New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-26
THE TEACHING OF EXPERIENCE.

Maine prohibited by law the sale of Alcoholic
Beverages nearly twenty years ago - her first
Prohibitory Act having been passed in Janu-
airy. 1852. 1t was repealed two or three years
afterward, but reenacted the next year, and
has ever since held it's place on the statute
book, though eur Civil War induced great
Iaxity in its execution and a very general
audacity in its violation. About three thousand
places at length existed whore Liquor was
more or less openly sold despite it's inhbtiOns,
which arc substantially these:
a. The sale Of all intoxicating liquor distilled fer
mented Is prohibited save by single sworn agents for
medicinal purposes. Where liquors found, they
are seized oonhscated and wherever they sus
peoted to be kept, ofcers mayI procure warrant and
search the premises. Keeping Intoxicating liquors
with intent TO sell is violation Of the law For proof
Of having sold one glass the fine Is t2o. and bond Of
o. 900 not to offend again. For second onense, tho
penalty Is increased to neand imprisonment 90 days or
more g. Tho seller Ia held responsible for all damages,
losses expense OF Sickness injuries, &c. canned by hs
liquor And, 7. Property owners, who knowingly rent
any building for this illegal traffic, are held liable"
The War being ended, the Legislature soon
proceeded March 1, 1877 to enforce Prohlbl-
ton By creating State Constabulary expressly
to suppress Liquor-selling Here is the glst OF
the instructions given by the chief constable to
his district deputies:
"Immediately after receiving your commission, pro
coed to learn who engaged in the unlawful sale OF
intoxicating liquors within your Jurisdiction Call upon
them personally and kindly ask them to abandon tho
liquor traffic at Make record of each PERSONS
name his place Of business, and his answer TO your
request, reporting the same to me.
after notice has been given TO vioatOr OF the law.
and the same is Needed then visit the offender with
the whole strength of the law, in every form possble
will
with which this is DONE"
This procedure caused two thirds of the three
thousand liquor sellers to abandon the business.
The rest have been under discipline ever since.
Still, liquor selling is not wholly suppressed,
any more than Gambling or Adultery is by the
legal prohibition of those vices under the laws
of this and other States. Gov. Chamberlain,
in his Message for 1870, says:
"The laws against Intoxicating Liquors are as we'll
executed and obeyed the laws against profanity,
theft. unchastity. or murder"
To the same effect, Gov. Perham, IN his
Message last January, says:
after years Of discussion Maine adopted the policy OF
Prohibition and the present law where 1t Is enforced s
far as can judge effective In the suppression OF
the traffic other criminal laws against the crimes
they are intended to prevent, In majority OF our
counties the appears be we'll executed, with very
favorable results"
In Maine the total collections of Federal
internal revenue from distilled and fer
mented liquors is $27,S65 per annum. In
New-Jersey, it is S593,O95. Like contrasts be-
tween States which prohibit and those which
do not, are general
Rev. Ovid Miner, who has been traVersing
the State as an observer, and from whose re-
port we cOndense the above, says:
tyitb in
towns Of illegal seing-the principle Of prohibition is
practically and thoroughly maintained In the rural dis
trics and small villages embracing threefOurths OF the
whole population Of the State. Scores OF gentlemen
assured that this is undeniable. And although first
hotels and fashionable drinking are seldom
arraigned still there Is not week. scarcely day. in
the cities where liquor Is supposed to frees that
vioators OF tho law arrested and fined This is
notorious
1.-THE Sheriff OF Cumberland County informed me las
substantially did other ocal) that the enforcement Of
the Liquor Law had undoubtedly reformed and saved
many That during and since the war liquor had run
more freely, and that young meniof the cities were fall
ing into habits Of tipping But he added, 1t Is
In the country There is not the least doubt but
the law OF great value the whole State that
hbtiOn the settled policy Of the people There will be
waking up too long, to Its thorough enforcement
1.-THE Portland City Marshal informed me that three
fourths and Of the quorselling was In low Irish
tenement and cellars and that nearly all arrests by the
police foreigners Although houses patronized
by the rich and fashionable undoubtedly sell liquors in
more or less concealed ways, and winked out OF
sight, yet violations Of the law being constantly
reported and punished. The law Is admirable to
represS and do not know how we could live here with
1t. Formerly there were public disturbances and
hghtngs nearly every Sabbath. Now, sabbaths in Port
land quiet a country village. 1t is evident
suppressing the liquor traffic greatly dimnshes and
drives OF sight social evil There ia not one OPEN
knoton house Of HLrame in The city,"
These facts are surely deserving of general
and dispassiOnate consideration.
1t was hardly worth while for the Paris
press to revive now the incOnseQuential story