The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-28
An AmuSin' Letter.
Who Ever Felt the Halter Draw will,
Good Opinion of the Law.

PORTLAND, March q, 1876
To the Editor of the Press:
notice in today's PRESS, signed Neal Dow,
that there was petition presented to him for
his signature, praying the Mayor and Alder
men not to open the City Liquor Agency, stat
ing this movement was made in good faith in
the interest of the temperance cause. He de.
clined to sign as great many people think
that alcohol is good as medicine. In many
cases think so, and SO does great many PEG
pie, among the number Mr.. Ring. l told
him would refer him to a man that emptied
one hundred and fifty barrels of alcohol, rum
and whiskey in this city this present winter.
Mr.. Ring told me he knew all about it, but the
leading temperance men of this city would not
permit him to enforcs the law against the
apothecary, but Mr.. Ring said now the City
Liquor Agency was going to be opened, and
that would take away the patronage the apothe-
carries got. L think the apothecares made a
mistake to vote for Fessenden. If they had
voted for Richardson they could had free trade
without paying state or United States licenses,
and sell Sundays as we'll as week days, their
medicine uumoested. Oh! suffering humani ty
how long shall peaceable citizens suffer such
rascality?
If poor coal HEAVIER after working sixteen
hours for day, wants glass of beer, the most
alcohol it contains is six per cent Native wines
and cider contain ten or eleven pc, cent. 1t
has been admitted through the columns of the
PRESS that ale was the purest drink offered to
man, purer than tea or coffee, and because a
Fore or Commercial street saloon keeper gives
poor man glass of beer to rinse down the
coal dust out of his throat before he goes to his
meals, Mr.. Ring and his posse will march him
up to the tune of $50 and costs, and every three
convictions be convicted for keeping a nui-
sance.
State street ladies and gentlemen, as we call
them, can have their draft ale, Bass bottled ale
also wine, gin and brandy in their cellars to
treat their friends and callers, but if there is
one gill of beer found in poor mans house
Judge Knight will decide he is aiding and abet-
ting in keeping a nuisance. Judge Knight
might see the time that the tears of gratitude
for an election to keep him out of the poor
house takes place again, SO these unfortunates
may have chance TO vote for him again.
When Perry was Sheriff the apothecary and
the Fore and Commercial street dealers were
all treated alike. but that did not suit DoR's
party, and they disposed of Mr.. Perry and
elected Mr.. Pencil, that has fair face and a
shake hand for rumselldr, extra to what he
would have for the Governor of the state; still,
to make the post leadership pay and fill his
house with boarders, he shows another smiling
face TO the temperance men and says those ba r
rooms must be put down. If Mr.. Dow will
favor me with an answer to this will reveal to
him more rascality in enforcing the Maine Pro-
hibitory Law than Belknap used in his post
leadership. Yours respectfully,
P. McGLINCHY.
r. Mr.. McGlinchy is mistaken. The PRESS
has never stated that ale is the purest beverage
Under ordinary circumstances, we should de-
eide that Sebago is purer, cheaper and really
better.-ED