Litchfield enquirer., 1867-08-08
Temperance Reform.

 beverage, by our people. Nor does any one now question that the great Reform. commenced near half a century since, ,effec- ted most remarkable results, overthrowing as 1t did, almost entirely, evil social habits resting on immemorial custom and san- toned by universal practice. Since that time, after majority of our community had come to favor Total Abstinence, the at- tempt has been made to compel the dissen- ting minority to abstain, also, by prohibito- " laws. For short time these laws were successfully enforced. Then, for many years, they were entirely disregarded, un- til, since the close of the war, agitation has again commenced, and strenuous efforts have been made both for their enforcement a1d fer their repeal.
 In common with many earnest friends of the cause of Reform, we are not without distrust of the wisdom of our present stat ute; yet we are glad, on the whole, that it has not been repealed
 Our distrust arises, in a great degree, from fear that our legislating majority have not sufficiently reformed themselves before they have attempted the compulso- IT reformation of others. They seem to have neglected their chief and original ene- my-liauor drinking-in their attack on the subsidiary evil of liquor selling. Now the real crime. if any,is committed whenev- CT any person drinks intoxicating liquor, except as a medicine; the seller is only criminal in pandering to this depraved taste of others. Although, however, liquor selling is crime inferior in kind to liquor drinking it is generally more aggravated ill deqree because the offence is committed so much oftener-becaus SC it is made a busi neSs-because it often involves the unques- tionable wickedness of sales to those to whom it will evidently be immediately in- furious. What We maintain is, that where one sells and another buys and uses liquor, the latter is morally the greater offender of the two as regards that particular tran saction, except in the case of sale to a drunkard. We cannot see, therefore, how any man who ever drinks intoxicating li- quor as a beverage can enter with clean skirts upon the enforcement of the Maine Law. In fact, how many prosecuting off cers, committing magistrates, and jurors could answer questions like these: 'Has the crime of which stand charged never been committed at your soticHdi0n9" eff so, how dare you throw the first stone at me?" That the popular indignation against liquor selling has been too much fostered to the neglect of the primary evil of liquor drinking, is evident enough from what has seemed to us a growing tolerance of the latter evil; from that singular style of Total Abstinence practiced by numbers of those very gentlemen who in our Legis lature oppose the repeal of the present law; and from that most remarkable plan of Temperance reform which sends informers to commit crime with view of securing ifs punishment.
 In short, it seems to us that before pub lie opinion can be expected to sanction the severe punishment meted out to the seller by the present law, public opinion against the drinker must be raised to much high CT point, and that much more general To tai Abstinence must be secured than has yet been attained-that the majority must themselves cease drinking before they at tempt to coerce the minority It is with the hope that the public feeling in favor of Total Abstinence, which, after a period of reach the point which it seems to us can only justify the enforcement of the present prohibitory law, that we wish it to remain on the statute book for further trial
 We wish to add a few words regarding legal liabilities under the present law, which do not seem to be generally under stood. Every buyer of intoxicating liquor, no matter for what use, is liable to prose- cution equally with the seller Every sale is of course on request of the buyer and he is liable as what Blackstone terms "a prin- cipal in the second degree" (i.e. an ai1er or abetter) in the crime of selling. He might be prosecuted, moreover, either with the seller as m accomplice, or separately. Fur thermore, any one who employs another to purchase liquor is equally responsible with his agent and with the seller Were the sale of liquor ''felony' he would be what is termed "an accessory before the fact,'' but as 1t is only a misdemeanor that distinc- ton is not made, and all are treated as prin- cipals. There can be no question, there fore. that any one who has purchased in- toxicating liquor by himself or agent during the past year is liable to prosecution, how ever iustifable or necessary such purchase may have been; and on third conviction of this offence he could not escape several months imprisonment ill the common jail. Hence the thorough enforcement of the law would bring about results not anticipa- ted; and We have no doubt that if what wit