{"newspaper_name": "Litchfield enquirer.", "edition": "01", "page": "p2", "byline": ""}
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09-Among the duties imposed upon the freemen of this State the first Monday of October is that of electing three Commissioners in each town in conformity with the act of the Legislature passed last spring |" to regulate and restrain the sale of wines and spurious liquors" We trust every good citizen will we'll consider his duty on this subject before depostng his ballot. The object of the law is not, some seem to suppose, to enire- ly prohibit the sale of alchoholic drinks, hut to regulate and restrain the same; for it IS expressly required of the Commissioners that they ''sholF grant licenses" under such restrictions as they may deem proper. While we should be rejoiccd to have the sale of all spurious liquors voluntarily given up by all our taverners and merchants, SO that it could be found only the shelves of pru- dent apothecarics, and its use abandoned by every individual in the community, we deem it worse than useless to coerce men into its dsuse. Respec- table men, ,and taverners and merchants, can only be reached by moral influences.

 While however licenses are granted to men who will not abuse them, judcious Commissioners will withhold them from men who are willing fov tAe sake of gain to send ruin and distress into the inc brate's family, and under that section of the law which authorizes license to be ''revokel at pleas. ure," they will be enabled to keep check upon all who deal in the article. This is about as much as the friends of temperance can hope to accom-. plish in the town of Litchfeld whatever they may do in other places, and we trust they will be con- tent to go thus far. and wait for an improvement in public sentiment efore they attempt to go iarther

 We much prefer the old law (leaving this sub. ject with the oivil authority and aeectmen) to the one passed last spring, and believe the cause of temperance would have been more certainly pro. noted by the silent and gradually restraining &C., tion of Board thus constituted than by the heat. ed strife of an annual election of Commissioners; but if the friends of temperance do not oveSaet, much good may come of the law as it is.