Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-11-07


Truth about the practical working of the
the prohibtory liquor laws =
Progress of the Maine and Local
Option Liquor La,cs.-A correspondent
of the Boston Post writes threecol-
umn letter bristling with statistics, and
undertakes to prove that the Maine
Prohibitory Liquor law has been a com
plete failure. 1t has not stopped the
sale OF liquor-it has only fastened the
vending Of an inferior article. 1t has
not lessened insanity from liquor-the
records prove that the admission to the
asylums from this cause have been
greater. 1t has not diminished the ar
rests for drunkenness-more arrests
were made in 1928 than everbefore.
The trainers OF the law meant well, but
the law don't work. That is the view
OF correspondent whose name IS not
given. and whose interest in maintain
inc his views may he q strong one.
Opposed to him we find the following
Ex-Governor Perham in his opinion,
which was given in 1872, says: The
liquor trade in this State, | think 1t safe
to say. is very much less than before
the enactment OF the law-probabIy not
one tenth as large General Dow, IN
the State Temperance Convention OF
1873, in an address to the people, said
'Prohibition has become success IN
Maine. The amount of intoxicating
liquors consumed in that State is not
one tenth so large as it was before the
Maine law" And ex Mayor Wheel
wright, of Bangor, in his opinion, says;
at is safe to say that in our city not
one-tenth as much is sold now as IN
years past;' and "a Professor in the
Theological Seminary the eX-MayorS,
the Collector of Internal Revenue, and
host Of others all fully agree in the
above statement" Judge Lane, Of the
Supreme Court. of Portland, and other
officials also said : "We ale Of the de-
cided opinion that the liquor trade is
not one.tenth of what it was prior to
the Maine law" And Senators, Con-
gressmen and hosts Of clergymen all
concur.
We NAV conclude, we think, that the
Prohibilory law in Maine has been at
least 4 partial succcsS-more Of a sue
! CESS than in any other State. Maine
has had more experience with such leg
islation. and there is within her limits
more determination to enforce the stat
ute. The "Maine law States those
which have voted for entire prohibition
are Connecticut, Massachusetts,, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
and Maine. They are all within the
borders of New England. Pennsylvania
also is prohibitory, but in a different
wav. 1t voted by counties for or
against 'local option" with very re-
markablc results. Counties nearly equal
in area to the New England States
above given, if we except Maine, have
now no licenses issued. Taking ont n
small portion of Pennsylvania lying
packed together, with Schuylkill and
Berks for centre, all Of the State has
cone against license cXceptingthe coun-
ties of Forrest, Ella Cambria and ALE
chanv. The refusal to license under
the Local Option law passed by the last
Legislature has been an overwhelming
one. What effect this has at present
on the consumption Of liquor in the
State. we do not know. Very little,
probably. Yet, in the long run, such
majority may he calculated to tell heav.
ilv. Backed by healthy and earnest
public opinion, it could clear neigh.
borhood Of grog shops and dens Of
temptation and vice. Where not sup
ported by any such opinion, however
It, only effect is to close all reputable
public houses, and TO drive drinkers &c
low haunts and vile whisky sold by mer
who have no scruples in violating the
law. In this State, local option is on
trial in several of the counties. a pc
Rod of a year or two will tell us more
about its efficacy. One thing, never
theless, is certain. a county or
township must do something more thar
merely yote-it must act. 1t is difficult
to obtain testimony to violation OF the
law 1t is not easy to secure convlc
ton even upon strong evidence in many
cases. But the success OF the Loca
Option law depends entirely upon these
two things. TO leave the subject II
the hands of the people is the only way
to deal with this clalnorous Temperance
observation-disclosures at our doors and al
WAYS asking legislation. But if the
people do nothing but vote upon il
when it is placed in their hands, it vii
become as great farce rs it is now II
some of the counties in Pennsylvania.
"ZroN's" KINGDOM REcEuIrED-Ar
rival of Two Hundred bouncing DIOR
mons in .Ne1c York Cuy.-On TUESDAY
afternoon, at o'clock, 200 Momons
who had arrived i'll this city by the
steamer Wyoming, took their departure
by The Pennsylvania railroad for Salt
Lake City. The present company Is
the last which will arrive this season
from Europe. They were met upor
their arrival by Elder Staines, Of Salt
Lake City, and Mr.. John Mcdonald
the former attending to their yariou:
wants preparatory to their long railroad
trip. The leader in charge Of the part!
was Elder File, who has been engaged
in missionary work for several month:
past in the Highlands and Lowlands OF
Scotland. \ curious feature among
these Latter Day Saints was their eX
rontionallv small number of children