Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-02-22
Letters rom the shore--Temperance
Revival-Constabulary Law.

Revival-Constsbulary Law.
The subject Of Temperance is agi-
tating tho minds of the community
with us in Connecticut at the present
time Ever since the minds of the
people were set free from the excit-
ing topics of the war, the Temper
ance question has been uppermost.
During the war, INVESTIGATION came in
like a food. 1T YVES not only fash
ionable to drink--it was popular.
Not to smoke a pipe, and to be igno-
norant Of the distinctive qualities of
the various drinks concocted from
decanters, argued greenness and
oddity. First class business men,
presidents of banks and railroads,
had their drinks, and poor men and
lat orers and YOUNG men, with such
examples before them, exalted the
vice TO an honor. Drunkenness and
speculation were left Us by the war.
The latter is being cured by the
times. The times are moro steady
going currency and gold arc APP
preaching each other and are very
near to o reconciliation. Temper
ance was the great home question
before the question Of slavery abb
sorbed the philanthropy of the ma
ton and now that slavery is q dead
issue, the reformers have gone back
to Temperance.
We have meetings in the parishes,
meetings in the counties and meet
ings in the State. In the early part
Of January we had a Temperance
meeting in this county, at which it
was voted to raise thousand dollars
to prosecute the Temperance cause
in the county.
At the State Convention, recently
held. there were three Thousand per-
sons present. Everybody of sound
mind and heart feels that intemper-
ance is crying evil, a crime that
cries to heaven. AS in all great
questions, when it comes time to act,
there are, however, two opinions.
One party Of temperance men say
that the State ought by force to put
stop to the traffic in Intoxicating
drinks. The other say, no use NOR
al suasion, and nothing stronger.
Parties are so nearly balanced in
this State that few hundred votes
turn the scale. To retain those few
hundred votes or to gain them, is the
point of struggle in every State cleo
ton. There are temperance men in
both parties, but the democrats as
party have always opposed legislating
on the subject. As long ago as 1854
what is termed the Maine Law was
passed ; then was "a spasm q activity
IN executing it. / well rec0llect the
general sobriety that prevailed for d
time. Old dodgers who used 10 60
every day Or two 10 the city with
their stone jugs, all Of sudden be-
came sober and Industrious low
groceries shrunk up; saloons dealt
in nothing stronger than hot coffee ];
the jails were empty Those were
delightful times But by and by,
men began to evade the law; the
old scodgers took tin pals to town
instead of jugs in the back rooms Of
hotels and certain grocery storos
there were strange and mysterious
ceremonies. New names were in
vented-'laeses" they inquired for,
and lasses everybody found out after
awhile meant rum. Under the name
Of patent medicines the Maine Law
was evaded, and Plantation Bittera,
Humbold's Extract, &C., wero sub
stitutes for whisky. Drunkenness
grew apaoe, then came the war, a
school Of vice, and il became unpop-
ular to be o cold water man. Where
there was one GROCERY before, now
there are two, and the community
can bear it no longeP--something
must be done. Men who drink
themselves, who are men Of common
sense, are down on the rum traffic.
They say it is running our sons; the
rumsellers get our earnings, they
destroy our families. In this town,
the principal business men recently
joined in procession and went
around to all the rum holes, high and
low, and told them they must shut
up, and they did shut up--there is
no other way but to shut up when
tho leading men of the community,
the rich men, join hands and say so,
If the republican party will take
Temperance and the enforcement of
the law against liquor in their plat
form, the temperance men will Join
them but if not, if they will not con-
sent to enact constabulary law, the
temperance men will, it is thought,
act by themselves. We want to get
State force Of constables who will
90 around to all the towns and en-
force the Maine Law without fear or
favor.
A Temperance revival is in pros
pect The people are awakening.
Why should we.endure anylonger this
destroyer of homes? Economy for
theState requires the consideration OF
this question The enormous waste
of money for drink, the tax for sup
port of iails, the destruction OF indus
try.
The traffic in intoxicating drinks
is a crime. ALLAN.
Connecticut, February l2, 1870.