The Republican journal., 1873-02-06
State Liquor Commissioner Report

document we are indebted TO Senator
Brooks. The report is neatly gotten up
by the State printers and is appropriately
enclosed in amber hued covers, about the
shade lof pale brandy The soul of the
good man who dispenses the authorized
tiprie at Portland continues to be vexed
by the perversity of mankind. There are
many who stubbornly disregard the ukase
which commands them to buy their rum al
Shaw's. With this class the commissioner
mildly expostulates thusy-
Some probably wish to extent their sales be-
yond what they care to have publicly reported
and buy more or less from other sources, while
Others with 4 view, obviously TO personal adj
vantage, or TO the largest possible revenue,
purchase of outside parties, with little or no re-
ference to the purity of the liquors or:the fit
ness tor medicinal use. These abuses might
be very generally corrected, if the citizens in
such localities, or the proper officers would en-
deavor to have 1t done.
As the total sales tor the year are only
500, 3l1,70, and the commissioners prof
It's Rat S6,S06,4S, its pity that the figure
they Wonld reach under a Thoroughly con
soentious state of things, is not set down.
1t seems that there is an irrepressible con
tlict between the source of supply ut
Portland and the minor fountains in the
towns: What is "obyiously to personal
advantage" with the latter, seriously cuts
down the profits of the grand tycoon of
the business; and it isn't wonderful that
citizens and officials are by him called up-
on 10 order things better 1t seems that
only one fourth of the towns aud planta-
tons in the State are customers OF our
Portland friend. Ii the citizens and
proper officers would only look after this
matter, he might double or treble has
profits And so at the State expense he
sends out his annual admiration to that
effect
The best customer Of the agency the
past year has been the city Of Portland,
which has imbibed the value of S11 ,51l IS
the smallest has been the town Of Appleton,
which has sparingly partaken to the amount
OF $3.50. The latter must be 4 place
Of remarkable salubrity. The large town
OF Newcastle crooks its elbow from Shaw's
fountain to the value of only $3.50. Per-
haps the burghers there are accustomed
to step over the border in their mo-
mcnts OF thirst. as their neighbors of
Damarscotta recklesslv 90 in for ST.
209.69 worth. Rockland is charged with
only SO, S65.44 for the fluid, which is mod
crate for the size and aspirations Of the
place; doubtless this is one of the locali-
ties that the commissioner thinks should
be a better customer. Capt. Bean, who
dispenses the authorized refreshment in
Belfast, has been able to get rid of only
$3.50 S. worth But then the Captain
complains that he has some thirty compe-
tjtors and can't get more than a fair
share OF the business. 1t is a mystery
how the many inhabitants OF Camden con-
trive 10 make life tolerable, as the record
entirely ignores them rs customers Per-
haps, as the excellent Shaw suggests, they
"buy more or less from other sources''
if not they must suffer severely IN barn
raisin@s and cases of collie. Waterville,
where the drinking of cider is moi toler-
ated, takes - sofas worth Winterport
ordered $4,000 worth, probably to miti-
gate the rigors of smelt fishing; but
Frankfort gets along with the value of
$3.50. 40. Palermo couldn't make both
ends meet with less than 81, 0063 IS worth
OF the universal panacea. Lewiston,
where they Stir up unlawful dealers very
vigorously. swallowed IS, 1858 l9 worth of
the popular lnbricator in n legal way
Bucksl ort called for 81 ,9l9. % worth, and
will probably need more this year, as an
aid in building the railroad. Some OF the
Oxford towns continue to absorb marvel
lous quantities of liquors. A stream of
the fluids flows thither that seems like the
Lost River OF the western plains, to sink
and disappear most mysterlously Send
ing liquor to Hamlin's Grant Plantation
seems like pouring it into a rat-hole. With
a population of only 95, it absorbs ST.
292 ill liquors, which at a cost of SO per
gallon. would give over seven gallons TO
each man, woman and child in the place
1t may be thought remarkable that Mr..
Shaw, with the soicitude for public well
fare which leads him to denounce excess
sive sales of liquor derived from other
sources, has never informed the public
what becomes of this enormous amount of
rum to which he has given his official
blessing We are lett to the conclusion
that the daily diet of the people there is
like Falstatf's supper-a pennyworth OF
bread and gallon Of sack.
With regret that our available space will
not permit more extended notice of this
institution OF benevolence, and an elabor-
alton Of its workings, we take leave of it
for another year. Providence permitting
we will in 1874 note still further its pro-
gress in the work OF dispensing the prin-
ciples of republican total abstinence in ten
gallon kegs, with primage and average
accustomed"
Those disoraceful Government spies,