The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-02-25
MAINE LIQUOR LAW.


MAINE LIQUOR LAW.
10 By request, we publish belowt the Repo
IN of the Mayor Of Portland, Me-, shown
the operation of the liquor law in that city
:. Cry OF PORTLAND, D.
v Mayors Office, Jan. Is, 1852.
d To the Board of Aldermen and Commo
o Council:
Il The "Act for the suppression of Drink
If ing Houses and Tipping Shops" passe
}, at the last session Of the Legislature, ha
It been now about six months in full opera
J, ton in this city, and think it proper t
r lay before the City Council statement Q
4 its results. There has been no act In an,
r State Legislature, which has attracted $,
much Of the attention Of the people O
5 New England, and the whole country a
{ this, because it is we'll understood that tn,
operation Of it upon the various Interests
of the State, must be in the highest degree
, salutary, and it was the first effectual Leg
islative measure in a line Of policy, which
there is reason to suppose, will be speed
lily followed by many, and eventually by
all our sister States. '..-.' -
For many years it has been well sstab.
lished that the traffic in intoxicating drinks
has been the cause Of large amount oil
poverty, paupersm, suffering and crime;
and Maine has undertaken by the enact.
ment of this Law, to free herself from SO
much Of these evils as flow from that
source. From the first, the prompt and
energetic execution of the law in this city,
was submitted to, chserfully and quietly;
the wholesale dealers in spirits, promptly
abandoned the business, which it was i'm
possible to carry on a single day under
this law; and all those retail dealers who
had any sslf-rsspect, pursued the same
course, without waiting for the execution
Of the statute, which regards and treats the
keeper of grog shop as criminal OF the
lowest grade. The few persons who con-
tinued to sell intoxicating liquors after the
enactment of the law. did so secretly; the
sales were on very limited scale, and
principally to foreigners, and TO such as
could be trusted not to betray the venders
to the authorities. Many persons who
we're habitually intempsrate. abandoned
the use Of strong drinks, at first, from the
difficulty Of procuring them-and after
ward they were fully sensible that they and
their families were much better without
them. have reason to believe that the
law is every day becoming more firmly
fixed in the favorable regards of the peo.
pie Of the city and State, and | am conf
dent that no retrograde step will be taken
here in relation to the subject.
The salutary effects of the law are more
Immediately seen in all those departments
of our affairs, which fall under the care of
the Police, and the returns of commitments
to the Watch House and House Of Cor
rection, will show something of the differ.
ence in this department between the pres
ent and the past years, but these returns
will not exhibit the actual difference, be-
cause the police and watch during the
present year have been more strict than
they formerly were, in arresting persons
found in state of intoxication. Our
streets are now so much more quiet, par.
cularly at night, than they were last year.
or any year before, that the difference can
not be understood very clearly, except by i,
hose connected with the night police and
watch.
This is attested by the city Marshal,
he Captain Of the Watch, and by Mr..
Curtis Meserve, bank watchman, who is
n the streets every night, and in those
PARTS of the city where disturbances would
,e most likely to occur, and he speaks
strongly Of the great improvement in this {
aspect: street disturbances no longer oc- {
,ur in the city. Fore street, from Union
o Centre street, frequently required dur {
ng last year the services Of iour police +
nen-particulary on Saturday and Sun. E
lay nights-and they were often too few,
'ut now that locality is as quiet at all times,
IS any other part of the city, and receives h
10 extra attendance from the police. 8
The number Of persons who continue n
0 sell strong drinks in the city is now G
cry small, they are almost all foreigners, {.
nd sell with, great secrecy and caution;
n open rum shop or bar Of any kind is o
ntrsly unknown; barrel, keg, or other r,
sssel Of liquors is not to be seen in the /,
ity at all, except al the City Agency; the ii
wv has executed its mission with moro ir
ase, certainty and dispatch, than was an. b
cipatsd by its most ardent frisn nds--it has II
cen most triumphantly successful. fe
] think it is not an exaggeration to say, o
lat the quantity Of intoxicating liquors :
ow sold in this city, except by the city cl
gent, is not one-fftieth* part so great as ii
was seven months ago, and the salutary e.
feet Of this great improvement are ap. a,
aren't among the, people in all parts Of the re-
'*Fhis was originally printed by mistake ia
ne Fifteenth" 1t would hays been far III
thin the truth to have said .one hun .,
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