River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-03-27
Temperance.
For God and Home and Native Land"
Sam Small on Liquor Laws.


Rev. Sam Small delivered a lecture
at Portland, Me. After speaking free
ly of the errors and sufferings of his
life, through drink. Mr.. Small gave an
account of the appeals of his wife TO
1.-The strong arm of the law to aid her
in the prevention of his further fall.
But the saloon men disregarded all
legal notices, defied the law (which
was in the hands of their friends) and
continued to furnish him with liquors.
Said he:
"Why didn't the law stop theml l
suppose for the same reason that it
does not stop these same sort of fell
lows from violating your laws here in
Portland. These men who have fall
en- so low as to become common out
laws by selling liquors care nothing
for your laws. when all there is to
them is a printed statute, bound in
Sleeps skin to practice. / would as
soon read the riot act from safe dis
lance to prewling hyena, that had
invaded the sacred precincts of your
graveyard, drawn forth the putrefied
corpse of your innocent babe and was
making a feast of it under the mellow
moonlight as to quote law to these
desperate and degraded rum fiends.
1t is not mere law that we want in
these cases. | am tired of this farce
of men running up to the state capitol
at every session of the legislature,
crawling before it on their stomachs,
with their mouths wide open as the
pictures have Barnum's hippotami,
begging the lawmakers to chuck them
in few more laws!
What we need is more enforcement
of the laws we have. The place to
| get that is not at Augusta, but here at
| Portland at your ballot boxes. When
ever you get conscience enough and
sand enough in your glzzards to 60 to
the polls and vote for no man, of what
ever party, name or complexion, but
those who are known to have courage
and character enough to look the devil
in the face and defy him, to ram their
fists down his throat, if need be, you
can expect your laws to be enforced.
Whenever you want these liquor dens
cleaned out of Portland you know well
enough how to go about the work.
| They say there are $50 saloons in the
city, that they are in your hotels pub
| licly, that Isl young men were count
ed within two hours going into hotel
bar to get their drinksl Well, Port
land has just the number of saloons
she wants. Whatever she has is a
public advertisement of what she
wanted. l see your city hall, and
say Portland wanted city hall and
she has gotten one. | see your SOL
dier's monument, and | say Portland
wants a monument, to honor her gal
liant soldier dead and she has provided
| it. | say Portland wants $50 saloons,
| and she has them. 1t is all bosh to
say No You have them because
| you want them, and whenever you
don't want them, you won't have
them. You will elect mayor, chief
marshal, judges and a constabulary
that not only can, but will, put an end
| to them.
Il ask: is Portland in the State of
Maine!' and they tell me she is. geo.
graphically, at least! Laughter. i
ask: Have you not a prohibitory law
in Maino!' oh, yes; we have one.' j
ask again: Does it not include Port
land!' They reply: That is part of
the popular delusioni' Then | ask,
why is it not enforced herel' and the
reply is: Public opinion is not in ia
vor of its rigid enforcement All, is
it so! Is that good excuse! Does it
absolye your mayor and other officials
from their oaths and obligations.
We'll, they reply, what else can you
do! When you have law not sup
ported by the public sentiment, what
can you do but let it slide! Laugh
ter. And SO she slides! | say: i am
no doctor for that sort of case. |
am only an earnest, anxious inquirer;
but | thank you for the explanation.
| can gs to the South and gather great
audiences to hear me proclaim that
| doctrinel"
"'Why! Have you the same sort of
trouble with your liquor laws!' No,
thank God | answer. We can en-
force our liquor laws. But we have
another case. The constitutions of
the United States and of our states say
that the colored men shall vote as Free
ly as ourselves and are entitled to
free ballot and fair count, but pub
lie sentiment down South is very much
against the law, and | suppose, on
your Maine idea, it is all right for us
to let that suffrage question slide, tool
Applause
''Ah, it is the same question. 1t
goes to the integrity of all laws and
government. | hope to see the day
come when it shall be taught every
where, North as well as South, East
and West, that laws made by the pop
ular will must be respected by every
citizen, despite his own opinions, or
he must be made to pay the penalty
of their violation by sojourn in the
jails or penitentiaries.