The Temperance Cause In Michigan

Jt is a bout hrtëen years smce Ihe organizaof Temperance Societies became general in the interior of Michigan. Tliose first form-1 ed were organized on the o)á piedge, which allowed Ale, Beer, and Cider to the laborer, and the best of Winea to the gentleman.- The folly of pleding one's sel f ogainst one kind of inloxicating drink, while induMnofreely in others, was soqn discovered,au;l many of the ocal Societies altered their constitutions. Abnut 1035, vn attempt was made f o organizea Men's State Temperance Society. A Convention for this pnrpose met at Ann Arbor, of which Dr. Houo-hicn, tho present State Gëolögisr, was President. íi I plit on this question, nnd the Society foon di'ed. In 1856, if we remerriber rigfhtly, n State Total Abslinence Society was formed, v.-hic!) has since maintnined an existence. - Mmiy of the best and most prominent citizens' of the Stafe have tnl;en an iriterrst in it. In i 18S9 and '40, enrncst applicatións were made ■ to the Legiülalure to revise the licence laws, and diminish or suppress the trtrffie. But ow ing to the want of uniled and elïcient action aniong the friends of the msaeure, and other causes, it utterJy fuiied. In 1342, the Warinft&foninB movernnt made its a'jtrjèarance amnog us. and swept all before it. lts prominent principie, as heid out by many, was in substance, that all men might be reclaimed from intemperance by moral aua$io?i, and all interference with the provisic-ps of the law deprecated os unnecessary and injnrious to the C8USO. Theoid fashioiiedTit:iperarjce men were silent, or jn'mud the popular movement. It lias had its day, oud is nn long-er operative on ihe commnnity. While ! it has ccoomplished good, it has lefi mtich { evil uiiremovcd. DrunUenness gti'l prevails; i and ni-iny iiundreds are enguged continuolly in dealingout ihe des-tructive liquids, ur dsr ■' the safe and hoporubie sanction (' tuk Law. ' The efforts tQ coiuiteract intemperance, in our I opinión, by lectures 'rads, paper?, &c. are : not stifficiuntto remove the evi!. Taking the whole cominunity throngh, we jtidgethat ; temperance is not receding. Moral Sausion, " formerly so povverful, is now scarcely any ! thingr more than adefènsive weapon.and i pe'rance men are tlierefore coinpelled to wage i an injJoriiius and unproh'table campaign, with t ihe cortoiuty thai. withoat some new resource, i the enemy wil btill mamtain his ground from i ear to year. cWiiAT Shall Be Dorv'B? Variüus Jespunsesnre m;ide to tbis inter■ogatory, wiiich it muy he well to 'r"r e llie tuiswer comea up frotn a krc pottion )i' the nionerute fneuds ol Uie ew'isc - "LiiT üs TRocKBö as we ark. VVo iiavc lone well í-o lar. 'J'lic sumo truths wiil bo ■quaüy cÜccina-J in l'uiure. i.et usdoüil Ütv oud we cm 1I1 the oíd w;iy. Ititíuvanmis ire dangeroits. Let. the licence Inws nlone.- , If people vvill sel], el us persiiucio Iheircusomiö not to pérchase Jiqnorof tlioin. Perlops we may nut thus lie able o extirpóte tho : :vij t'rom tho coinmunily, but we can .keep it ' i) cheele, nrrd have iIjus n, certnmty'üf 'tjoiiig i ome g.oo(i, vvhile we tlittll do no hürt."The rtfost moderate and least zcaloué pornon of the Ternpprance men- ihe politicians,'yidges, seihtöra, prominent preacfierp,1 and sotne of the Washingtonian?, arefound among Uiis clase. They have no objections to good' lectltrés nnd meelirjg-5, buf are opposed to all innovntions, especiaily lo any whicli loofe, in1 ihe tlig-hiel áegree, towards LEGISLATIEF, ACTIO.N. This cla&s are against all aiteratiori óf tliè' Liceuce Laws,unless it be a great while henee. I3ut olí otlier Temperance men are ir favor of same kitid of r-:tion, allhough they widely difiTer as to uh.ai iliat acíion shall be. There are three opinions on this subject.The first is, that al laws respecting Ihe' sale of intoxicating drinks should be prohibitedj and every onebe left free to spII without reslraint. It is eiiongh to say, thnt stich a' state of ihings cotild never be sanctionéd by óuf Legislature. The people feel the curse of the")reEcnt pystem too deeply to nugment it pesilential inflüences a hundred fbld. Norcould. hc m'ass of Temperante men be induced to ;ounteiiance such legalative action. The second opinión is, that there snould be l luw positively prohibiting the retailing of ntoxicnün? Iiqnors as a beverage, under sufHHcnt penalties to secure obe'Jicnce to its feluiremcnts. To this it is objected, that a prolibilory Jaw would in iteolf be cd;ous: that it' vot'.ld be difficult ef execution while it contra►-ened the long established Habits of a consid3rable porlion of the people: that the leffal prcrlession, few of vvhom are temperonce men,would Interpose every obstacle to annul and obviafe its pcnalties: that similar legiölation in other States have not met the expectation3 ofihose;vho advocated it, of it has proved whully abortive; and that all attempts, to" compel obediencelo even a salutary law, will ïe met by a strenuous resislance on the part of ihose whosé interests are inrjiiriöusly afTected by it.Some of these consideralions pos3egs coñ-í ñderable weight. The presumption to our wn mind, however, is that a prohibhory law, f once enacted, would be generally siistained: jj the people, and would be pplerable to the' present system. In miny localities it raiht remain, to a considerable ex'ent. ádéad letter :: bnt it would withdraw the countenance of the Law from the Traffic, and would render it disreputable. No respectable public house U'ould keep' it openly for sa!s in vroliuio'n óf thé-" La ir. A third p'rcposition ie, that the law shail bV ío amended, f fiat at each town á boxshall be provided, mto which each elector who pienses inay drop n ballot éntitled, "Licence,'.' or "Xo Licence." These bnllots to' becoiinted by the íif tJiosc erilt tled ' Licence'5 be Ufe rabgt nUriièroiïs, thé1 To'.vn Board, which consists of the four Juatices, Town Clerk and Supervisor rtiay gtanï as mwiy licences vs they plenaef-but if therö be a majority Tor "No Licencê' ttieif nö li.cencc fo retail intoxicating liquors shall be granted by the Board for that year. The' decisión of the voters shall be binding on the" Board. This proposiiion was fully discussed at ihe last Anniversary of the Staie Society. In support of ir, it was Qrged) that such action of the people ns is here contemplated1 woüld ao r.u-ay iho objectin to a pro.hibitory law, as Lhé Legibiature wouïd only refer the etrb'ieet back to the pcopie: that the voice of all 'he eleciors might be ihus secured, independSnt of pnny: that encd town vrould' tf.iüs deicrrain for uSef, without dicfation fróm othirsr'th.at in thosetowne ivhere lhé majority A-ere for licencee. theTemperance nien would ïave something' definite and tangible to conend 'for, and Unís it would prove a spar ter .hcir ac'.ivity and zp;1: that rumsellers. would' )e less disposed to resist the voice of n maority of tlieir own lownsmen, thos dearly ixpressed, thun they wonldthe mere'reqmsiions of a general prohibicory láwf an'd'tfíát be people, by being aecustomed to examine" he subject from year lo year, and deterreirie ipon its meritp, ívould thereby prepare them;elves for any further uitimate action thrbilgh' he Legislafure which tfiighi be deenietl; ad.'isable.This viow of tha matier met the rñiiids oP most of tlie Convention, and petitions to the LejíiilBíure lo this effect were drawn up and' irculnted. Sut the session beiiig far ad-k-anceJ, no report was made'iipon them: Thi:s the Temperaice Cause stands in' Michigan. Thé question presents itself tb ts f riends, " rïhat shall be done? ' Shalí' tny kind of Legishtive action' be solicitofy injí if so. what shall it be? Whatevef bo leLermiaed on. a ukion of effort is ridisenable. ' If'no lei.slation be deempd requile, then !et none bö aked Tdr; and iet' oll; liligence be appüed to the old ngennes. But f' an alteraïion of the Jav be ñecessáry, Iet 11 og.'ec to asji 0_r rte jnmc thing-f the fnends of Tompernrice cannot ogree ipon whnt legislátion is necessaiy Ter the pfo[loiion of the onuse, it is not tb. be süppósèd hat its eiiemic3 wiU'bê Tcrward atítirlf fof ■- We iiave boen connccted wkh thé causo i this State for nwny and1 have ttTLtdtid the pha?ff of tinbfic oriüiinri wiih nttonr;,and nt no time has thcrebeen svdi nn típpói.' hmihj jor oblainins favorable legislatívc ' at-r tion as a t present. But the rebnisiié ñipans rtiusf be osed.-aVhe E);f'cutive, Sennt'f.rs awl Representaiveswül not be in the )íW drsposed to altt - he licfiuco l.iws, nhleís thö a itera be impeousJv demnnded by thé peopleThe ivíiole Prks musí br. tVa" íave some S.Tor 40 papers inHhé Büf ::ys one, "o?e not al) Lhese favorable tct'tpm-)erance.'" We presume [hoy but cafi1 o i firid oi.y ihreo ot' iheoí thñt. vnll'advocte -rns MícfFfc MF.Atvnp. hore pröp6ed1 We i re not aw4re :,„,nuv no?, of iht-rti MA done i; nonlu vc belicve thcv n'YfJo n unlets t