The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1881-04-07

hpfOfeui April 10. 1876.
Legislation on Temperance.
The Appeal is the advocate Of tenn
perance societies, temperance lee
lures and everything calculated to
make men temperate by mlral sua-
sion. But it believes there is such 3
thing as private rights and that men
can neither be made temperate nor
religious by legislation, and therefore
opposes ell efforts to induce the
present legislature Of Tennessee to
convert drug stores into retail liquor
houses, The bills which have been
introduced, have been regarded by
even the strietest temperance men as
simply plan to transfer The legiti-
mate sale Of Intoxicating liquors
from authorized dealeIs to druggists
tis a fatal mistake to suppose that
law can promote temperance. In
those States where rigid prohibitory
laws have been enacted the people
have waited for the predicted bless
ings, but failing TO appear public
sentiment demands the repeal OF
those laws. The people do not de-
sire this repeal because their zeal In
the cause of temperance is less than
it was when these laws we're adopted,
but because they believe they have
signally failed to accomplish the
great and benehcient purposes for
which they were enacted. Prohibi-
tory laws have been in operation In
Maine since 1851, and they have
been a failure. In Portland, accord.
ing to Neal Dow himself, there are
not .ess than one hundred and thirty
saloons and Mr.. Dow. speaking oil
the State in general, tells this curious
story
"Whiskey in Maine is carried In
small bottles in the pockets Of Ii
quor sellers, and dealt out upon the
sly; ii is put into teapots, placed
upon the kitchen shelf; it is built
into the walls of houses, in tin cans
with a small rubber pipe by which tc
draw it Off; il is concealed in bottle,
in the bed II is concealed in bottlsl
under the hoor, put there through :
trap that can be only reached by re-
moving the bed /; it is concealed ia
small fat bottles in the ash pit undei
the ovens of cooking stoves; It il
hidden in wells attached to string,
fastened some inches below the sur
face Of the water; 1t is buried in ma
nure heaps ; it Is concealed under th,
floor Of the pigsty; it is hidden awA]
upon the 6at roof OF the house, &C.
cess to it being had only by q ladde
through a scuttle; Il is hidden il
attics, under the door, and in eellarl
buried in the earth"
or course, the originator and fore.
most champion OF the Maine laV
would present the most favorable sidi
OF the picture, and, II this is the bes
that he can do for It, then the Law
after a trial Of nearly thirty years, i
a confessed failure. Il has simpll
substituted secret for public drink
ing, and, as people usually drinl
more when compelled to drink Sc.
cretly, the probabilities are that tn
consumption Of stimulants in Main
is increased rather than diminished
by prohibitory legislation A feV
years ago Michigan had on its slAtut
books one Of tho most stringent pro
hibitOry laws. But il proved ; des'
failure In urging it's repeal, Govern
or Bagley, in bis message to the leg
islatuFe in 1875, said:
"On the statute books Of this Stat
stands a prohhibitory liquor Law
the eonstitutionality OF which ha
been affirmed and reaflrmed by th
supreme court. which declares thl
whole business illegal, aud each on
of the principals liable to dne ah'
Imprisonment. Not less than 800
persons are daily violating this lsW
| Il 5000 or 1000 persons we're dali,
violating the Law as TO petit larcenl
there would lie arrests without NUN
Der. What makes the difference ? /
it not the fact that public sentmen
sustain the one and not the other
Every good citizen abhors drunken
ness and ahudders 81 the counties
evils that follow in its train. But {
not evident that The large majorit,
are not il sympathy With our pressn
legislation, which attempts TO pro
hibit It and 50 utterly falls In its oh
iectg There viii always be drinking
and drunkenness. We cannot hop
hy any agency 20 entirely stop 4
But with The moral support 0
the great teachers Of home, sohoo
and press, can We not have th
aid OF intelligent legislation tia
will diminish tue Incorporate us
Of liquor? Why not recogaiz
The fact that there is q ditierenc
be- ween dunking aGu drunkennees
end put in the statute books laws reg
ulatihg the sale Of liquors.
In behalf Of temperance and s0briety
OF good morals and manly living
I urge all men Of differ
ent opinions TO get together on CON
mon ground and make the expert
ment
Acting upon The Governors cd
vice the people OF Michigan cause'
the prOhibtory Law to be abolished
and 4 license law 70 be enacted 10 It
stead. This latter Law vas passed II
1875. and in 1877 Gov. Bagley agail
referred to the subject IL bis messag
and said
"The license Law OF 1875, provid
ING for the regulation sud taxaiiol
OF The liquor traffic. has been n orsi
stion nearly two years. II vas th
purpose Of the friends of thla act 40
only TO regulate but q restrain th
traffic 10 strong drink that bad grow
to be, under othel laWss The creates