New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-08
TEMPERANCE MASS MEETING-TIE EXCISE LAW
SUSTAINED

A mass meeting was last night held in the
Brooklyn Academy Of Music TO support the Excise Law
and to oppose its repeal by the Legislature The house
WIS well flled and the audience heartily In favor
OF keeping in force statute which shall preserve the
Metropolitan District from the dangers with which the
ianor traffic threatens IT, MIR. A. Albert Woodruff
opened the meeting with Few remarks III iclh,loh
10 its purpose. and introduced the Rev Theodore
Cuyler, who spoke substantially follows: In
the perpetuaton OF the Excise Law, the msh
The law right, is not popular in certain quarters
is mot s1PtTs,y s nor rs PFbo eoe to sell
liquor shall pay for the privilege II is prohibtory IN 30
converting his establishment into a groggey. IL has
closed 400 LIQUOR stores, aud many OF these were
law in the fact that the Excise law Is enforced by the
cessOrs OF the other "bOys IN blue To whom the people
take off their hats as they pass them In the street II me
not be Of much utility 20 the District An attempt to
repeal it may not made this year but an attempt
% be ha%G. 81 a the Metropolitan Board
$1,000 900 have been paid by the liquor dealers since the
ned for fifteen wears the license fees will pay OFF the
whole debt Of New York and Brooklyn. The law Is not
dealers in the Metropolitan District and their $1,000 re-
| tainers directly interested Ia having 1t re-
P iss only is '% X and g SSsSsyn 4$a
II must have unlimited prize-nghting and icenousness
would not the whole moral sentiment OF the state revolt
and say 90 The Five Points sentiment must not DC
permitted make the laws under which we are to I've
Resolutions were then read and unanimously adopted
Booka The rsP. obe Metopo'.a kIe,e lay Of any mod
break ntemPnes aud Involve the Sabbath IN rum
The Chairman introduced Senator John oD9nneI, who
hbiiion Is not az jmI6ssRllty We have prohibition Tor
3neet9 the next steR BE a 10 sSc OF the
argument advanced against the law-that was hnihg
the prospects Of the Republican paryand rldeu9d the
Democratic leaders for camorng for It's repeal 10 ne
latter he made the suggestion that lnasinuc as tue law
uDpSPu as it is driving o Republicans %aIiSp 70 TS@
serve the goose that lays golden =. eggs;
Votes H h 9ES ea party ~ Sags gained
since the passage Of the law and held that even u he
principle TO regain them. Mr. O'DonneI closed with
earnest appeal TO his audience to encourage the enos
strengthen their doctrines ny Vhg TEMPERATE htg g
collection was then taken up to ala the
which the Rev George Lansing Taylor delivered most
eloquent and convincing argument In favor OF the Excise
why liquor dealers should grunbe at the tax upon their
poison when their business IL the most profitable IN
which men can engage. The Tumshops OF New York
City, II placed In line, would extend on both SIDES OF inc
street from the Battery TO Central Park zen miles %
letter from the Rev ii Canheld was then read aiter
which the Rev Dr. Porter OF London spoke earnestly OF
the necessity OF maintaining existing laws Tor the proven
The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was introduced by the
Chairman, and received with lOng:connued applause
lie said the time will come when prohibition VIII be the
demosrable than that the people mad the right to pre-
vent the manufacture OF crime, aud IL well known
that the quordealers largely engaged In that oc
cupation. They may not Ike to make drunkards they
may not desire II; but they do it, nevertheless. AT
present IL ght not be matter OF expediency TO pro-
bt the sale OF liquor yet II was bad policy which per
directly Interested III the untrameed sale Of
liquor TO effect change in the Excise law When he
preached upon the OF SIN he liked TO sinners
squirm And when he saw Legislatures make laws that
objected 10 by lawbreakers he liked 10 those
laws maintained. No HOUSEHOLDER nor citizen had an In
erest IN debauchng the young or In making the law in
efficient. But every interest In Brooklyn, If II only knew
| itself, would seek TO make the Excise law per
| feet; and every time place opened 10
| sell liquor was the opening OF new ta1-gatherng
shop The OF liquor by the young men was removing
the foundations OF public morality The interests Of the
fathers and mothers OF Brooklyn restrain II they
could not prohibit the sale OF ardent drinks and this
not because of disposition TO njure the manufac
turer and the seller Of liquor but from desire OF the
people to protect themselves IL he objected TO boys
the interests of glaziers he wished TO preserve his
ceilings and walls, II was not because he aver Ia
pasterers. IL was because he desired to protect himself
and his property He not only liked 10 workingmen
that they saved their money. lie did not want 10 make
Brooklyn merely populous ctya city OF churches and
Of mnisers-bu to make OF the city paradise Tor work
ngnen He hoped to see every citizen freebooter, and
every 10 the roof that was over
/ him, and he desired also 10 abiding pros
| perity clear down TO the very foundation OF
society. Nne eBhs OF the crime 0ccasOned by the
DquOrdealers, and anything that Will abate this is
ular benefit. The liquor interest organizes and acts IN
concert to overcome the existing Law, and while this con
OF action observable temperance fold their
arms and calmly look instead of working ana voting
for the ballot was Gods aYelin In the hands OF epup
can 20 kill the devil with. AS minister OF the Gospel,
good citizen "A man Of common sense, as decent
IT his duty TO do I'll he could TO preserve the