Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-10-30
From the Christian Mirror.
,StiHeninD The Lar.
BY OXFORD.

that the punishment OF crime should be
commensurate with the Nervousness OF
the offense committed. If the penalty be
SO slight as to lose its punitive character.
crimes will increase. Ga the other hand,
if the penalty be too severe, people will
despise law, and allow offenders to go
unwhipped. This is particularly the case
with what might well be called politico-
moral enactments. Upon our statute
books there are to-day laws against pro-
iane swearing, and against Sabbath
breaking; yet they are never enforced,
and probably half our people do not know
that such acts are against the civil laws.
and subject the doers to fines or impris
onment. Thus far, the people OF Maine
have heartily endorsed and enforced
statute, with its various cancellations,
bearing this moral character, VIZ; what
is known as the "Maine Law" Ia re-
cent issue of the Mirror. lis editor writes:
There is not known bar-keeper or sa-
loon proprietor who sells intoxicating
drinks in this commonwealth; and IN
the same issue Neal Dow says: Our lu'
ries convic rumsellers as freely as they
do other riminals-thieves, pickpockets,
burglars !" and again, The grog shops
remain, few in number, it is true, and ol
the vilest character, kept very secretly
and only or chiefly by the lowest speci-
mems OF our foreign population"
1t is reported that Mr.. Dow offered to
pay young mans expenses from PhIla'
delphis to Portland. and give him five
dollars for every glass of intoxicating
liquor he would purchase in the latter
city. With such reports from the mt
tropolis of the State, and the conceded
fact that the rural districts are moro free
from liquors than the cities. who can doubt
that the Maine Law is as well enforced as
are other laws against such crimes as
stealing, etc? Yet Mr.. Dow, in the arti-
Gle above quoted froms serves notice upon
the people OF Maine, that he shall endeaV-
or 10 have the Maine Law "sLiifened" up
at the next session OF the Legislature
His first proposition is that for every SAFE
the convict shall be sentenced to states
prison u long term-wi,h fines enough to
nay sll the costs of detection and convic-
ton" a long term in the county Jail,
in a particolored dress, with shovel and
hoe working on the highway" IS his
second proposition. Either OF these pen
al,ies, he thinks,-no, he declares.-will
entirely stop the sale OF intoxicants.
It is certain that our people are well
pleased with the present law. This Is
evidenced by the thorough manner III
which il is enforced. Yet there is large
class of men who doubt its efficiency, and
who. while giving it support because II
is the only liquor law in the State think
restrictive license would be more con-
ducive TO temperance. There are also
MANY in the ranks OF temperance who
think the law, as it stands, is severe
enough. At the present moment ten
persnce effort Is upon high tide OF pros
perity, and people may look at the ques-
lion with distorted vision, and they may
be willing to see enactments passed
which in cooler moments they would not
endorse. To place the druggist who sells
dose of liquor to patient, upon the same
footing with him who enters your house
at night, or robs you upon the highway
is to strain the fist proposition in this
article. In this section, the farmer VINO
has sold a little cider carelessly, and the
apothecary, are those most frequently
convicted OF single sales. a case not
long since occurred, in which Il farmer
a communicate in one of our churches-
thoughtlessly allowed some young men to
secure from him small quantity OF cider
One or more OF the purchasers drank TOO
much and became noisy and troublesome
The result was that our farmer friend was
taken before the Grand Jury, convicted
of single sale and properly tined. de
had thoughtlessly become criminal out
TO send such man to the states prison,
or to bring a reproach upon religion by
forcing him to parade the streets In par'i
colored clothing is too shocking to con-
template. The jury would not have
convicted him.
In Maine. liquor selling is crime. In
other States it is legitimate business
and is so regarded by all classes and
conditions of men. Are we prepared to
rank them all with robbers and highway
men, because we have reached higher
plane of thought? 1t will be difficult to
make men believe that the selling OF
glass of cider-or even the keeping oil a
"tippling shop"-is so heinous an oftense
az robbery, or that its punishment should
be similar. One of the strongest argu-
ments for abolishing capital punishment
was that the penalty was SO great, Jurles
would not convict, and this is as strong
an argument against "stitfenlng" the
Maine Law 10 the manner proposed by
Mr.. Dow. The fact that temperance
feeling runs so high is the very reason
why temperance men should be careful