The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-20
THE MAINE LIQUOR LAW.
How It IL Evadcd-Its Control OF the
Politics Of the state.

IN. Y. sun.1
PORTLAND. Me-, Sept. SIN Portland
there are vast number OF small clubs,
of from a dozen to twenty members
each. formed for the express purpose OF
drinking. Each member pays small
weekly fee. and receives a certain num-
Der of tickets. A room is hired near the
express office II possible, and liquor,
generally beer, is sent there IN bulk
from Portsmouth or Boston. Each OF
the tickets held by members Ia good for
one drink, but none OF the liquor is sold.
The express companies are doing an
immense business In the transportation
Of packages of liquor between Boston
and Portland. The Portland agent of
the Eastern Express Company told me
that they received on an average car
load Of liquor per day from Boston. It
is dangerous. however, for them to de-
liver packages @. O. D., as Judge Gilt
ford decides that an express agent thus
becomes an agent of the dealer, and
that liquor thus delivered is sold within
the State.
SO stringent is the law that apotheca-
ries are no longer allowed to sell alcohol
for medicinal purposes, even when 1t is
ordered by physician. This has. SO
seriously Inconvenience them that
every druggist and apothecary In Maine
has bound himself to support only such
shall favor the passage Of bill, to be
presented this coming winter, removing
this restriction. This bill, II passed,
will allow them to dispense any med
icine mentioned In the United States
pharmacop9ia. It passed one branch
of the Legislature last winter, and was
In fair way to pass the other, when
some prohibitionist caused 1t to be
amended with the words, Except such
as shall contain alcohol"
The bills Of fare at hotels and restau-
rants instead OF the usual wine list on
the last page, contain copies Of the
State Liquor Laws. A stranger finds 1t
almost impossible to obtain even bottle
of Bass at q hotel; but to the initiated
nothing ia more simple. He has merely
to register, engage, room. and In 1t
room rent. In some places beer is CIV
en- away, but crackers sell for ten cents
apiece.
The Cumberland Club of Portland is
one Of the most comfortable and elegant
In the country, but In 1t no liquor is
sold, and none appears on the dining
table unless brought from their private
stores by members. In the club house,
however, there is small upper room,
furnished and ornamented with tiers oil
lockers, of one of which each member,
IL he 30 desires, holds the key. When
this club was founded last May, one OF
the members remarked: 1T now re-
mains to be seen how long a dry club
will float"
Besides depriving the State Of one OF
| it's principal sources OF revenue, the
Maine liquor law has already driven
| from 1t vast amount OF business that
will never return. In certain cases II
increases drunkenness, from the fact
that men will seek to do that which
they are forbidden. Much Of the liquor
that is sold within the State-at high
prices, tools of the poorest quality,
and productive Of the worst effects. A
higher premium than ever Ia put upon
smuggling. and the number OF illicit
stills Is on the increase. A large brew.
cry, near Portland, In which many men
were employed, Is closed. the men are
thrown out of work, and the vast stores
Of malt accumulated there are being
shipped to Portsmouth.
The beer gardens are closed, and no
other places Of entertainment Of equal
attractiveness have been provided.
In spite Of all this, the Prohibition
party Is so strong in Maine that the
Democratic convention, held in this
city last month, did not dare insert q
license plank In their platform, although
q strong minority wished to do So
Many of the most intelligent men, and
those who have given the subject the
most thought are strong advocates Of a
strict license law, with local option.