Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-07-24
THE ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
Fruits Of The Maine Temperance Law.

! Prof Stowe, whose observations on this
! topic nre given below, has been residing in
/ Maine, hns had therefore, opportunities of
| personal knowledge, and is IN all respects a
strong witness. Let him be heard.
BowDoiN COLLEGE, May 6lh, 1852.
! Rev. l.. DwIGHT:
My Dear Sir-Your questions in regard to
! the workings of the Maine Liquor Law IN
/ the State oi Maine, shall answer directly
and without preihcc.
| ]. TO Chai erient has The idig been carried
into operation, etc. ? Ans. To the same eN-
I tent as the law against theft, forgery, c0un-
terlcitng, aud the ike, in all towns in which
nm personally acquainted with the Opern-
tons of the law. There is great difference
among towns, in this, ns IN all other respects,
mud doubtless some are very negligent; but
/ do not know of u single place in the State
where liquor is openly sold.
9. Has ichn has been done been done WiM-
out rio'enoe? Aus. A very few instances OF
violence, but no more than occasionally Oc-
cur IN the execution of other laws aud law
aud order have, in every instance which has
come To my knowledge, been finnlly tri-
unphant.
3. Uhni has becn done ,CM The alcoholic
liquor? Aus. Generally split on The ground
where il ran nui he gathered again. or kept
under lock aud key awaiting orders, aud
sometimes srui back to the original owners.
4. Hhat c6tci has The idr proiuced a'reny? {?
Ans. A most ndiniublr, Mountaineering,
soul-gralIil ing ril;'cl. am travelling very
frequently aud ] have srrn bot thrCg mcu
drunk IN Maine since the law was pissed /;
uId one ui these was IN the ears, direct from
Bustun. uud the other two were IN Brunswick,
the second nighi after Neal DnN's defeat in
Portland. Ne | Duw's successor, however,
euiurccs the law.
.. HW the lac, in yom opinion, be repent
ed? Aus. Nu-iIOt unless hy tOgcgu itlu-
cnrcs; inr in the State its wo'k~ praise IL
and il gains rather than loses favor. hr-
lievc its friends numbers in the State % ur
even 80 per cent, more now than they did
when the law WAS passed.
&. Has Il been injurious 10 he .Gienf,y re-
t!ionS Of Society? Ans. Not at all, hnt
most highly beneficial; hnnishing the cause
OF almost all quNrrels. Litigation aud hard
feeling have, Indeed, in some instances grown
out 0i il; hut where il has made one quarrel.
1t has prevented fity. THIS, NJ least, is my
deliberate mud Snher Judgment.
Z. RdS IL DIMINISHED poUoiy, rice, and
criBf? Ans. Diminished them all--in
some places %, per ccut, in some so, in
some 75, according to the previous hHhlls ol
the place, aud the vigor and lhnruug!ncss
with which the law has been executed. On
this subject see the reports Of the municipal
ol Bangor, Augusta aud Portland;
and the letter ri Rev. Mr.. nddlry aud tire
Rev. MIR. Mitchell, ministers at large i'll Port
lnhd; and other like documents.
In short, This law, though we do not claim
perfection tor II, any more than for any other
htlinnn enactment, has been hlessng, II
blessing omly, aud an unspcnkahle blessing,
ever since It's enactment. wish every State
ia the Union. aud every country in the world,
had tie same law, or one still more effective
and thorough.
Truly yours.
&. Il. Stowe.
Boston Irdreler.