The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-25
Tempernnce-again.

To the Editor Of the Press: r.r
SR:-The public mind seems to be swing
ing round the circle" on the question OF the
sale and use of Intoxicating beverages in SO far
as TO whether those nuisances, the drinking sa-
looms and grog-shops of every character, high
and low, shall continue to be encouraged among
us; and temperance men too, of whom it was
thought they had passed the Rubicon and de-
moished the bridge behind them and placed a
fire ON their rear and hence could never know
| retreat, are being carried "round the circle"
with the rest. The experience of the State OF
Maine is not so far back toward the middle ages
but that it can be remembered in connection
with the efforts of the two classes or parties
upon this question, viz, whether license law
is more likely to promote the measure and Sc
cure the desired result than prohibitory law.
Indeed to advocate license law is to acknowl-
edge the whole temperance movement from the
beginning to be failure. When we commenc-
ed more than generation since we were every
where surrounded by license laws and having
tOiled up to our present standpoint we are ask
ed to go back to the place of beginning. The
pretence that persons licensed TO sell will form
an efficient police to prevent Illegal selling is
falacious, 'tis nut with worm in it. None
remember better than the temperance men of
Portland, the license law when Welles was
governor. How many licenses the city grant
ed don't know, but the proportion for Port
land was about a dozen. We had the same
story then that the licentiates would not allow
Illegal selling, but all the rum-shops were open,
hundreds of them and nobody interfered with
them; SO it would be again. so it will be with
Massachusetts under a license law. Let us
have prohibition nothing 1t is to be hoped
that the temperance men are not weary of well
doing. Anteus contended successfully with
all the Titans until he encountered Hercules
His strength increased with his efforts so long
as he could touch his mother earth; but Her
cules lifted him from the ground and strangled
him in the air. If temperance men are not
str ing enough to lift king Alcohol from the
ground, let them not permit him to lift them,
but continue to wrestle until they gain strength
to do it. SO long as it is used as medicine in
common cases, so long we have town agen-
cies, we are giving the enemy foothold. Ev-
cry town agent knows that there is any guam
tity of sickness for which alcohol in some shape
is the specific; and the same disease has to be
cured often. Better abolish the town agencies
and stop the medicine. The patients won't die
if they can't get the rum. 1t will be cheaper to
pay doctors bill and use other medicine,
though it may not be so much desired. When
the agencies are abolished, and physicians cease
to prescribe liquors except in absolutely indis-
pensble cases, which are comparatively few,
we shall have the monster lifted from the
ground. For that letus labor, and let us sue
auvocates of Temperance become discouraged
and retreat to a license law. II they do that
they have lost the battle. five are not strong
enough to defeat the granting OF licenses, let
them be granted by the enemy, and not by
treachery or cowardice among ourselves
W ID. s. GRANpIN.