Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-05-17
The Press on the Amendme Mt.

Now as to the amendment. We have
doubted its erpediency. Wehave thought
and do think. that the law could be mere
it than with it. The temperance men of
Massachusetts do not have it--and yet
they are enforcing the law. Our opinion
has been that it may be found practically
more difficult to procure convictions with
the amendment than it has been without
it. This is now our opinion-in which we
may be entirely mistaken, but time will
show. The temperance organizations are
generally OF altogether in f,ver Of the a.
mendment, and it will undoubtedly be gus.
tanned at the polls. In that ease we shall
20 for It's enforcement, as we have gone
for the enforcement of the law heretofore.
Wing.
We have already stringent prohibitory
law, which was made more stringent and
effective by the present Legislature, and
for whose more complete enforcement the
constabulary act was passed by the same
Legislature. We are Of the opinion that
the Legislature was premature in passing
this new bill and submitting it to popular
vote at a special election (which sh uld
never be ordered except in case Of great
and Immediate urgency before the State
c0nstahulary could have at least one year
in which to test its efficiency in enforcing
the good law We already have OH the stat
ute book.--Jcfersonian.
The Constitution ofou State provided
that ..all penalties and punishm.nts shall
be proportioned to the offence" Now by
the first section Of the liquor law as j,
would stand provided this new bill is sane
toned by the people. IA person who should
sell single glass of cider or ale, would
upon conviction, be punished. for the first
offence not only by fine of ten dollars
aud the costs Of prosecution, hut also i'm
prisonment thirty days. Would not such
u punishment be entirely disproportioned
to the offence! We believe it would be.
Nor are such cases unlikely to happen. A
few days since a respectable grocer in
Augusta was convicted under the present
law, and fined ten dollars and costs foI
selling a single glass Of cider. Had the
new bill been law he would have been
sent to prison for thirty days as additional
punishment. What a spectacle would thi.
have presented to the people of this State.
Leu uS iouA at CdSCs NutCii arc HdpptuiuS,
every day. all through the country. A man
in neigLborhood has some n. T.. rum
which he purchased as medicine. A
neighbor has some member of his family
sick, or has met with some accident, and
no liquor agency being within miles, he
goes and persuades his neighbOr 10 sell
him half pint which he does. Some
body having spite goes and swears out a
warrant, aud the man Cor doing an act OF
neighborly kindness in addition to being
made to pay fine of ten dollars and costs,
is sent to the county Jail for thirty days.
We know it may be said that he should
not have sold it that if he were doing an
act of neishborly kindness he might have
given it to his neighbor. This is all true.
But We are not arguing against his having
some punishment for violating The Jaw
but We protest. in such a case, against a
mans being made to pay f,rty shillings,
and then being hung for so inconsidcrabie
an offencc.-[ Progressive Age.