Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-08-03
Execution of the Prohibitory Law.

We give below from the Bangor Wing
the Report of Sheriff Jerrand Of Penobscot
County 10 relation to this execution of the
Liquor Law and his remarks therein.
Whole amount Of costs during the yesr 1879.
In offset of the foregoing expenditures pre-
sent the following exhibit;
Amount OF fires and costs paid County
Treasurer. SlS59.i
Amount of fines and costs matured and
to be adjusted at the August Term of
Court, 1915. o041.5s
Amount OF appealed eases (seizuresand
salesl 4O93.59
Amount Of search and seizure cases sub
ject 10 the decision of the law court on
motion ia arrest of Judgment. ISII.9I
Amount embellishments subject to the de-
cision ofthe law court IN plea in abale-
ment. Sl5.o3
Amount OF indictments tor trial, ts246 80
Whole amount OF fines and costs. SsI4 1885
The policy of the defense in liquor pros
ecutions is delay, aud In one way or AN
other cases can be kept of until amer The
session of the law court next follow ing the
term at which they are entered. Conse-
quently but few of the cases thus far OBJ
tanned viii be ripe for judgment until the
forthcoming August term. aud many of
term of 1877. before they can be closed.
No one can now tell what disposition
will be made of the cases. awaiting the ae-
ton of the law Court. should the decision
be IN favor of the State, 1t will readily be
seen that the amount OF fines, aid costs
which can be secured from the eases on
the docket, as above described will be more
than double the expenses incurred TO this
time. after making liberal allowance for
cases where the alternative sentence of
Imprisonment may be preferred 10 the pay
meni Of fiues and costs, and for cases liable
to be lost by trial. Should the Court ren-
der an adverse decision, then am conf
dent the amount which can be collected
from the remaining cases on the docket in
Guiding what has already been paid into
the Treasury will be more than sufficient
to pay all costs after making due allow
aucc for contingencies. But there is an-
other side TO this question.
While the rrohibitory law very wisely
provides that The person who violates i'll
provisions shall pay The iiuc imposed or
suffer a corresponding penalty. the pIima.
~ object is not to make money but To- sup
press the traffic Ia intoxicating liquors.
Aud let Us see wha; has been done the past
year in this direction.
In the month of April 1873. according 10
the most reliable authority, and from
personal investigation OF the subject. | am
satisfied there were not less than two hun
bred aud thirty place, in the county OF
Penobscot. where liquors were openly sold.
At this time no more than tbiF;y-three
places of sale can be found 10 the county,
and nowhere i it sold openly. Ia the
county outside of Bangor, orouo, oldiown
and Milford, there are only five places, 50
far As am able to learn. where there are
any suspicious Of illegal sale.
An examination of the jailoi'> books
show that the number of commitments Ia
jail for drunkenness and assault for the
months OF April, May, June aud July of
this year. are only about fifty per cent. OF
the average Tor corresponding mouths dur
Ing the last three years. This j. sisnifi-
cant As showing the effect of the enforce
meut Of the law on excessive drinkers