The Portland daily press., 1872-01-13
The, New Plan Of the Temperance Re-
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Sidney Perhaln has twice been elected Gov
ernor of Maine, receiving in both 1870 and
1871 the solid vote of the temperance men of
the State. His fidelity to- the principles of
which he has been conspicuous advocate
has never been questioned. He continues to
be a believer in the efficacy of prohibitory leg
islation. Yeti is many years since there has
been in the cities and larger towns of Maine
so little restriction on the sale of liquor as to-
day. Alta time when temperance men
thought that they had at last attained the
one thing lacking to enable them to enforce
the law, they find themselves in a worse con-
dition than ever. They find the prevailing
public sentiment on the subject of temper
ance to be most unsatisfactory, while their
chosen Executive is as powerless to change
the adverse current by vigorous enforce
ment of the law as if he were merely school
agent on Paris Hill. Except that his person
al influence, which is unequivocally on the
right side, has been increased by his eleva
ton to Office, it is hard to see how the
cause of temperance has gained anything by
having one of its principal supporters at the
head of affairs. The English McCarthys and
Plimsalls who have made raids into our State
for the purpose ofspying out evasions of the
law, and who have carefully avoided those
country districts where the sale of
liquor is absolutely stopped, have found album
dance of facts to confirm the dnti-prohibition
theories which they brought with them. -3
1t is most unfair to blame Gov. Perham for
this unfortunate state of things. He cannot
be held in any degree responsible. If he had
a State Police force for the express purpose of
executing his commands, he could not escape
censure at a time like the present when a
great river of alcohol flows unchecked through
the State. But the people having once tried
the.State police experiment under the most
circumstances, rejected it as unsat-
sfactory after single years experience. 1t
is of little use to ask for the revival of the
If Joshua Nye, one of the very
ablest men in the State,-a man whose per-
feet Integrity and disinterestedness have been
attested by alife largely devoted to works Of
practical benevolence-could not make the
workings of such system satisfactory, even 1
when he gave his services without compensa-
ton, it is of no use for others to undertake
the hopeless task. A new set of officers, the |
cost, the inqaisitorial proceedings
# men who are strangers in the places where
hey are called upon to act, are all considera-
ions which tell heavily against revival of
he State police. ia
But temperance men feel more strongly
han ever that something pust be done to
ender available the advantage they have
,ained in being able to elect a Governor after
heir own heart. Accordingly at the meeting
If the Grand Lodge of~Good Templars, held
n this city last October, Hon. Nelson Ding
ey, Jr., read report in which the commit
ee of which he was chairman recommended |
hat the sheriffs of the several counties be |
placed under the control of the Governor and |
'e made responsible for the prosecution
# offenders against the criminal laws, includ-
ng those against the sale of Intoxicating liq-
Tors. Gov. Perham gave the plan his indorse-
nent in his recent address to the Legislature
The State Temperance Convention which is
o be held at Augusta, next Wednesday, will |
10 doubt urge the Legislature to make suita-
lie legal provision for carrying the plan into
fleet. Such request can hardly be denied |
y the Republicans of the two houses. The
nnual renewal by the Republican party of its
llegiance to ''the principles of prohibition
nd its impartial enforcement is lightly
poken of in some quarters as a mean
ngless form. We do not regard it so.
Doubtless the members of some committees
n resolutions look upon it as piece of po-
tical clap-trap, but the mass of the party be-
eve the doctrine in their heart of hearts.
he members of both houses of the Legisla-
ure represent mainly temperance constitu-
ncy--a constituency that is the backbone of
be Republican party. - t-4 ir
The merits of the new plan are best describ-
l by saying that it is not open to one of
nose objections which made the State police
Unpopular. 1t creates no new offices. There
J no additional expense. The enforcement
the law will not require the action of stran-
ers. 1t seems to meet all the requirements
the situation better than anything hereto
IRE suggested. If such system were al
eady in operation, such man as Gov. Per-
am would soon work complete change in
he aspect of affairs.