The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-13
THE PRESS.
1870
SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL 49, ls'S
co-ooun,no the city Liquor Agency.

Concerning the City Liq"or As0n0''
rh.ro are differences of opinion among
,,,;so and honorable men about the possiDh-
itv of stopping liquor-selling by law. Some
of the best men in Maine, about whose prac-
teal abstinence there is no question what
ever, believe that it is useless to contend
against intemperance in that way. on 'he
other hand, there are many thousands ol
equally worthy men and women VINO 10 pe-
lieve that the law is a good one, anu that IL
is calculated to lessen greatly, if not to cure the
evil. Many even of those who regard the pro-
visions of the present law as unduly stringent,
acknowledge the utility of some restriction in
the nature of prohibition on the sale OF liquor.
However unsatisfactory the present liquor
code may be, it has been framed in good falth
for relieving society of one of the greatest
curses that afflict it: Accordingly it ought TO
be honestly and fairly executed and all good
citizens are bound to give it their sincere and
active support. They are bound to act in
GOOD faith, for the purpose of deriving from it
the greatest possible advantage. 1t seems to
us that the clamor against the City Liquor
Agency is not prompted by feelingo this
kind. The zeal that would make it impossi-
BILE to obtain drop of any kind of spirituous
or malt liquor in Portland is not excited by
desire to give completeness and symmetry to
the existing regulations, but to ensure their
speedy and certain failure. If there are
abuses at the Agency let them be reformed,
and at once But the appeals in favor OF its
entire suppression in the interest of temper
ance are obviously addressed either to very
ignorant or very disingenuous men. There
are those who have the impudence to assert
that consistency requires the closing OF the
Agency. ''Why discriminate? they say.
fit is fair for the city to dispense poison, why
isn't it for individuals? Pooh! There isn't
the slightest inconsistency in the case. The
theory of the present law is not that intox-
icating liquor has no legitimate and necessary
use, whatever may be the views of its indi-
vidual supporters. 1t not only recognizes
the need of alcohol for medicinal and mechan-
ical purposes, but it makes careful and elab-
crate provision for dispensing it. Great care
is taken, however, to restrain those who are
authorized to sell liquor for proper purposes
from selling it to those who should not buy.
ANY wilful Infringement of these restrictions
should be instantly punished But to stop all
sales would be to fasten down safety-valve
which is very essential part of the prohibit
tory machinery. Those who advocate such
policy are mainly Democrats who begin to
fear that they are not to make so much po-
litical capital out of the present enforcement
of thelaw as they counted on, and who are look
ing about for some means of rendering odious-
and uncomfortable statute which, as admin
istered by Sheriff Perry, has shown no worse
results than placing the Municipal Court on
the retired list, making the policeman's place
aperfect sinecure and depriving the City of all
the excitement formerly derived from breach
es of the peace.
THE following list of fifty words embraces
many of common use which are often mis-
spelled. We understand that this list has
been the cause of much Generalization and
aggravation in private circles, having been in
the hands Of inscriptions persons, who have
insisted upon propounding them to their dis
tressed friends. We publish them as pro-
lection against these insidious assaults. The
slip containing them, if cut out and carried
in the pocket, will be sure antidote Here
it is: