New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-08

ton of license ought to he subwitted to the electors
of che several counties upon purely democratic
principles The idea of local self-goyernmeht Is as
old the Democratic party itself and IL appears 10
that to be consistent with the doctrines OF the
party its leaders should be willing TO incorporate
this amendment IN tins bill My constituency largely
favor this view and | shoud be doing them as well
AS myself Injustice were | not TO urge its adoption
But il is evident that no amendments are to be al
lowed The Governor can hardly be consistent, i'll
view of his action last Winter should he sign this bill
in its present shapefor the that one year ago.
he refused to sign bill restraining the Excise Com
missiOners of Cattaraugus and Erie Counties from
granting licenses to sell strong liquors upon the In
dian reservations in those counties. for the reason
that all laws of this character should be general in
their operation. But this bill among other things,
incidentally reGnacts that vetoed BILL by prohibiting
the sale of spirtuOus liquors upon any of the In
dian reservations of this State" Are not my Demo-
cratic friends endangering their pet by incorpor-
ating this provision in this measured Mr.. Green re-
terated his wish to this license question left to
the people of the several counties through the State
the fairest and most democratic way of settling the
controversy.
MR.. SETHREY'S SPEECH.
After remarks from Messrs. Herman and Okeefe,
in favor of the bill just as il came from the Senate
TO the Assembly. Mr.. Selkreg of Tompkins said l
sent to the desk additional sections for inser
ton in this bill, the principle of which IS incorpo-
rated with the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Lewis (Mr. Pease | am satisfied that no
amendment of this bill will be allowed, and, there
fore, whatever remarks am permitted to offer on
this question may be submitted here and now. before
the debate Closes This License law is in fact, law
to make more easy the sale of intoxicating liquors
in the State of New-York. We are told that the
traffic in intoxicating liquors the use of intoxicating
liquors, are so interviewer with the appettes and
thoughts, and feelings and wishes. and habits OF
the people that they can never be eradcated. 1t Is
within my recollection, it is within the recollection
of every person here present that an institution eX-
listed in this country which had its advocates in the
Legislature of every State in the Union. and how its
advocates in both Houses of COngress-which in
trenched itself in the Presidential Mansion, and
rendered even the National Supreme Court subser-
went to its commands But that institution is gone,
and nothing left of it except the record burnt into
the page of history of what it had been-a blot, a
shame. disgrace TO American civilization. The no.
ton of the necessity usefulness of iintoxicaton Ii
quorS will probably reach the same conclusion and
from similar course in its advocates. commit no
man to my OpiniOns-I ask man to vote with me.
| unless he thinks my views cOrrect-and | say en-
phatically that am in favor of entire and absolute
prohibition of the sale and use of intoxicating Ii
quors in the State of New York. While saying this,
lam satisfied that public opinion in this State may not
vet fully support law reaching to that extent and
vet believe that we should move fast rs possible
in that directOn-satiShed that the true happiness
of the people the true advancement of State in
all her material relations will only be found most
! perfect the nearer we approach that point.
Now, what is the great cause of taxation in this
] .l ..apf ft1ur
this traffic and use of intoxicating liquors. have
now before Inc a report made by State Board Gre
ated three years since, called the Board of State
Charities The Chairman of that Board il a resident
| of Albany-a gentleman well known and respected
who was at one time Speaker of this House, who has
been a Representative of the Democratic party in
Congress- and is at present Chancellor and Regent of
the University of this State-I mean the Hon. j. V.
L. Pruyn. That report gives some statistics which
are so extraordinary in their character that |
feel justified in calling the attention of
the members of this House 10 some of their
details. Through the investigations of that Board
concerning the condition of the PoorliOuseS of this
State, remarkable facts were developed with refer
ence to this very question of ntemperance, pauper
ism, aud crime. They show that, in the Poor
Houses of this State there about 1000 persons
that of these 1000 came there directly through in
of parents, that 200 through intemperance of
husbands. aud that over 1900 were pauperized in
| consequence Of ntempcrance. See what frlghtful
| total of misery is here presented And to show
that this evil is general that it pervades all sections
of the State | submit few of the multitudinOus
facts embodied in that report. In Allegheny
County, that document says intemper-
ance and RIGHTEOUSNESS contribute largely to the
amount of pauperism." In BrOome Z" a large number
were brought to want by habits of inebriation." In
Cattaraugus. "intemperance contributes to a con-
siderable extent to the amount of pauperism.' In
Chatauqua intemperatce is also mentioned as among
4" the prominent causes of pauperism' In Chenango
lover one-half of those brought to want are thus
reduced by habits of inebration." In Clinton lover
two-thirds reduced to pauperism by habits of
drunkenness In Columbia, intemperance is named
as "a fruitful of pauperism-over one
third of the paupers having been reduced
to want by its ravages." In Cortland over
one-thrd of the mendicants were victims
of the bowl. In Erie the prominent causes
of pauperism are "intemperance, sickness, lunacy
| and old age In Essex, 20 are reported as being
| pauperized by intemperance and 10 by debauchery
In Franklin "intemperance contributes to a large
amount of pauperism.' In Genesee inebraton re.
duces large number to seek the poor-house. In
| Greene, "intemperance contributes in no small
degree swelling the large amount of pauperism"
In Herkimer, the report is similar. In Jefferson
"a large number were reduced to want by intern
perate habits In Livingston, intemperance
brings more to want than all other combined"
In Madison. intemperance contributed largely TO
the amount of misery, but few brought to want
by infrmity and old age. In Monroe, intemperance
is the most fruitful source of paupersm'-fully
three-fourths of the mendicants being its victims.
In Montgomery a large number of paupers were vic