Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-07
Testimony in favor of Prohibition.

\ correspondent OF the Maine Standard.
bears the following testimony to the i'm
portant aid which the Temperance cause
in Maine. is receiving from the Maine law.
The correspondent says
1T is unfortunately fact that there are
those in all our country towns who would
use liquor if il was TO be had conveniently.
but with the law as IT is, il is simply im-
possible for an individual in the rural dis
tTicts to make il pay 10 sell it. Then, Of
course, the traffic ceases. for pay i what
the dealer is alter. and il has ceased in the
country towns generally. Now for the ef-
Yet OF the law upon the people.
II is fact well known that there are
thousands of men and, | grieve to say it,
some women who would drink more or
less liquor If it was 10 he had at home as in
past years, who will not go to Augusta Tor
IL. suppose Augusta to be twenty miles
sway. SO here is time and money saved
10 the drinker. food. raiment and comfort
10 his family, and pauper bills TO the town.
by virtue OF the law whether any one is
reformed or not. and | do not know as il
practically makes any difference whether
there is or is not SO long a. their passion
for drink is not gratiied. But this is not
where the good effects of the law are to be
most clearly seen. | am not speaking OF
cities and large towns. In the country
towns liquor is driven out OF sight COM
pletely. and consequently there Is genera
ton coming up, and soon to take charge of
all the mighty interests of this nation from
the White House TO the country school dis
trict, measureaby uncontamnated By rum
and its influence; and the very fact that il
j. ''contraband goes far TO strengthen the
impression that it is an evil TO be avoided.
Why. sir, in the little town in which the
writer was born and has always lived, con-
tanning at no time in its history more than
fifteen hundred inhabitants. there were
thirty-seyen Years ago twelve places where
liquors were sold openly by the glass over
the bar, at the public houses for -four
pence haif-penny" 4 glass. and at the
groceries for three cents. Is il any wonder
the boys learned to drink? / am acquaint-
ed with every man in that town. and do
not think one drop of liquor can be bought
there to-day. Thank God. for that, at any
rate whether the law has done il or not
In Gods name let me implore the Maine
Standard as one of the ablest of our public
teachers to do or say nothing TO draw rum
from its hiding place, or TO weaken the law
which drives il from the public gaze.
Let me tell a story and will close this
already too long note: There was once
in certain town in this county farmer
who had lost large part of the chickens
from his hen-coop: the farmer and his boy
watched and soon discovered the thief In
the person Of skunk. The skunk ran I'M
der the barn and the boy went for him.
Pretty sson the old man poked his head
under the sill, and haliood. got i'm, John ?
John answered, No, but I've holed him.
Well says the old man. plug him in. ii
amt the skunk We are after but to save the
chickens
Now. if we have driven rum-sellers and
rum-driDkers into their dark holes and cor
ners. let US keep them there at any rate
and thus save the boys. who are the hope
of the country, from contamination"