New-York tribune., 1874-04-13
TEMPERANCE LEGISLATION
I. SOME PROBLEMS CONSIDERED.

| TIE PROHIBITION MOYEMENT-lAWS THAT AXE
NgEDED-THE POOR DRIVEN TO DRINKING DEsS
| by THE sQUALoR OF THEIR HOMES
To DIR. DIo LEWIS Dear Sir: 1t would be very
certainly TO secure from the present enthusiasm
ON behalf of temperance reform some permanent and
eenuipe social improvement. Judging from past ex
perience however such n result Is ~ no means too well
assured There some ends that cannot be accom-
plished as we'll as that can. There are some ends
very desirable and in degree aitainable that can III
no wise be complssed by the intervention of the eivl
authority intervention, too, IL in respect To some
tbings so undesirable that there is end whatever
that coud really compensate for the mischief involved
in 1t.
II the present excitement goes on, however the AID
OF legislation be sought and hero are evils
wrought by drunkenness that can fairly be grappied
with by the temporal well as many that cannot
No one therefore, could better serve tho cause OF real
reform than ny clearly drawing the line between what
can be thus accomplished and what cannot When legs
ation asked Of kind that ranscends the province OF
the civil magistrate, the opposition OF intelligent ana
patriotic citizens is needlcssly aroused against move
ment which in all legitimate modes they would earnestly
desire to serve. Those, for example, who would
eaosly watch and strcnuously oppose all attacks upon
civil and re ous liberty only more not less. alive
than the average OF their feowctizens scarcely less
even than the most enthusiastic special temper re-
formers TO the evils OF drunkenness. II is great In
Jury 10 the cause of temperance for its special advocate
to insist upon measures which drive away from co
operation with them. aud into direct opposition
those who should DO, AMI gladly would be, their allies
Nor certainly does II help much for the special temper
reformers themselves to have their attention
turned away from that truly desirable and
could be passed and not only passed but perseyered in
and enforced. A measure, for example, which would
rally TO its support all just minds, among those
fermented beverages, is law similar to one
which the writer has been informed exists In Oho' im-
posng upon the owner OF liquor saloon pecuniary re-
sponsbity for all material injury sustained by the fam
drinkers at his saoOh IL one man supplies 10
another drink that is liable to niure hln no -
these eSnscgaerces there arc included the mpoyerisE H.
ment and misery OF family, that family onght 10 De
able 10 recover damages the full extent Ot lts pre-
snmable loss But based upon this principle
and enforced by powerful Temperance societies. coIl
hardly fan pretty decisive results carrying WIN
them as they would do, the hearty sanction ana ~ NJ
pathy OF all the intelligence aud virtue OF the country
There nobody who, in connection with ths need he
counted in who would not heartily approve OF imposing
up1n the who are now cnrlchlng themseNcs Oy he
ruin OF their ellOw-citzeas through drunkenness the
material consequences Of their acts, ana compelling
them make ful restitution 20 tie innocent women
ami children upon whom the brunt now mainly lalis.
IL is quite another thing when IN ths age, tue Coy
Is TO be called upon Ia undertake the
taskone Objectionable on the score OF mDfAt az IL
Is In fact impractcable-Ot making men VTtuous ny
the morals of society have to D. regulated DS
totally different order OF influences from those ~ tne
disposal police and the law conrts The Inevitable
result every attempt OF the c government 10 rcsa
late MS morals is an Increase Of demoraZit0n. FOR
il hands to the vicious all the prestige ~hich some
how always viii connect itself With persecution Az
the sentiments too, that rally around IN cause OF cSi
ana religious liberty forced over TO leir SIDE Ana
the speea advocates OF temperance reform grlt1touy
create obstacles for tneir own cause whcu thsy isis
upon referring 10 bodies of like those we send ~ 10
our legislative halls the decision Of such questions as Tor
example whether the ilght wines OF traIce anu
teratcd lagcI-DeeT tine one hand and jersey lSh
ming" and other horribly poisoned sprtuous drinks on
the other hand ought 20 nc cisaee tOgethe III au
criu.nating condemnation and treated as equtnB
noxous to mankind morally and physically TINS y the
immense error OF the movement ior eg
Ii hands over % the side Of the wretched ls'rfaus
who enrich themselves by the manufacture OF drunkifds
not only all personally IN doubt as 10 Tue true so
luton OF the various ponSOG nygcnlc ana nora Science
which taken Tor granted by tue prOhlbon scheme'
to say nothing 0 those VINO sincerely DelleEe w. G
ate wiuc-drnking but also all VINO would lmt 70 lts
own sphere cvl Government and 50 prevent those
encrOachmcnts TO which republican lDerty Is
exposed The general principe OF the measure ~ a,ofo M
pushed far For example, the responsibility lor te
consequences OF the urunkenness created by saloons
should De extended to the owner O the ground on Whch
the saloon stands. The remedy would be utterly lu'oy
without this the actual keepers Oi the West
deus that do most mischief, are ouen men utterly
without material responsibility Ihe Dulk OF Tue plohts
drinking saloons OF all other operations indeed -
absorbed in the rents while Is the owner OF me anu
al least where there lease, who has the elective
power break the vile dens Of all kinds he can ln
terere in u that government Official can be Ill
trusted with power TO do; aud As soon ms the Just re-
sponsiby is affixed 10 these men, we shall soon see
rapid clearing out OF the worst nulsdnces.
The actual evils or drunkenness moreover, are so
great that they would amply justify legislative dec
aration that proceedings under such Law above
suggested the presumption should always be against
the saloon. Public opinion would iuliy sustain such
L
agerbeer drinkers them, would very readily even
gladly give the benefit of every possible doubt To the
poor family seeking for the maintenance to which It Is
entitled aE the hands Of the saoonowner in whose
establishment the husband father son, or male relative
who otherwise should and would have provided Tor II
had been made drunkard. And II. instead OF seeking
the passage OF prohDtOry laws that II passed could not
perseyered IN, and that even II passed ana perse
yered In could not be executed, and even II executed
would accomplish the real Object or what ought 10
be object, temperance refOrmers would unite
upon the procurement Of legislation OF this kind, ana
m after IL procured II Is lnanfest
that Infamous manufacture OF drunkards now car
RED on for the enrichment OF small class or base ana
selfish hut politically powerful men, would come 10 a
speedy end and the evils justly depOred Dy our
temperance refOrmcrs be III great measure cured per
hans as far as legislation can ever cure Them Except
indeed so far elsatOn can also, Indirectly II not
directly without going out OF its sphere aid III tha
which IL main element the radical cure or the
wee, wiz the improvement OF the homes OF the
people. 1t is the wrelcheCnesS OF the haltatons IN
which the OF the people nave TO drag out their
existence and the hdeousncss Of ali the surroundings
OF those nabitatOns that drive into the drinking
dens They cannot driven back by force; but they
can be drA wn pack. Human nature VIII be apt more
over to human nature, surviving great many
momentary fanatlcisms.
Our temperance reformers however once on the right
track night find themselves gong forward to results
more admirable aud far reaching tnan they would dare
to dream OF now. Respectfully yours,
No. 80 West Nii,th-st., N. T., April 6, 1874.