Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-11-10
Wa.erville, Nov. Stl, 1873
Licensing n Wrong.

Mr.. EDITOR: | noticed in your daily that
General 1ilton is somewhat moved AID exhib-
its not a little feeling in regard TO an item
that appeared IN your paper few days since
in regard 10 a soldier, who was so unfortunate
or criminal as to get drunk, and as a result
of that act thrown into prison. l think the
Generals feeling not unjust, in view OF the
fact that dens are allowed to exist in our midst
where men may be thus greatly wronged.
But his attack on the law, is in my judgment
all wrong, and calculated 10 do much harm ;
and the General will so think after due
reflection. His conclusion that we must have
license law, is very popular among rum sell
lers and their sympathzers, which fact OF it.
self ought to be evidence of the unsoundness
of his position. He admits that the traffic is
1.-The great evil aud in the same sentence he
says, give it the sanction of State authority; =
and then having such authority will see to it
that it is not abused. To my mind, most
absurd and mpotent conclusion. This when
he declares that in one week he can stop the
sale of rum in our city if he could have pub
lie opinion 10 go will him. Admitting the
law to be effective for the purpose for which it
was made, the suppression OF the great evil,
would it not be better to labor for a correct
public opinion, rather than to give TO 1.-THE
great evll'' the protection of the State! But
further on he says ii cannot be stopped and
speaks of those who may differ from his. Eve
think hasty conclusions, as being unwilling
ly the enemies of the good cause. He can
stop it in a week with little more public
opinion, but all others who think il can never
be stopped, are enemies TO reform without
sense or wit. "The great evil" cries he, and
in the same breath cries out, license the mon
ster. Give it State aid, and then something
may be done. And all this because the evil is
not overcome, subdued entirely. The world
is full of crimes and wrongs, against which
the law has been piled for hundreds ofyears;
but because they are not stopped, no one cries
out license them as remedy. The traffic in
ram is the legitimate parent of all crime.
Would it not indeed be Strange anomaly, TO
attempt 70 stop great crimes, and among them
the great evil, by committing whole people
to their support in the form of legal enact
ment that all are bound to obey and en-
forced 1t is "the great evil" OF the age and
| of the world. And believe the public heart
is against it to- day, and will become more and
more so. The sentiment of the whole State
too day favors the full enforcement of the law.
The real sentiment, freed from political bias is
overw helmingly so. Let it stand alone, and
none could be found 10 oppose. Our purpose
should be, those who think and believe it to
be ''the great evil, to correct public opinion,
not license. License 'the great evil" which
cndangers. not only the peace and quiet of all
the people, but the safety of the common
wealth itself? AT Washington on the night
of the assassination of the great and good
President, aud all was excitement, and gen
eral alarm took hold of the people, and great
measures Of safety were deemed necessary.
20 the general safety, the first order was
''close up The rum Shops At Chicago on
those terrible days of fire, when all seemed
lost, another enemy appeared threatening to
destroy what the fire had left, and the first
order issued, was ''close up the rum shops"
and both State and National authority, aided
in executing the orders In Boston on that
day of great calamity, as measure of safety
and security, the first order was ''close up
,he rum shops; and they were closed. Shall
we learn nothing from the history of this
past? Or shall we give license and authority
to the magazine of ruin and death!
He says by license we can do something
towards controlling ''the great evil" This l
deny. License is nothing new. Ii has been
often tried and as often as tried, as often has
it proved failure. 10 license is to admit the
right to sale and this implies the necessity
for the sale. For the State will not license
where the individual licensed has no right to
do the thing for which he is licensed. Nor
will it license men to do a business, for which
there is in the community no demand. | deny
both the right TO sell, or the Necessary. 60 on
and deny the right of all men to drink rum as
a beverage. l hold it to be physically, polit-
ically and morally wrong, for many reasons
that might be adduced. l deny that there
can be any such thing as temperate use of
alcoholic liquors as a beverage, for the simple
reason that there can be no temperate use of
things hurtful and dangerous. If we were to
say of that be swears temporarily, or of b
that he breaks the ten commandments tenn
bier, it would be simply bosh. tue and
correct definition of temperance is this a
temperate use of all things good and useful,