The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-30
d The GrOg Shops-No. XVI,

In debate in the House of Lords recently,
on the Grog-shop question, the Bishop of
Peterboro' is reported as having said if he
must choose between England drunk and
free and England sober and not free, he
would choose England free. The question
was upon adopting some measure of sup
pressing the liquor traffic. This Bishop was
Of the opinion that the repression of the
grog-shops would be also the repression of
civil liberty!
One would suppose from this, knowing
nothing of England, that it is a country
where every man is forced to do whatever
seemeth good in his own eyes. On the con-
trary, in no country are the laws more ample
and stringent in relation to all matters sup
posed to relate to the general welfare. The
Bishops idea seems to be, that to drink is the
badge of freedom, and not to drink badge
OF slavery. On the contrary, drunkenness
is most degrading bondage drunken peo-
pie are necessarily slaves. But the Bishop
had curious confusion of ideas on this sub
iect; he seemed to think that the govern
ment had no right whatever to consider the
question of the relation of the liquor traffic
to the general good. He forgot that the IL
cense laws as they exist, are repressive of
the grog-shops, and are enacted with refer
ence to the public welfare, and reflect the
opinion of the time in which they were
framed. The liquor traffic the grog-
shops have no more right to exist, than
any other trade has. The lottery offices
were suppressed by law, with view to the
general good; and so are gambling houses
and houses of ill-fame. The same principle
is to be applied to the liquor traffic;-is it an
unqualified public mischief? then it should
not be licensed, but prohibited. The powder
trade is public danger, but at the same time
general good; laws are enacted, carefully
regulating it, so that the evils of it may be di-
minished as much as possible, while it contin-
ues for the public good But it is not so with
the lottery offices and gambling houses they
are an unqualified evil and are therefore not
licensed and regulated, but forbidden. Men
are not forbidden to buy lottery tickets nor to
gamble in their own houses or on their own
premises. a
SO in Maine Law States, men are not for
hidden to drink that is personal matter,
like gambling in ones own house, it is on
ly the trade that is forbidden Personal hab-
its are not interfered with by law, except so
far as they may be prejudicial to the general
good. A man may do what he likes with his
own, provided that in so doing, he does rot
interfere with the rights of others. He may
let off rockets and chinese crackers in any
quantity and at any time, in the centre of his
own farm, but he may not do it in the public
square nor in the highway; the law forbids.
And so man may drink what he likes and
as much as he likes, if he does not by so do
ing interfere with other peoples interests
the law will not touch him. But how can he
drink what he likes, if it be intoxicating
liquor, if the law forbids the sale? Precisely
that point seems to have been the one over
which the bishop stumbled. The law will
not forbid man from procuring drink in any
manner not prejudicial to the general inter
ests. The grog shops are hideous public
and the law forbids them; no man
denies that these places are dreadful, an in
finite public and social evil. No right think
ing man can wish them to continue, simply
that he may find it more convenient to OBJ
tain the drink he wants. The grog shops en-
tail heavy tax upon society; every man is
compelled to pay his share of the cost,
whether he drinks or not. Many people do
not drink-do not want these shops: why
should they be compelled to pay heavily in
many ways, that others may be gratifed east
ly and without trouble? Where is the man
who is really mana true man-who will
say: Yes, want to drink; if you stop the
grog shops, it will put me to some little incon-
venience to obtain drink always phen l want
it, and achere l want it. 1 can have it to be
sure, notwithstanding the law, but il
will put me to some inconvenience to obtain
it, and object to that" But sir, our reply
ls-"the grog shops which you wish to be
tolerated as a simple matter of convenience
to you, are a tremendous public evil they
impose more mischief and misery upon the
people, and more evil upon the State than all
other causes of evil combined. You cannot
deny. that ;-nobody denies it." 'sNo, 1 do
not deny that, everybody knows it to be true,
but then protest against their suppression"
. In doing that, you declare in so many words
that you set the qualification of your appetite
Tor drink above all considerations of national
and your wish to avoid small in
is above every consideration of
the happiness of the people, and the peace,
good order and prosperity of society,""
Can any man who is true man stand on
hat ground, as every one must who objects
% the Maine Law, unless he denies the right
Of society to protect itself against any and !
very evil by which it is made to suffer-
What intelligent man will deny that govern
nent has that right? Nd. |