The Republican journal., 1875-02-18

Another revolving year brings to us ITS
annual official report of the amount OF
rum, gin, brandy, ETC., disposed of by the
authorized agent of the state of Maine,
located at Portland And what a queer
thing il is, when YOU come to think Of it,
that the republicans, the temperance men,
the prohibtionists, should denounce and
combat liquor in all its guises, denounce
it, wal upon it, and - make and main
tain law that authorizes a rum shop in
every town in Maine, each directed and
controlled by poor, weak mortal as fee
BILE when assailed by the temptations OF
gain as any of the rest Of us, Or is that
the peddling Of wet damnation, in its
sanctifed state, converts the traffickers in
to angels of honesty and conscientious
ness?
Nj. How is the lucky man who succeeds
to the perquisites if not the piety of Elder
Shaw, and distributes these enlivening
beverages to the municipalities. He has
disposed of SS7, 648.G worth the past year,
which puts very handsome per centage
into his pockets, and enables him to stand
a strong party assessment just before cleo
ton. We observe with surprise that Bel
fast bought only SAT- worth, which at So
per gallon would be but 159 gallons to
divide among 1000 people. On the other
hand the little town of Greenwood, in
Oxford county, bought 1914 16 worth,
which would be a gallon apiece for every
man, woman and child in the place. Lew
iston, now the head quarters OF temper
ance, and the great exemplar to the rest
OF the state. required over $4,000 worth
of the fluids Portland took about the
same. Bangor called for about $4,000
worth. Bucksport, 1922. Waterville,
asked for So, 1S4.16, perhaps to help build
that factory. The surprising amount of
s. OH went to Whitelield-it may be to
whet the ''avenging sword The town
of Palermo, III this county, didn't buy a
cents worth, being probably satisfied with
the lingering odor Of those four barrels.
The great moral spectacle which this
little four page pamphlet affords, ought
not to be confined to the narrow limits of
the state Ii we have discovered that,
while forbidding every citizen to engage
in this traffic as degrading and demon
alizing, the state itself may make its Off
GERS rum retailers and tenders of taps,
with safety to the people and the positive
elevation of their morals--why it is a
grand discovery. The world should know
it. Il ought to be a part OF Names ex-
hibt at the Centennial. Let us send Mr..
How thither, with his hundred thousand
dollar stock. held in the name OF the state
Let there be grouped about him specimen
demiiohns and representative kegs from
the eighty or hundred towns that he sup
plies, each with its official tapster Then
let there be displayed large sign which
shall read
THE RESULT OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF
THE MAINE LAW.
Then call in the nations OF the earth to
admire. Let John Bull see what his off
spring have done. Call the Frenchman,
the German, the Russian, the Austrian,
and ask them what they think of our NOR
al progress. Show it to the Musselman
from the wineless bazars of Constantine
pie; to the Brahmin and Parsee, to whom
alcohol is an abomination; to the slant
eyed disciple of Confucius, whose con-
slant beverage is the mild cup Of tea. Let
them see how we can touch pitch and not
be Herewith deiiled; let them behold how,
like population Of Daniels, we can walk
amid raging lions and never feel their
fangs how, like the sustained prophets
of old, we can dwell amid consuming
flames, and come forth without the smell
of smoke upon our garments.