New York Tribune

THE TEMPERANCE REFORM.
To the Editor of the New-York Tribune:
I have been rejoiced to notice during the last few months that numerous worthy inhabitants of New-York and her sister cities have been fired with fresh zeal in the glorious work of promoting temperance among their fellow-citizens, which I am happy to observe has resulted thus far in the perfect reformation of many hundreds of hitherto abandoned inebriates, to newness of life, restoring to them and to their lately afflicted families and friends the blessings of domestic comfort, tranquillity and happiness. These facts should, I think, stimulate all steadfast advocates of virtue to renewed efforts, not only to reclaim those already addicted to the degrading vice of intemperance, but also so effectually to remove the odious evil that the rising generation shall not be presented the temptation to partake of intoxicating beverages in any form. I would, therefore, suggest to the directors of the several Temperance Societies throughout our City and State, that they immediately adopt the most energetic measures to effect if practicable in every section of our State a lively and simultaneous action by means of petitions of citizens as numerously signed as possible, to be addressed and presented to our State Legislature at its next session, urgently requesting that body to enact an act which shall submit to and authorize the independent electors in each and all the counties of this State to decide by their suffrages to be given at the Spring Election of 1842, whether they will longer tolerate in their respective Counties the distilling or selling of Intoxicating Liquors of any kind or in any form whatever.
I feel persuaded that an immense number of our citizens throughout the State will not only be willing but anxious to sign such petitions, and also that a vast majority of voters in nearly if not quite all of the Counties will deposit their ballots in favor of thorough Temperance Reform.
This is a plain way of making ourselves more perfectly acquainted with the minds of the people generally of this State respecting this important subject than we have yet been, and as the responsibility of the act, result as it may, will rest wholly upon the People themselves, and not upon their representatives at Albany or elsewhere, it need not and I believe would not become entangled in the meshes of party politics. I trust that there will be some efficient action without delay.
Total Abstinence.
Remarks.—We have as strong a faith as our correspondent can have that the time will shortly come when the manufacture of and traffic in Intoxicating Liquors will be as thoroughly disreputable and discountenanced as the Slave-Trade now is. But we are, nevertheless, opposed to any agitation of measures of constraint at this time. The work of Reform is now going on gloriously : let us do nothing to endanger its entire success. A false step may arrest it for years. Our friend is mistaken as to the state of Public Opinion on this subject: See Massachusetts. But a conclusive objection to the action he proposes is this—There is no need of any new law on the subject. The Boards of Excise now license as many drinkeries as they think proper. When the public mind is fully enlightened on this point, these Boards will think none the proper number, and then the trade must cease.
Ed. Tr.