Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-02-28
Portland, Feb, 81

state of things in Portland is not in conse
quence of prohibition, but because prohib
ton is not enforced there. Now, what is The
remedy for Portland? The city marshal o
Portland had not long since told him that i
was not his duty to enforce the liquor law
that that duty was imposed on the sheriGs, an(
they would be jealous if he (the marshalD in
terfered. He would like to know of Gov
Dingley if this is so.
| The committee on permanent organization
then reported Gov. Dingley for President, and
the following Vice Presidents
Joshua Nye Of kcnnebec.
w. w. Thomas, of Cumberland.
John A. Mace, of Waldo.
Hon. L. w. Stetson, of Lincoln.
Rev. John Stevens, of York.
Rev. Zenas Thompson of Androscoggn.
Hon. Sidney Perham, OF Oxford.
G. 0. Payson, of Knox.
Marcus Wight, of Somerset.
j. w. Donigan, of Penobscot.
| NJ. g. Prentiss, of Piscataquis.
| n. b. Mutt, of Washington.
Hon. j. w. Emery, of Hancock.
| David o. Foye, of Sagadahock
| Moses Stone, of Franklin.
| SECRETARIES.
l.. NJ. Webb, of Portland.
| w. L. Morrill,, Of Deering.
John Richards, of Waldoboro.
| The chairman then introduced Gov. Ding
ley who spoke substantially as follows:
He was gratified to see so large and re-
spectacle gathering of friends oftemperance
for the purpose OF consulting together with
reference to the interests of the cause in
Maine. Such meetings as this, and that re-
| Gently held at Augusta served to arouse new
interest and to manifest the public sentiment
| already existing. The foundation work which
is SO essential in persuading men to touch not
the intoxicating cup, and in making effective
those laws which are designed to suppress the
/ temptations of the dram shop, must be
done through such gatherings as this, through
the pulpit and press and through individual
moral effort. The larger portion of the work
in promoting the cause of temperance must be
accomplished by moral means, but there is
also an important work to be done by law
that of removing the temptations of the dram
shop so far as possible. Moral and legal
| means go together, and one is powerless to a
certain extent for permanent good without the
other. If there has recently been tendency
to rely too much on law, that error should be
corrected, and law put in its proper place as
a supplement of moral agencies.
He believed that SO far as experience has
as yet shown, Maine has the most effective
laws for the suppression of drinking. houses
and tppling- shops yet devised. Wherever
faithfully and constantly enforced, it has &C
complished wonderful results. In three
fourths of the State, especially in the rural
sections, there are few open dram-shops, and
drunkenness has greatly decreased. Com
pared with most other States, the advantage
in favor of temperance is striking. In many
counties open bars are unknown. In his own
county (Androscoggin) there were none; and
in the cities of Lewiston and Auburn with a
population of $4,000, the sale of liquor had
for years been largely driven into secret cor
ners and shanties where the stock in trade
consisted of bottle buried in the cellar. In
many of the cities and larger villages, there
is not SO favorable a condition of things; but
this results from failure to secure proper
enforcement of the law.
Referring to this question of enforcement
of the law in such places, the Governor said
that the primary duty in this direction is upon
| local officers, and he was surprised at the
statement of the previous speaker that any
| City Marshal should claim that the act re-
| quiring SherifS also to enforce the laws, III
any manner exempted local officers. The
laws relating to drinking houses and tipping
shops expressly make it the duty of local of
| fcers to enforce them. The Sheriff enforce
ment act is supplementary to this, and in no
manner lifts any responsibility from the
shoulders of local officers. Sherifis are
required to enforce the laws against theft;
but upon the police of cities are also imposed
similar duty. and there is just as much
reason for local. officer to refuse to prose
cute thief, as a keeper of dram-shop.
| And it is highly important that local officers
| be held TO their responsibility in this direc-
ton, because they are more numerous than
| SherifS, and better know the secret haunts
| of vice. This does not relieve the RESPONSE
| bility of Sheriffs also, but their work Will
usually only be supplementary, or at most
concurrent with that of the local police. I'M
| mediately on entering upon the discharge OF
his duties as Governor, he had issued an or
der to the several Sheriffs in the State to dis
charge the duties imposed upon them by the
Sheriff enforcement act; and whenever evil
dence was presented to him that any officer
had in any instance SO wilfully neglected or
refused to discharge his duties under the act,
as to make it reasonably certain that the
dcreliction OF duty could be fastened upon the
| officer in a trial before the Legislature, he
| should lay the case before that body at the
earliest practical day. That exhausted his
power as executive, but he should add to this
all the moral support that was possible
While he was criticising officers, it should not
be forgotten that laws against dram shops,
gambling saloons and houses of ill-famc are
peculiarly difhcuIt oil enforcement. MS oiA
Guilty arises from the fact that we are con-
tending not only against profitable interest
and a vast noneyed power, but also because
it is struggle against debased appetite.
In other crimes, the victim makes complaint
against the one who has INJURED him; in these
crimes, the victim avoids making complaint
and in many cases perjures himself rather
than testify against his destroyer. This dill
fculty is inherent in any efficient attempt to
restrict the liquor traffic, and is not peculiar
to the prohibitory law. Again, notwithstand-
ing no officer can properly excuse himself
from the performance Of duty on the alleged
ground that the public sentiment of his local
ity will not support him, yet it is useless to
deny the fact that under our system OF gov
ernment the public sentiment of locality
always will affect the measure of enforcement
of any law. Illogical as it may be, the fact
is too patent to be ignored.
Hence tho ultimate remedy must be IN ele'
waiting public sentiment; or at least IN SO
organizing and manifesting it as to make II
felt. He thought that there was much bet
ter state of public opinion on this question
than many admitted. The friends of law ant
order are quiet; the enemies are noisy at the