The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-04-15
Brigands of the Bung-hole,

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prohibition make, that the rum traffic is
inevitably and unavoidablv demoralizing,
is receiving frequent confirmation in the
official experiences Of its advocates. The
latest instance occurs at the fountain head
Of the sanctifed rum traffic of Maine-the
state agency at Portland That we may
state the case fairly, we copy from the
Portland Press of Saturday.
w. c. How, Esq, State Liquor Commissioner
on Thursday rendered lis resignation to Coy.
Dingley. Some time since Mr.. How made a
sale of four barrels of whiskey to City Agent
Briant of Lewiston, at s. per gallon. and Mr.
HOw's books SO show. just as Mr.. IL. was
making out the bill, Brant, whose accounts at
the State agency were all straight, and whose
dealings had been square, asked him if he had
Just as lief make the entry two barrels Of whis-
key at 81 per galon-amounting to the same
sum. Mr.. How. without a moments thought.
did so. leaving the item on his own books as it
should be, and never thong ht more Of the affair
until the Lewiston committee came to the State
agency to learn what facts they could of Briants
transgressions.
The Press, with its usual felicity Of Ian
guage, puts the matter in the best possible
light. But the admitted facts make case
Just as reprehensible as it possibly can be-
Briant, if the charges made;in criminal
proceeding are true, is thief, who stole
the liquors and talslied his books. In
tracing the matter out, the authorities 90
to the chief rum fountain kept by the state
at Portland There they find false entries,
fictitious prices, and fraudulent bill-not
only charged, but confessed, The ques-
ton that concerns the public is whether
this is an exceptional case, or whether the
grand Tycoon Of the demiiohn dynasty
has been in the habit Of aiding frauds on
the cities and towns by making this sys-
| TEN OF double entry in bookkeeping
general thing. Have the purchasing and
selling agents of cities and town been thus
enabled to steal one half the liquor, and
still have the official voucher against the
town treasury as big as ever? If 50,
every mothers son OF them WAS on Surer
road to fortune than ii he had NeWbury
port silver mine in his backward And
the Tycoon aforesaid, if he fairly shared
in the general profit, ought to have been
richer than the bonanza itself
Now let the honest reader reflect for 4
moment on this whole business Here is a
political party in Maine holding itself out
Us the special friend Of virtue, morality,
and temperance. 1t claims to be made
up of men of such exalted virtues, of such
thorough and stern integrity, that they
are the fit persons, and the only ones, to
properly deal out to the people Of the state
Intoxicating liquors. Such is the claim.
Now what is the fact? Let the honest
reader aforesaid recall the experience of
the state with Elder Peck. who was not
only a del;luter himself but allowed these
sanctilied chaps to get their fingers in the
treasury, and take money that to this day
remains unpaid From that time to this
the history OF these prohibition rum shops
has been one long record OF stealing,
fraud, cheating, and ENLIGHTENMENT, all
in the ranks Of this party Of virtue and
morality-and it is believed that not a
tenth part OF it comes to the surface.
Meantime rum pervades the state like
a flood, rum shops openly invite drinkers
to their bars, and young men GROW up
drunkards, The law has promoted moth
ING but hypocrisy. Long live humhn@.
The question of the constitutlonality of
the Endorsements act is under argument
in the Supreme Court of the United States
The question arises upon an.appeal from
the decision OF the district court Of the
United States in Louisiana ON the Gratt
Parish indictments. On the part Of the
prisoners it is contcnded that they must
be tried in the state courts and not in the
federal courts The line of arguments
follows much the same course with that of
Judge Emmons in his charge to the grand
jury in Nashville on the Civil Rights Act,
that the amendments to the constitution
out Of which grew this enforcement act
were leyeled against the states and not
against individuals. Congress therefore
has no power to enforce OF attempt to en-
force punitive measures against individ-
uals in state. Among the counsel ell
gagged in the arguments Of the case are
Reverdy johnson and David Dudley Field
in behalf Of the rights of the states.
The Bangor Wing is surprised that
Hon. W. Ii. Barnum Democratic CON
gresham in Connecticut, whom it char
acterizes as salary grabber, should re-
ceiVe the heaviest majority of either OF
the candidates. 1t ought not to be deemed
strange. l he retutation Of the lie which