The Portland daily press., 1867-03-23
John Neal vs.. Temperance.

To the Editor Qfthe Press: ..- 300
In this discussion of the relative merits o
Prohibition and License and the claims o
each upon the attention of the people, do no
propose to be turned aside from the question
at issue by any personalities or digressions il
which Mr.. Neal may see fit to indulge. 1t il
an evidence of weakness to attempt to evade
the issue and make personalities stand in place
ofargument a5. n.
In this discussion write in behalf of those
who believe that the only road to universe
temperance lies through universal total absti
nence. Mr. Neal is not of this number. HI
believes in taking "little wine for the stom
ach's sake" Teetotallers will now under
derstand just how much his arguments shoult
weigh, and that they are not in favor of tota
abstinence but of moderate drinking of "purt
wines and undrugged liquors" Meanwhile
let it be remembered that nearly all of Mr.
Ms co-workers for License also believe in a
little wine for the stOmachs salse"-ditto, eve
ry rumseller in the land. s
Will Mr.. N. be kind enough to reconcile
these two statements,-"I would discounte-
nance both [rumselling and drinkingl by pre-
cept and example," and "unadulterated wines
"io NliolCSOulS anu uHuTuSSeu uuuOTS Olbtu
beneficial to health? 1t seems to me that even
young man might detect the inconsistency OF
the two positions.
Mr.. N. believes in protection from existing
evils. Let us see how. A few days ago a
friend of mine was riding out Portland street
and attracted by crowd just beyond Green
street, he found young aoomGn in a state OF
besstly intoxication, rolling in the mud and
water of the gutter, while a few steps beyond
We're three little children, the ell lest not more
than ten years of age, half clad in rags, SHY
erlng with cold and weeping as if their hearts
would break. He saw the young woman kind
ly cared for by some Good Samaritans living
near, and taking the worse than motherles
little ones into his sleigh, learned from the
eldest that they were on their way to the Aims
House, But mother wasn't able to get therer'
This was the work of Rum. Rum deprived
that mother of her intellect and sent her roll
ing like beast in the gutter. Rum deprived
those little ones of their natural protector, and
sent them, paupers, to the Aims House. Now
what is Mr. Meals protection? Simply and
only to sell the rumseller an indulgence to con-
tinue his work, such work as this, under the
sanction and protection of law! This is the
License system he advocates. Is it not a bet
ter projection" to send the worker of this mis-
cry to the State Prison? . ...l. ...
But Mr.. Neal succeeds well at answering
questions; will he kindly attend to the follow
ing:
l. L claim that the history of the world shows
no instance wherein legalizing crime or
vice has rendered it unpopular" He is chal-
lenged to produce one. He would render rum
selling and drinking unpopular by licensing
the one and providing legal temptations to the
other | .HHf fn H.f5 I'd.
q On what principle will license law Sc
cure better liquors? Are monopolies celebrat-
ed for the excellence of their wares? E .sF
3. Will Mr.. N. tell us wherein licensed
rumseller ''preys upon society" less than no
rumseller? .....-.....- .-..-..
A.. If there be mo essential difference" be-
tween the man who kills his brother instantly
and the one who produces a like result in six
or twelve months" why make one by prohibit
ing murder and licensing rumselling?
g. Will young man be less likely to com
mence life with habits of liquor drinking and
brothel visiting if leyaEizcd temptations to do
SO are presented, than if those temptations are
placed alike under the ban of public opinion
and lao as the Prohibitionist would have
them? . a '.s . .--
But have already exceeded my limits and
rest my case here for the present d.
.rll1. ... t.- NJ l.. STEVENS.