Smyrna times., 1878-10-02
For the Smyrna Times.
TO Citizen.

Mr.. EDIToR:-With your permission will endeavor
to enghten Citizen" who through your columns
last week, asked some questions about Temperance,
and then as if he had received answer attempted
to institute some argument. The question was, why
do they demonstrate against the common grog shop
ana not against tne hOlcIs? II "CltlZeh had Dceil
with us through the struggle, he would have learned
first the law which gives the right to demonstrate
is not prOhibitoy but restrictive md that the Courts
III their prOpCr construction of the law have said, that
when a hotel was necessary to accommodate the
travelling publlc, ana thelaW Delng cOhpled WIN III
other respects then they felt bound to grant license
and that while they knew our hearts dcs re was to
stop the sale notO, yet they have warned us not 10
prejudice our case by attempting more than allowed
by law We have therefore done our part, and at no
time have attempted to interfere with the hotels
proper except to urge legal objections in cases where
applications were defective, &c. In all such cases
however the Court has acted though mercy belong
cd to the rum seller and not to the poor inebrac and
his suffering family For we have heard them say,
I'VE will look over YOUR mistake this time and grant
you Il license" Thus concluding that it would be
better that the law be nfracted than to close of
these doors Of vice. for the hotel bar is as much the
destroyer of human happiness, the same sold
elsewhere and never was there greater ialicy than
the necessity to sell rum in order to keep good
hotel but Mr.. Citizen" the time for Smyrna to re-
monStratc against the sale Of rum anywhere has
passed.
| ed when that full of Jurisprudence stepped
from the judicial bench to his collin; his words of
cheer still linger i'll our ears. While addressing the
| Court on this subject he said "Gcntemcn do not
know what would do. were il not for these ten.
pcrance men; they have reduced the criminal list IN
| Sussex and Kent TO- almost nothing. Wish could
| say much for New Castle" Alas he has fallen
and his place has been filed from the ranks of the
Aliens and now the man of honor who resides in tho
city where rests all that mortal of the late Lament
ed Chief Justice finds himself pOwerlesS in Kent
county to grant the request of the good citizens O
| said county and thus maintain the honor Of the law
| Last October we went before the Court with Il re
monSrance signed by almost all the gOOd citizens,
| which was added the remOnStrance Of the TowI
Commissioners who testified that these places wer,
nuisance and cause of considerable expense to the
| town, and yet from some unapparcnt cause, the!
| threw contempt upon the very men who were work
ing to make courts respected and furnish sober mcG
| for jurors. And now the work OF death done, the!
have assumed the responsibility, and as if they fcl
| the keen rcprOach of conscience, his Homer from
| Sussex said, " Mind gentlemen, you need not take
our action to-day any criterion by which are t,
| be governed in the future"
We have yet to learn why the action of Court to
day, should not be criterion for future action thu
facts and rclationSb being the same. What sIneant
leave the public to answer We have written only t
explain our former action and probable futur,
course. Yours truly
|