The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-02
TIE CAMPAIGN in MASSACHUSETTS.

The Late Republican Stute Convention and
| Why the Party Declined TO Invite Defeat
The True MIXTURE of the Coming Contest
| The Objections TO the Liquor Inv Analysed
| The State Constabulary and Its OdiOus
Features-Activity Of the Secret Organiza-
tions-The Labor Reform Party.
BOSTON, Sept. 81, 1862
The evasive manner In which the republicans at
their late state Convention treated the liquor law
| question correspondent precisely with what pre-
dicted in letter TO the HERALD the day preceding
the meeting, and every line also In that letter reat-
ing 10 the Convention was borne out by Its action.
| do not claim to be prophet, but simply stated
facts gained from reliable sources instead OF uniting
| speculation aud the imagination OF fertile brain
| The reason why the Convention passed upon the
| liquor question in the manner in which II did was
because the g. o. L. and the u r. l.. leaders on the
night before the nominations gave the State Central
Committee to understand plainly that no opposition
would be made to Mr.. Claim; that the real contest
would be transferred to the choice Of members to
the Legislature was the case in the year III which
the =. L. L. swept the State and gave Jack Adams
TO- 900 votes. But Notwithstanding this latest
understanding and arrangement the Convention is
taken 10 task for lodging, in a spirit OF shufing
impotence, the only question relating to our State
politics. The law was a radical measure, and
became by It's enactment a distinct and absolute
party test.
Thus far it has been failure; and many republi-
cans, as well as the democrats, naturally demanded
distinct and honest declaration Of principle on the
| law from the Convention instead OF base evasion
OF the actual issue presented for its consideration.
And it was meet that Senator sumner himself an
avowed opponent of prohibition, was called upon to
preside TO smother the Convention in plattudes
which had nothing whatever to do with the politics
OF the state. Mr.. Sumner, it win De remembered,
withdrew from the Convention soon after blowing
his trumpet There was o method in this step. Mr..
Sumner had no idea OF being questioned by members
OF the body whether or not he was sound on the
goose" and besides this he s not accustomed to
facing such kind OF music. But IL Is not to be pre-
sumed that the faction or the Convention Will affect
the general convictions OF the people Of the State;
although the republican party understands as well
how 70 use the party lash as II does 10 evade delicate
or dflcult issues The ominOus crack Of the whip
is already heard but 1t Will not influence decided
But let US see what it is tnat threatens to make
warm fight on Representatives and Senators at the
Liquor law as it is the creature Of the law to spe.
ciay enforce It, BY statute passed In 1896 State
~ tn was % S0n
and cost Of travel with at least deputy in each
county and twenty in the county Of Suffolk, to be
paid three dollars per day and travel and the statute
provides that they shall especially use their utmost
endeavors to repress and prevent crime by the sup
preston Of liquor shops, gambling places and houses
| Of i'll fame. By statute passed last winter the
number OF deputies was increased to eightyone; so
that now the State has constabulary force OF about
1 $780, with salaries amounting to the vicinity OF
sl50o00 Since July last, especially, the operations
Of this constabulary force have been directed princ
OF the statute referred to- Thousands OF warrants
for the search OF houses nave been issued, under
IN which there was no liquor kept Tor sale, and no
| reasonable cause existed to believe that any was
kept Inded, there have been papabe instances
| where these constabes have entered the dwelling
houses OF our citizens and ransacked every room,
| closet trunk and even looking into concealed ar
tcles OF indispensable chamber crocxery Tor liquors,
the fourteenth section OF the Bill OF Rights In the
| Constitution OF the State Notwithstanding which
| reads as follows:-"Every subject has right to be
secure from all unreasonable searches and seizures
OF his person. his houses, his papers and a his pos
sessions After trial. too, In many instances, the
liquors that have been seized have been ordered 10
be returned to their owners from entire failure Of
any proof to sustain the allegation on which he
| warrants were Issued. Another odious feature Of
the law, and against which there much opposition
State constables. There have been hundreds OF IN
stances In the State OF arrest and Imprisonment Of
individuals, and Of forcible entry into houses and
seizure OF property without the slightest except
/ what Is derived from the unfounded suspicious or
the malice or state constabes Instances OF this have
appeared legal examination. Is any citizen, then,
secure from unreasonable seizure and searches
| OF his persons Strange TO say, too, there are no
penalties to reach the malicious complainant. The
state Constable acts his oath that he has
to believe that the liquor Is unIawfully kept.
believing, and therefore to convict him Of perjury
would be SIMPLY impossible. The State Constable,
l - u
criminal civil prosecution. The Constabes give
! no bonds, and some Of them are not worth enough
to pay half bill OF DAMAGES that might be rendered
against them. The law as now enforced is directed
only against contemptibiy small cases, while the
sale aud drinking In respectable places goes on AZ
before any such law was enacted. or course this
discrimination has been made by the Governor TO
apoease the popular clamor against the law, well
knowing the fact that poor Patrick Murphy or Bridget
o'Flanagan has no political influence.
And for the reasons above enumerated exists the
hostility the Liquor law Two-tards OF the voters
| L
now exists Tue experience OF the past four months
alone has demonstrated that 1t Is an impraciicabie
law, and the police records show that under 1t
drunkenness and crime have increased rather than
diminished. In Boston the law h dead letter
really. The city police whom the law makes II
equally obligatory TO enforce, have had and Will
have nothing to DO with it. Il " ignored totally.
who are addicted to cider in public and whiskey on
the sly made the law Boston, but they had their
High Constable Jones had between forty and eighty
liquor cases before the Grand Jury, but he failed 10
holders having adIudged the law Unconstitutional
| before tue evidence had hardly been presented
N the s,,, several cases. In addition to this
taken With many grains Of allowance, the public,
for some reason, having very little confidence in
their oath. In some localities State constable, no
matter how good his standing among his fellow
men, ia looked upon with contempt, aud treated ac-
| cordnRly. There seems to be peculiar stigma at
| tached to their calling; but suppose these officers
have earned an unenviabe reputation on account OF
| the unmanly means resorted to by some OF them 20
obtain evidence against liquor sellers. AS general
thing, however, they are as q body, as shrewd aud
industrious az the members OF the city police In the
| direction OF catching criminals In fact many OF
the most important arrests Of the past year have
been made py of1cers connected with the stale
stabulary.
| The political combinations 10 secure modification
OF the liquor law or It's repeal, and license law OF
some sort enacted in Its stead, going forward
pldly Boston, OF course Ia tue headquarters OF the
movement. The several secret organizations have
their agents travelling throughout the state forming
auxihares ana visiting towns where there Is o
| Likelihood OF gaining anything In towns
| where the two political partes are or about equal
strength, or where there IS good liberal republican
strength, the s. o. l.. and Y. X, l.. are at work-and
there are many such towns especially within thirty
miles OF the "Hubn aad la the western part OF the
State
| Worcester county famous for its confidence in
repubicansm is quite "rummyn In some portions,
Tor republicans as well as democrats drink rum
| the Germans having been assured that they can
| i'm 10 fut wi i1dr