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


state. In New York City, "intemperance. debauch-
cry. lunacy, idiocv and orphanage contributed to
considerable extent toward the amount of pauper-
ism IN the city, This report further states thatit re-
auires nearly 100000 for the support of prisons and
almshouses in the City of NewYork 1t strikes me;
Sir, that nine-enths of that comes from the use on
intoxicating liquors and believe that to-day tn1
people of this State wond be far in advance oil az
other States of the Underworld he IN conai-
ton of material and general prosperity suGh as ..S
State has never seen-if by any means. law coulu
be enacted which would entirely dispose Oh
this question. and prevent the sale OF lntoHlcathg
liquors. While saying that, may add I I tii ~
Excise bill IL evidently 10 be passed by TINS Iouso ~
every particular as it came from the Senate: anu =
desire to place myself upon record IN opposition "
all its provisions. believe that IN the a.1 t i
great curse of the country which has grown Ion ~;
dividuals into communities, and from con,nuhi'i.S
into counties, and from counties mas cry s, ~ -,
self into the habits of the people OF TINS oo, ~
he wiped ont and believe so, sir, upon the piIh
cple so happily spoken by an eloquent writer tha'
you may build tower making lts iouna ih as
broad the universe; you may S',u ~ ", n da,Sa
von NAV lift il up until il kisses the sun
light above the clouds, and yet II that
tower has been founded upon mioS Of nne SIN.
Gle human heart, it shall be beaten down pe,ieve
that the public sentiment of the STATE VIII Deat
down this use of Intoxicating liquors, ana that the
This State redeemed and disenthraled from one OF
the greatest curses that has fallen on IT, VIII be
indeed the Empire State of the American Union.
MR.. ALvORD's SPEECH.
Mr. ,lyord of Onondaga said: There seems to be a
di,osition on the part of a majority in this House
IN crowd this matter TO final conclusion as rapidly
as possible had believed that they would permit
the usual parliamentary ciyity of allowing the Dill
TO be read through by sections, and permitting such
alterations and amendments as seemed proper so
that when il shall have become law even IN hpite
Of the opposition of the minority on tins floor' III
shall be rs little obnoxious as possible III was III
this view and 10 this end that desired 10 oner inc
amendments which hoped the majority womb pei,
nit me to offer from time to time, as we prOgiesscu
with the bill But il seems that gentlemen are ucIos
mined that no T shall be crossed that mas peh ois
increased nor any II dotted wleIe 'i I'm 40 We
been omitted--that we are TO take thls OH hs We
find if and mass il at once. | therefore desire Ne
fore we shall come to final conclusion, TO place my
self right upon the record. had the honor OF Deng
a member of this House twenty years ago TO-DAY,
when an attempt made, IN reference 10 thls
question of licensing liquor selling, to submit the
6ueStion to the different towns OF thc state,
@yhetber they should or should not grant licenses.
opposed the passage of that act 1t ana not pass
then but the following year 1T became 2 law 10
that time. owing to the great moran elorts VI J
people who were in favor of temperance, there had
been an onward march and progress III reference 10
the temperance refOrmatlOns among the people Oh
this State and it was marked as 10 attract atteh-
ton through the whole civilized world to the opera
ton of that movement upon the condition ana pros
perity of our people. 1t was movement whlcn'
if it had been left alone by ieslsia'ion LODI
would in my opinion, have been entirely ana
ctunently successful. have the belief to-day: as
ALWAYS had. and | think that the experience oil the
last - years has shown that was rlght III that p9s
ton that this question: left to moral suaslon aud to
moral efforts and moral operations III regard 10 the
subject would sooner later have resulted III an
entire reformation of the people. am Ill iaVor OF
wipng ont all license laws from the statute book
believe there one OF two propositions when must
be conceded in this mater-elther that the trainc III
rum is wrong in itself and that IT ought MOTTO be per
mitted under any circumstances; or that III Is right
and that no license ought TO be necessary IN ordcr
toembark in the business These are plain and simple
propositions and the man who ior single moment,
who in his heart of heart believes that it is wrong to
indulge in selling using ardent spirits, has no
right here ~ member of this Legislature, To vote
in favor of licensing that wrong-Of licensing men 10
launch % moral and legal wrong upon himself and
his people IT, the contrary he becIcS mat III Is
right he should permit II 10 be used without fasten,
ing on 1t any expense or restraint IN the use and
enjoyment of ii by way OF Taic. sir we sell every
other commodity without interruption from statutes
in the way of license THE merchant sells his goods,
the farmer sells the products OF ms land the manu-
facurer sells the productions of his factory without
let or hnderance. But the man who deals III rum has
10 get license TO do and the moral Impression OF
that license Is an acknowledgement on the part OF
those who compel him to take II, that lie ~ dong
business which is really injury to the community.
and he is therefore putting himself III the position OF
being an accessory to the deeds of evil which grow
out of his business. | believe that If you abolish
the license system entirely, and permit
this question of rum to he question
mooted among the people of the country
as moral question alone you Will sooner arrive ut
conclusion than you can possibly do in any other
mode YOU can devise for regulating this matter
Leave this whole question TO the common law, and
let every man SELL matter who he Is or where he
throughout the extent of this broad land; and fol-
low home the result of that traffic to
him in making him amenable TO the laws
for the injury and damage to his fell
low men-fOllOw home the results of the use of il;
and if he still continues to carry traffic that
gcnders and increases dissipation and crime you Will
create moral feeling among the people which will
make them take this thing into their own hands.
and put down this power OF rum by the force of pub
lie opinion alone. which will and must result finally
in total prohibition No law ever be enacted
and carried out that does not command the respect
of the people. No sumptuary law of this character
will he viewed in any other light by unreflecting
minds than an interference with the liberties of
the people; and they, believing il TO be infringe
ment of their rights, whether right or wrong will
stand out against 1t. We have notable example
of this fact III the recent history of this State.
In 1851 there was passed solemnly by the
State of NewYork n law which said
that should not pass any bank notes under five
dollars, and that they should be liable to fine and
Imprisonment if they violated that law. Show me.
the records of any court within the limits OF the
State where there was any execution under that
law. 1t law against the public sentiment of
the people of the State, and it failed practically to
be binding i'll operation So in regard to this license
system. Go to work-spread your licenses over the
length and breadth of tho land-and who
the men that will undertake to punish those
who avoid license and the payment of money for il
1t Is not yOnr sober menit is not the men who desire
to restrain this traffic because of its moral effect upon
the community-lt Is not the men who desire To ee-
waite the people of the country by keeping them from
the use of unlimited but 1t is the men who pay
their licenses and who prosecute the poor devil that
has not got $50 to pay for his license because the
competition operates against their business. The
license system. too gives responsibility to the bust
ness, and makes the rumseller honOred and honor
able citizen. lie has got the certificate of three Com
missoners that he is moral man" and that he has
a right to deal in this article because he is moral"
You stamp the business with responsibility Leave
it to the indscriminate traffic of all people through
out the community, and you will degrade it to such
n Of mn wi m MT tha hpai
ness. Therefore. SIR. am opposed III principle to
this measure; and content myself with this simple
statement of my position, that am opposed in prin
cple to the enactment of any license law. Of any
name ar nature Whatpyer