LICENSE LAW THE BONE OF CONTENTION. 47 and traffic of the various descriptions of alcoholic liquors, which have hitherto degraded and destroyed millions of human beings, as it is believed, both body and soul, for time and eternity, and is still raging like an overwhelming flood for the destruction of untold millions more! Hence, in the struggle of years past, the license law has been the bone of contention between the advocates of temperance on principles of total abstinence, and the advocates of human right to make, vend, and consume intoxicating liquors, under sanction of the license law of the land, which declares it to be legal to make and sell all the alcoholic liquors that consumers require. And it is well known that all consumers of alcohol bid defiance fearlessly to all the powers of legal restraint to prevent them from drinking when, where, what, and as much intoxicating liquors as they please, if, by any art or means whatever, they can obtain the infatuating beverage. Such being the facts, in by-gone years, the advocates of total abstinence have plied their battering-rams of moral suasion so fiercely against the walls of the license law forti-· fication, that the Legislature of the Empire State ventured to exert their legal suasion so far against the license of the sale of intoxicating liquors in public houses of entertainment, as to enact a law of the State of New York, in A. D. 1845, that the legal voters of the State (the City and County of New York excepted), at a special election on a day of the year, legally appointed, solely for said purpose, should determine the question of license or no license in each town and city ward in the State (excepting as above), by a majority of votes on said election; and that license, 48 LEGISLATIVE NO LICENSE." or no license, should accordingly be given to, or withheld from, all innkeepers of each town and city ward in the State (except as above), during the current year; and that the license law of the State should thenceforward be thus decided in each town and city ward as above, by the majority of the legal votes of the people. This movement began to wear the appearance of assistance from legal authority, to favor the cause of temperance. The result of the first election produced an overwhelming majority of towns and city wards in the State of New York on the 19th of May, A. D. 1846, in which the vote of "No License," from the voice of the sovereign people, resounded in favor of temperance laws. Thus, with much murmuring, the law of "No License" prevailed over the majority of the people of the State of New York for one year, by the voice of the people, the liquor-dealers of New York City and County unmolested, of course! Doubtless, in default of duty, on the part of temperance legal voters, and by the double diligence of the opposers of temperance, the next annual election gave a decided less majority of towns and city wards in the State afore. said, for "no license." Probably, fearing another trial, the result of the next legislative session (instead of amending and making the law more perfect, as wise and good legislators should have done), was a repeal, instanter, of the law of further reference to the majority of votes of the sovereign people to determine at the poll of election, and thus, by one act of legislative despotism, the temperance cause was for years thrown on to the background of political estimation, covered with the shades of darkness, ،، NO LICENSE LAW" REPEALED. 49 dust, and filth of political popularity and infidel scorn and reproach, as the creature of enthusiastical fanaticism, crippled, and bound hand and foot, with thongs of ridicule, and cooped up in a cage for the show and amusement of the multitude of dandies at their drunken festivals. And thus the license law has since remained in full force and virtue as usual in previous years; resulting in no small degree of darkness over the temperance hemisphere of earth, and much exulting throughout the ranks of all antitemperance hosts, whose watchword virtually has been, “Give us the license law, and we will all become lecturers on moral suasion for the downfall of temperance fanaticism, and for free toleration to make, vend, and consume any productions of earth, into whatever is most palatable for human pleasurable consumption, without fears of future accountability!" But let not the friends of temperance be dismayed. The cause of God and humanity is engraven on all the banners of the Temperance Reformation. All who conscientiously sign the temperance total abstinence pledge, and inviolably adhere to its principles in all companies and places, under all the varied circumstances in life, and identify themselves, practically, with the temperance advocates of progressive reform, may be assured, that the cause they have espoused will be divinely protected, and be providentially brought to a triumphant consummation. The conscientious friends of temperance have more to fear from disunion among themselves, than from all the combined hosts of opposition. The prosperity of every 50 IMPORTANCE OF TEMPERANCE UNION. Union is enterprise depends much on the union of its advocates. "A house divided against itself can not stand." strength, and strength is power. Time was, when a country district school-house in Moreau would contain all the pledged members of the temperance organization, known then to exist in Christendom or the world. They belonged to but one order. They were agreed in the promotion of one object. This was a conscientious adherence to the constitution and by-laws of their organization. The temperance cause, then, was like a little child of Divine formation. The temperance cause, now, in manhood, is the very same that it was then, namely, a providential method of defeating a subtle device of Satan for the destruction of human souls by intoxicating liquors. That enemy has come into the earth like a flood, to destroy the priceless souls of mankind. The Lord has lifted up a standard against the enemy. The Temperance Reformation is the Lord's standard. Every true-hearted temperance man or woman who has subscribed the total abstinence temperance pledge, is identified, professionally, with the Lord's temperance standard-bearers. How important, then, is it, that they should be all united! Now, among the millions of male and female members of total abstinence temperance societies, there are numerous orders, departments, and banners, and still all belong to one great temperance family. The old members still surviving, the Sons, Daughters, Rechabites, Cadets, and what not, with all their various-worded pledges, banners, badges, and significant designations of order, comprising millions in number, are nevertheless branches of one connected |