc abIcst witness for the pTolbit0ry law. admits
hat some license ought to be gwen to the alotneca
ries, Lat thcy can carry On Ielr 1S1neSs %lIoue
constant violation OF law; The feF. AT Nlillhs les-
ifies that e dare not buy liquors OF the state agent
aud Gov Andrews discussion OF the moral ana the
illogical aud chemical aspects Oi the question VIII at
iract much attention. and whether his views are
sound not will be 80 in accord with the feelings
and appctitcs Of great masses OF the community that
they viii be largely accepted | look for brisk
,ampaipu for two or three years TO conc and when
.No consider the tmidity OF pgoiessed politicians VINO
now control caUcuses and elections, cannot help
Ah,nkinc that it is possible so Thoroughly TO fughte
.hcm that they will finally give way when the pnch
comes / expect to sec Gen. wilson taxing con
scryatiYo-Fadicap ground on this as on other subjects
and zen the State Liquor COmnlsSionor who Is one
of our most astute politicians willing to sacIilce
a part OF thc law 20 save IT'S most eSsehtlai
features. | need not say that think, III this
view of The subject. land uuiess the whole lem
.oer.incc p.rty is prepared TO follow the lead OF
Mr. Pitman Of New Bedford, who logically holds
that il il their duty to make the enforcement
Of the law the sole issue il is great mistake to press
ihe inry bill through the Legislature. III VIII bc
good for nothing il enacted Will only eXaSpefate
Did enemies, and make now ones ana VIII DC so huc
additional legislative rubbish among the dead letters
of the statute book by and by to bc repealed, IL
worth noticing at all. 80. ..
The ethical and theological aspects OF this question
ave curious. but j have not space TO do moro than
rlllude to them. The orthodox clergy almost 10 u
n;tu arc protesting against any change IN ihc
present law in the way of license. and their churches
ind sabbath schools and conventions are pouring
TrenOnstrances into the Legislature. In quiet times
hese clerQvmen and chuTchcshayc good deal Of IN
jneneb public affairs but II strongly opposed by
-ihe latitndnarian element they will not exercise a
Controlling power i sometimes fancy that while
sndlcsS punishment is slipping from their grasp they
link compensate Themselves by holding ON 10 the
iOuse of correction as substitute; The Untarians:
weak in themselves, but followed by great army OF
ationaliss and free thinkers among the other secs
md n countless host of nOthin9lians, VIII generally
lake the other side. The free traders the students
,If Mill the Cambridge men, are generally believers
N Tie iheories skillfully presented by Gov; An
5rew as hc gTOundN Ork Of his attack. The Catholic
clergy With their people, are for license and tins IS
aeardeil "a n 81 gnificant fact by orthodox men.
e;,ding member of one Of the orthodox churches IN
he town where i live, piOiessedl{ man OF sense,
tailed my attention day TO the great Catholic
Church on Bunker Hill, which IS one ot the most con
lpicnOas objects TO him who rides ON the Boston and
,Hainc, Eastern, Lowell and Fitchburg Railroads,
and spoke of the great stTaegcal value of the situa
lion a military point of view. BY fortifymg this