Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-04-10
From tho Rochester Daily Tribune.
The Maine law Vindicated-Facts and
Figures.


There is not perhaps any issue now before
the people more subject to acrimonious dig
pute than that relative to the "Prohibitory
law" The principal objection now urged is,
that the law is imperative and does no good,
therefore should be repealed; while its
friends insist on q fair trial Of its utility
Determined to ascertain the actual result OF
the law and furnish the public with the facts,
that each one may judge intellgently, we
have examined some Of the criminal re-
cords Of the State, and give the.following as
an exact copy from the Jail and police dockets
of few cities and counties certified by their
respective jalOrs and police magistrates. -
We give the number of commitments in each
case, from 9th day oc July 1855, 20 the 3lst
of December, inclusive, as compared with
the number committed during the same time
in The year 1854, and exclusive of those
for Drunkenness
The number committed to the Cayuga
county jail from July to December 81, +,
1854, compared with the same time in 1855
is 80 to 59-decrcase in favor of the law
90. J. T. Knapp, Jailor.
Onondaga county Jail stands for the same
time 1873 to l03--decrease in favor OF the
law, 35. Augustus Norton, Superintendent
of the Penitentiary.
Seneca county Jail stands IS to 2S, which
shows falling off of two-,hirds of the crime
decrease in favor of the law, Al. Thomas
Parks, ex. iailor.
Ontario county jail stands 80 to 45-de-
crease in favor of the law, "A. w. c. Ed
mondston, turnkey.
Tie number of committals to the Albany
watch house for the time above designated in
each year is 1874 to l,27S--decrease in
favor of tho law, COG.
Police record of Syracuse stands IT'S to
5l5--decrease in favor of the law, a63.-
]. c. Cuddeback, police justice.
Police record of Auburn stands for the
LEES than half what it was under the old
license system.
The Police record Of Rochester shows
1852 committals during the period specified
in 1854, to TAO for the same period in 1866
decrease in favor Of the law, sl2, less Than
half what it was under the old system.--S.
w. ID. Moore, police justice.
The record Of Utica for four months pre-
vious to the 9th of July, compared with four
months. succeeding, stands 2e5 to l77--de-
crease s5, being less than halt the crime
committed. before. J. II. Bostwick, Police
Justice.
Tho whole number of committals recorded
from the 9th of July to the 3lst of December
1854, is 1850, to 3,s9s during the same
months in is55-making total decrease in
favor of the law of 2,06a
The yearly Increase of crime is about one
tenth, which added to 4,9GO, gives 5,l6O, the
number that would have been committed had
nothing prevented. But instead Of 5,46O
we only have 2,s9s, n falling of Of 1864 in
less than six months-but fraction more
than half what it would have under the old
license law.
Again, the number committed to the Police
Office of Roches ster from the 9th to the 3lst
Of July, 1854, was 26l, for this same time in
1855 it was only 81, and 10 of these for
drunkenness, leaving il 26lto ~ a. decrease in
&c days of 2i9, showing only one-sxth as
much crime as under the old law.
For this same time in Il ,mt nths Of July