The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-04-24
A Moral Question.

of the temperance question, is wise above
what is written. 1t says
The principle that the traffic in Intoxicating
| liquors As a beverage is wholly an evil for ex-
ample, can hardly be called an "unsuppol ted
theory" since it is abundantly and unquestion-
| ably demonstrated by facts: and the principle
| that the good of the community requires the
| prohibition of this traffic logically an legiti-
mately follows from the premise already estab-
| she,i.
The words ''as a beverage" in the above
extract have little or no force. The so
called prohibitory law of Maine, makes
provision whereby IA shop for the sale of
liquor may be opened in every town in
the state. and is actually in operation in
very large number of them A fountain
of supply established by authority of the
! state at Portland actually sells q hundred
thousand dollars worth year of ntoxi-
eating liquor. Does the Gazette, does
any one believe that this amount of alco-
holic liquor is used for mechanical and
medicinal purposes? 1t is absurd to say
so No liquor agent can have the pre-
science to know that any quart of whisky
which goes from his hands will not be
used for beverage. The only effect is
that in a given town where there are
twenty grog shops the state adds another.
and makes the number wentv-one. Then,
ii this traffic is an evil, how does the
Gazette Justify itself in supporting the
law that provides for it?
The Gazette has rule which it deems
infallible in application to this and kindred
questions. 1t says
If there were any doubt as TO on which side
the interests of the community lay, it would be
safe to follow the example of the worthy minis.
ter who said that when he was in anv perplcyitv
as to where he should stand on any question
winch arose, he waited TO 3rhich side the
Dec1 ac0S ON, and then took the other side. and
always found himself right. On this question
"i 'Prohibltion vs.. License all the grog-shops
gamb ing hells and brothelS. all the drinkers
and apologists for drinking. all the vicious, vio-
lent and criminal classes in society are in favor
of license.
Speaking of the relative morality Of the
advocates and opponents Of rational
license law, we remember the events of
the first administration in Maine in which
the idea of prohibition controlled. We
were to be shown a pattern OF morality,
integrity and public virtue. AS pioneer
and bright eXemplar in the cause, Rev.
b. ID. Peck was made state treasurer. 1t
has not yet gone out Of recollection how
his brother saints gathered around him.
C>1,. IL, IL.
| the treasury. Neither is it forgotten that
the state was robbed of hun jreds of thou
sands by these sanctimonlous scamns.
And Peck always asserted that, while he
was in custody, Neal Dow got possession
OF his private safe and stole certain i'm
portant papers. Peck, q bankrupt and
dlsgraced man. for several years led sad
life in Washington, until he sank out of
sight. Can the Gazette discover on which
side the Devil was in that matter? For
every vicious man who advocates
change from the present foolish law that
can be produced, we can bring forward Il
hundred steady, industrious, temperate
men who take the same view. There are
upright and conscientious men who SUP
port the present law; but there are also
knaves. hyrocrites and thieving walters
for opportunities, in by far the larger
number
1t is no new thing to stigmatize as
'rummies' those who dc not fall in with
all the foolish notions of seIf-stvled re-
formers. The Pharisees aspersed the
Saviour as a "wine bibber and a friend Of
publicans and sinners" We suppose, if
Saint Paul were on earth to-day, and
were to commend to the weakly Timothy
ga little wine for the stomach's sake"
that the next issue of the Gazette would
denounce the apostle as q rummy.
If we understand the Gazette Alright, it
places prohibition among the moral ques-
| tons which it feels a duty to support.
Then we must resort for guidance to the
Bible. the fountain Of morality. Do we
ind the temperate use of alcoholic liquors
therein forbidden? Do we not find the
Saviour using miraculous powers to Gre
ate wine at the marriage? If the state
can reverse this moral question. if it can
turn aside the citizen from his church,
Bible. conscience and his God, upon such
a question, on moral grounds, what may
it not do? 1t may not stop short OF an
established church, with forms prescribed
by law, and maintained by compulsion,
and compulsion reinforced by persecution,
by the rack, the faggot and the headsman.
There was a time when it was thought
necessary and right to burn mans body
to save his soul. 1t was thought mercy
to thus stop the spread of false doctrines
The motive, if sincere, was not very bad:
but the more honest the burners the more
disastrous the policy. The danger is that
the bad examples of we'll meaning men
will be used by scamps for bad purposes.
You may, by the use of power enough,
make men submit, but they will submit
because of power, and not of conviction.
They will still fail to be reached by true
morality, they will pe haters Of those who
Cypress them, as they believe, and with
hearts full of defiance We have known
drunkards to be reformed by moral sua-
sion, but never one by law.
Let not those who oppose us say that
we favor the use of liquors. If we were
to give to young man setting out in life
the most valuable advice we could impart,
it would be this-'Be honest, faithful, in
dustrious, never taste a drop of intoxicat-
ing liquor, aud never seek to reform
drinking men except by precept and ex-
ample" .45s