New-York tribune., 1871-05-02

ANCE LEGISLA1ION.
In the outset of the Republican movement,
a large proportion of our fellowcitizens OF
German birth took part i'll it. Many of these
have since left us, ard now act with the Sham
Democracy. We are told that this change is
"a consequence of fanatical," "puritanic,'
"aquarial legislation, which must be re-
nounced and condemned, whereupOn the Ger
mans who have left us will come back, bring
ing others with Them. Says Tie n. +. Times
"what urge is simply this: The Republican party
was not formed 10 support reforms i'll drinking habits,
any than 10 advance reforms religion IL has its
definite municipal and national objects in The field OF
politics, objects which sufficiently remote and sud-
ccnty difficult OF attainment TO satisfy the most cner-
sctc and ardent rcformer They primarily to gre
serve the fruits Of the at the South to conduct the
National Government economically and with careful re-
gard the OF The nation and to promote Inu-
uicipa purity and honesty"
To which THE TRIBUNE responds that this
is precisely the ground taken by the Repub-
lican party at the outset lin 1860, and always
consistently maintained by it. This party, as
such, is neither for nor against anticipating
legislation, but leaves each of its members
free to be for or against it as his own judS-
meut and conscience shall dictate. man is
no better Republican because he would shut
up all dramshOps if he could; neither is he
any less entitled to the designation. On this,
as on all questions outside of its declared pur-
poses, the Republican party prescrbcs no
creed or course of action to its members, but
leaves each free to act as to him shalt seem
good.
Is not this satisfactory We anti-Liquor
men vote for German Republicans like Franz
C;nic IL onG Enn
to hold views of Temperance radically Op-
posed to ours : Shall German Republicans
nevertheless vote against such as we are be-
cause our views differ from thers7 Is that
liberalism
But hear The Times further:
at is great mistake which those who have argued
against in this matter have made, that tho Germans
demand nothing but unbounded license. The Germans
il is true have had for generations very different social
habits from our own. They are mainly natives OF wine
countries and Is the custom of such people the world
over are in habit of drinking IN family and socially,
somew hat freely of light beers and wines. which are
much less alcoholic than our cider. AS
general thing, they less given to intOxica-
ton than people or the Irish. In arriv-
ing here, under different climate with stronger liquors
and dcarer wines, and among people OF different
social customs, the sensible part of them SEQ the
propriety and necessity of somewhat changing their
habits They behold every day. in tho Irish quarters OF
the CITY, and in the American bar-rooms, the fghtful
effects OF unrestrained whisky and rumdrnlng. They
see the long roll of crimes against persons and property
every Monday morning. committed the Sunday in our
corner groceries and rumshOps. Now, wo should be
doing violence to all that know Of the good sense OF
the Americans if did not suppose that they
were open to any reasonable compromise the subject
Of public drinking"
Now hear THE TRIBUNE on this point:
We Temperance men rest our cause on the
simple scientific truth that Alcohol is essentially
a Doison, and that fall substances containing
Alcohol are consequently baleful to the healthy
human system. We do not assume that glass
of Lager or of Cider is as injurious as glass
Of Whisky or Gin, because it contains a far
less quantity of Alcohol; but we insist that
an ounce of Alcohol is just as hurtful when
diffused through six glasses of Lager as when
imbibed in two glasses of Rum or Brandy.
We perceive, therefore, no safe ground
whereOn to discriminate between one Alcoholic
beverage and another.
What we should prefer to do, if We had
power, is to place the dispensing of Alcoholic
stmulants under the same legislation with
that of all other poisons. Calomel, Opium,
Arsenic, Prussic Acid, &C., are deadly poisons;
whence it does not follow that their sale
should be absolutely prohibited. 1t should on
the contrary, be authorized and licensed, but
Gas with other poisons) placed under such reg
ulations and safeguards as should preclude
its abuse. The fact, if fact it be, that many
are ignorant of it's poisonous nature. while
prone to its immoderate use, so far from
affOrding reason for Its unchecked dispensa-
tion, intensifes the moral obligation to restrict
its dispensation to capable, discreet, conscien-
tiOus persons, who will take all possible care
that it be not abused.
Such are the convictions Of O very large pro-
portion of the Republicans of our State, who
are not inferior to others in moral worth or
intellectual power. If they had no will to con-
suit but their own, they would urge the State
to confine the dispensing of Alcoholic fluids to
licensed chemists and druggists of eminent
integrity and capacity.
But, recognizing the facts that the nature of
Alcohol is widely inexperienced, and that
majority Of the voters are not prepared to sus-
tain such regulation of the Liquor Traffic
as they deem most correct and benef-
cent, the great body of the Temperance
men are willing to meet their Republican
brethren more than halfway. They did this
in the Excise act of 1866, which closed the
grog-shops of our metropolitan district from
midnight till sunrise of each secular day and
through all hours of Sunday, leaving them
open to customers from sunrise to midnight
of every day but Sunday. It seems to us that
any Republican who realizes that Temperance
men have some rights which others ought TO
respect, should have been willing to acquesce
III this compromise.
But it was against This precisely that our
co,,uan cy-.lIiaa rcvoItoJ ThouCb IL had