, 1869-08-20
Prohibition Run to Excess.


The New York Journal Of Commerce, a hi b.
toned and politically neutral paper, has the TO-
owing remarks on The prokibitOry liquor Law
Of radical Massachusetts, and its enforcement:
The new liquor law of Massachusetts appears
to be expressly intended to humilate and annoy
the Germans. Had the law not prohibited lager
beer, the aggravating spectacle would have been
afforded to Puritan eyes OF parties Of Teutous
enjoying themselves over their favorte inu ocuous
drink, while beads Of brandy pipes aud rum
casks were being knocked in all about them.
This of itself would have been sufficient exasper>
alton for the gaunt and smileless advocates OF the
new law. Nothing is so maddening to yonr grim
fanatic as the sight Of another mau laughing
and the proper supplementary statute to the new
liquor law would be a decree making a chuckle
or grin penal offence. Being thus happily
gifted with the faculty of fgetting merry over SO
thin poiatiOn as lager beer, it was necessary
for the perfec: happiness of the modern fanatics
that the Germans of Massachusetts could be de-
prived of that mirlh>naking beverage. All the
leading hotels OF Boston are spared by the con-
stabulary, and these men NAV get sullenly drunk
on the heaviest of liquors 10 private rooms But
the patrons of those places are not the humble
Germans, whom this law is designed to castigate,
but Americaus-radicals good aud true, many
of them doubtless, if the truth were known. Aud
then they toss off their glasses in our solemn
Yankee way, as if they were taking castor oil,
and not in the jolly hilarious fashion of the
Germans. The Germans are Germans, and they
will laugh and grow fat-lhose are crimes for
which radical Massachusetts will not forgive
them. So the COnstables, blind and deaf 10 what
is gong on IN all the great hotels and through
the best society of Boston, never fail to visit the
clean sanded ground floors or Easements of the
German lager beer saloons, disperse the sober
lnmates-German workmen and their fraus in.
nocently disportiug themselves after their daily
tOil-and rob The proprietor of his stock oflager
the poor mans whole property. The heaviest
items in the list of advertisements of liquors
seized and forfeited are lots of lager beer There
are dozens of kegs of this where there is one of
~hiskey, gin or rum. If the law were Justly
aud fairly enforced against all persors aud not
against the Germans in particular, the proper.
tlo1 should be the other way for the Germans
are but a small part of the whole drinking popu>
lation of Massachusetts. If, after what we have
said, any one doubt the special selection of the
Germans for persecution by the latier>day zeal.
OTIS, let him note that cider is exempted by the
law. This exemption is for the benefit of those
Massachusetts radicals who, while inexpressibly
ferocious upon the use of other kinds of liquor
for other people, demand for themselves the
privilege OF getting drunk, if they choose, on
hard cider of their own make. Hard cider, as
everybody knows who ever drank it, is more tip.
pling than lager beer. By exposing it to freez,
ing temperature, and drawing. off all that res
mains untrozeu, patent liquor may be obtained
stronger than any of the wines of commerce.
This being native product and consumed all
most exclusively by natives, may be made aud
taken in any quantity while lager beer, bev>
erage upon which the regular drinkers never
become intoxicated, is forbidden, aud confscat.
ed when found-because the makers and con-
sumers are chiefly foreigners, German, the class
whom it suits the radical party ofMassachusetts
to single out for their hatred and persecution.
Our advice to the Germans of Massachusetts,
is-to leave that State at once, shaking the dust
off their feet and come to this city Here they
make and drink their national beverage in peace
We welcome them we do the refugees from
small>soued tyrants everywhere. This is the
home Of the exile and the stranger This is the
city which, with a larger wisdom than Massa-
chusetts ever dreamed of, halls every accession
to its composite population, seeing in each fresh
admxture of hardy, intelligent, industrious races
a new guaranty Of its continued supremacy as
tue metropolis of the nation.
We are not writing in the interest of intemper>
auee. No German ever seen drunk on lager
beer. 1t is little more stimulating than ordinary
root beer. Its use has saved thousands from the
drunkard's grave. Those who habitualiy use it
are sober, steady, industrious citizens. 1t is a
great mistake in the name Of temperance to in
augurate such a crusade against this harmless
beverage.