North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-03-27

LOOK aC me! - Laws OF seyereSt character
are passed to prohibit the use of liquors,
but thus far such laws have proved of no
avail. Is it possible-and ask it uggest-
ively-isit possible that the efforts of earnest
minds have gone too far? Has too much
been asked? Is there disposition to
compel people to q course of conduct which
education and a spirit of self-control revolt
at? DO the advocates of Prohibition require
more personal sacrifice than 5000 wears of
history and habit have confirmed? am
anxious to get at the practical. Statistics
are of no value unless they are conducive
to improvement. Extreme ideas on all
subjects may be regarded by some as
evincing great boldness, but if such bold
ness is an injury rather than q benefit to
society why credit it with more than the
obstinacy Of the mule or that of his pater-
nal ancestor who starved to death between
two stacks of straw because he was not
entirely satisfied with either.
The License System, in my opinion, will
prevail. The legislature of Indiana at its
late session went back to a sort of close
communion license law. The legislature
Of Illinois had an excellent bill before it
but do not know if it was passed l
think, however, that the extremists of
that legislature, going upon their usual
doctrine of all or nothing" refused to
support it. There are evils-and liquor
drinking is one very great one-which can
be regulated, but not prohibited by legal
enactment. Our acknowledgements,
our personal do-as-you-please ideas rebel
against force. Every effort to tie up or
choke down the disposition to indulge in
opiates, narcotics, anodynes or soporifcs Of
any nature has resulted in a decided in
crease of drunkenness. Let US limit indul-
gence by law and cndeavor to effect some
thing toward the abatement of this pesti-
lence. The subject is one which calls for
reason, not prejudice-for facts, not theo-
ries. Even in Massachusetts it is publicly
admitted that more drunkenness obtains
under their stringent liquor laws than ever
before. The Hon. Louis CHILD, in a late
argument before Boston Court said /:
I'm regard to the present prohibitory
law, there was no period of fifteen years
in the history of the Commonwealth during
which the progress of intemperance, the
extension Of drinking usaees, were so
great or so rapid as in the past fifteen
years. This went to show the necessity of
moral change, and a moral principal in
mems minds to secure abstinence from
drinking"
The Bay State is we'll awakened to this
question. Constables are busy. and ILL
will everywhere is rife. Papers from
there tell us that many who formerly IA
vored prohibition, are now favoring license.
Among the distinguished converts is Rev.
Tao TpASv Hwhn hos bic lsfo ~ kIo
cause of Temperance: nationally known
as a speaker, writer and an editor, devo-
ted to the suppression of 1ntemperance
and Ii former advocate of the most radical
course possible, it is not strange that his
conversion to license system has caused
much comment throughout the country.
The Chicago Daily Journal, in late issue,
referring to the change of front which
seems to have begun in New England,
says:
at may well be doubted whether pro-
hibitory legislation is of as much practical
advart age to the temperance cause as re-
strictive or license legislation, especially in
large cities.
Temperance men will not, therefore, re-
greet, many of them at least, that the Leg
islature Of Indiana decided to adopt the
license system. The great excellence Of it
is that it keeps alive an aggressive temper
ance sentiment"
This, from paper which is principal
organ of all the ''reforms" that have
been in vogue for the last few years, is
considerable, at least. Believing Mr..
Trask and the Journal to be right on this
question, l unhesitatingly indorse their
present course. The prohibitory course
resulted in more personal enmity than
Temperance success. Is it not so? Where
has Prohibition succeeded? Why. even
the telling child that he shall not do so
and so, induces, among American scions,
wish to try what the effect will be is ho
aisopcys. ms disposition we came by
honestly. Our first parents, fresh from
the hand of their Creator, exhibited lit
tie of the obstinacy here referred to. 1t is
probable that the fruit" would never
have been meddled with had not the "pro-
hibition'' been so strong.
l am about to wind this affair up. It is
usual, believe, to close with what is call
ed by protested orators "a peroration."
That is supposed to be sort of sublime
Adicu. Having nothing of the kind on
hand, and believing that you have been
sufficiently troubled in listening to this
tirst-and probably last Lecture from
7" Yours, &c." l thank you for attendance
and attention, and bid you cordial