The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-04-10
The Maine Law In Maine.
To the Editor of the Press.

~ Ite LUttV W Wt TeSS.
If the prohibition and suppression of 1.-THE
liquor traffic we're injurious to the business of
the State, either directly or indirectly, 1 should
have fears for the permanency of the Maine
Law. To maintain it under such circumstances
would put strain upon the virtue aud piety of
our people that they would not be able to
bear. The temptation to make money would
be too stronglfor them; as a Frenchman once
said when he yielped to the temptation to do a
dishonest act-"cest trop fort pour moi" it is
too strong for me. Fortunately, the law of
prohibition is not exposed to any such dis
advantage, because every consideration touching
the financial and material prosperity of the
state and people in this matter, ,harmonizes with
all moral, intellectual, religious, social and
political interests.
A gentleman met me in the street few days
since, and said that the late Capt. B. X. of
this city once remarked to him in the old rum
time that there was running in Portland
through the entire twenty.four hours, a stream
of rum as big as his arm." And at that time,
he added, Portland was at a stand still in
business matters, such thing as the erection
of new building of any kind, being almost
unknown. Within day or two Of that time,
Buxton, there were sold annually, one hundred
hogsheads of rum, but now none is sold there; !;
and another gentleman told me that he had
sold regularly, every week. a hogshead of West
India rum to one of the many rum shops in
Saccarappa, and this was in addition to the
very much larger quantity of New England
rum, sold by that same Saccarappa shopkeeper,
whom knew personally.
A gentleman now living in Raymond told
me that at temperance meeting there in the
l. t~I
every period of twenty years, the entire valua-
ton of the town was consumed by the people
in strong drinks. He was laughed at and
ridiculed for his absurd declaration, and he
replied:-'I am well acquainted with the
business and trade of this town, and 1 know
pretty nearly the quantity of liquor which
comes into it, and I have given you my
opinion, but have not made a careful exami-
nation as to the facts, but will do so before the
next meeting and will report to you what i
find them to be-" At the next meeting he
laid the figures before the people, which
was used up in strong drinks in every period of
eighteen years and eight months. To-day,
there is no liquor sold there.
A great many of our people can remember
what Cape Elizabeth was in tho old rum time,
miserable wretched place, so poor that its
poverty was proverb; "Poor as Pooduck" was
slang for the utmost depth of poverty and
wretchedness; and sometimes it was put this
way, $50 poor that water won't run down
hill'' Every little dingy grocery in the town
was a groggery, and the houses and farms and
the cattle as we'll as the people bore eloquent
testimony to the misery and wretchedness
caused by the grog shops. once heard John
T. Walton say in temperance meeting, allud-
ing to the town as it was in the old rum time,
that in the whole territory, ''there.was not as
much paint on the houses as you could put in
your eye." heard minister who was settled
in that town, say at temperance convention
in our Old City Hall, that in his town, three
fourths of all the heads of families were drunk
ards. That was in the old rum time; but now
there is no grog shop there, and there is not a
nicer or more thrifty and prosperous town in
the whole state, Eor one where the people are
more sober, industrious and respectable. The
houses everywhere testify to the good taste of
the people, and their farms, fences, barns and
outhOuses show that they are good managers
and good lvers. All their municipal affairs
are managed economically, wisely and well.
So that Portland might do far worse, as she has
done, than to take lessons of the town govern
ment of Cape Elizabeth as to the proper con-
duct of the public business and especially as to
the proper care of the public finances
Many of our people remember Saccarappa as
il was in the old rum time-that good old
time-as some men with red noses and blood
shot eyes even now consider it, and upon which
they look back longingly, as the Jews did upon
Jerusalem, as they were carried away captiyes
into Babylon. There was no town in the state
where there was more business tran sacted in
proportion to its population. Night and day
the whole village resounded with the sound of
its industry. but at the same time, it was q
dreadfuly drunken, rowdy and blackguard
place. 'tSaccarap" was known all over the
country for the vast extent of its peculiar in
dustry and for the quantity of liquor consumed
by the people. Today, no liquor is sold there,
and we have not in the state a more orderly
and respectable people: but where is the man
familiar with that village who can point to a
dollar now remaining there as the result Of its
vast business, which made it famous all the
country over. The products of its industry all
went down the throats of the people in the
form of rum. NEAL Dow.