Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-01-23

naval power and Importance has been remark
able and furnishes an interesting subject to
the student of history. Within little more
than two hundred years Holland was the first
naval power in Europe. Dutch ships sailed
| up the Thames and threatened to burn Lon
don, and Dutch admirais triumphed over the
combined fleets of England and France.
| Since that time the decline Of Holland has
been slowsbut sure, until now the time seems
not far distant when England will have de-
prived Holland of all her colonial possessions
and thus of all her naval importance.
Judge Hall of Rctkiand before the Committee on
Temperance.
The Legislative Committee on Temperance
gave hearing at the Senate Chamber last
Thursday evening, to the Committee on Tenn
perance Legislation, chosen by the State
Temperance Convention. A number of
prominent temperance men were present.
lion. 0. G. Hall, Judge of the Municipal
court of Rockland, chairman of the commit
tee, presented several important amendments
to the liquor law, and argued the necessity of
their adoption. In opening, he adverted
briefly to the necessity of prohibitory law as
applied to the liquor traffic. The frequent
''finkering" of the law asked for by the friends
of Temperance was the result of knowledge
and experience acquired in its practical appli-
cation. This kind Of legislation was compar-
yatiyely new. 1t seeks to restrain or uproot
an evil heavy with age, deep rooted in the
customs of civilization and terrible beyond
all calculations. Twenty-Five years of law
was not expected by reasonable men, to de-
stroy, nor very largely reduce an evil SO old
and universal, and so inwrought into the pas
sions and prejudices Of society.
| Taking the points in the in order which they
| were presented, he first spoke Of the necessi-
| ty of amending the law relating to inn-hold-
| ers and yictuai(e. This class were respon-
| sible maiuly for the evils of the traffic. Stop
! or restrain them and the work is nearly done.
| Every village has its inn-keeper and every
| city has its victuaers, and they do not hesitate
| to acknowledge that their existence depends
upon their liquor sales. The law requiring
| this class to give bonds to the municipal Off
GERS on procuring license, is an old one and
| has not been changed to meet the require
ments of the liquor laws. Their bond should
bind them to observe these laws.
The clause in the law exempting wines made
from fruit grown in this State was singularly
inconsistent with the principles upon which
the law is founded. 1t destroys its vitality
and ruins its logic That wine is intoxica-
ting. as general proposition, no one can sue
cessfully deny, and that what are called do
nestle wines, and sold so profusely in all
| our larger towns, are fearfully intoxicating
as much SO as whiskey in fact, may be album
| dainty shown. This anomaly in the law
should TO longer exist. Why should the law
| protect the sale of Intoxicating wine, and con-
denim Intoxicating whiskey. 1t should not
discriminate as to intoxicating liquors. 1t
should be the patron and protector of none.
If intoxicating, it should be prohibited by
law, or the law is an absurdity, and may just
ly be held in contempt by everybody.
The section of the law making the seller
liable for injuries committed by the irtoxica-
ted person, should be made more explicit,
and should be extended so as to make the
| lessee or owner of the building equally liable
| with the seller, who is often entirely worth
less. The reason for this was obvious. The
well known maxim of law that "every wrong
has its remedy" may have had general appli-
cation before society recognized rum selling
as an evil, but it is deplorably untrue as APP
piled to the great wrongs growing out of this
, traffic. Numberless instances might be cited
of this. Two drunken men broke in the dooI
of poor working man in the night Rising
from his bed to protect his home and children
he is beaten upon the head with stone, and
tor months lies at the point of death, at great
expense for medical attendance, which alb
serbs all he is worth. Rum alone caused the
act. What is his remedy? The liquor seller
is liable as the law stands, but the seller in
this instance was worthless. 1t was useless
to sue him. The owner of the building, how
, ever, in which the liquor was sold, was worth
property. He contributed to the wrong, be
permitted the sale knowingly, in his building
was in fact accessory before the fact, to the
great injury inflicted upon his neighbo,. He,
therefore, should be liable. Other instances
in point were given, forcbly illustrating the
) justice of the proposed measure. Similar
laws were in force in other States with good
results. The Western States, in fact, were
entirely outstripping US in prohibitory legis-
lation. Many of their laws would be re-
ceived here as much too radical. This meas
ure, however, must be conceded to be right
whether stringent prohibition is regarded as
right or not. The section of the law provid-
|, ing penalty for drunkenness should be re-
pealed, because inconsistent with another law
(chapter l24, section 36) providing differ.
ent penalty, and because the last named law
was more Just and humane.
One other measure he was instructed by the
Convention to ass OF the legislature, which
from his observation and experience he was
convinced would add much to the effectiveness
of the laws of prohibition, and that was an
act requiring Judges and Magistrates to order
| persons convicted OF violating me liquor law
to recognize with sureties fer its future
observance. Laws to prevent crimes have
long existed. Any person who threatens to
commit an offence against the person or prop.
erty Of another may be put under bonds to
keep the peace. The rumseller's business is
a constant threat against, not only the person
and property of his fellow citizen, but against
his peace and that of his family, in peculiar
and terrible sense. When once caught in
the nefarious business, he should be bound
thereafter to sell no more, and thus to keep
the peace. bond to keep the peace is rare
ly broken, although to keep it often requires
the restraint of violent passion To keep
from selling rum calls for the restraint of no
passion but avarice, which is cold and calcu-
lating. Aud where the forfeiture of a bond
for $500 is at stake, avarce may be brought
to the side of law and order.
The argument was listened to very atten.
lively by the committee and evidently made
an impression favorable to the measures pro
: posed.
Notice to Members