Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-01-28

'Drunkenucss. Number OF judgments for lie
"a. -ales.
i. Will % seen that under the pIohl1l-
tory law IN 1874 The arrests ter drunk
enness exceed those OF 1917 under the
license iaw by $500. while the license sw
hiss decreased me number OF places where
LIQUOR - sold 500. The number OF con-
yic1iOus for drunkenness shows 4 larger
percentage under the license law than
under the prOhioitOTy law, rs The present
Law Is much more easily enforced. Ihe
number OF places licensed. IS sisted
above. i must be remembered includes
the spOlhecaries where the liquor sold Is
largely used for medicinal purposes
The journal frankly admits that the
decrease OF arrests may be partially due
TO the hard times, snd the resulting 10
ability Of many to drink to excess. But
there its concessions cease. and IL Claims
for the license lsw al other good results.
This is evidently erroneous. Since the
year 1874. great tidal wave of temper
ance sentiment has swept over The cJuu-
Try. Thousands Of drinkiug men aud
habit0al drunkards, in Massachusetts,
have been reclaimed oy the reform clubs
during the past Two OF three years, and
this fact is entitled 20 more particular
note for the suppression OF drunkenness
than is the hard times. The decrease OF
arrests for drunkenness has been but
about three per cent. since 1874, and il
Massachusetts has been affected by the
reform movement as Maine has. there
will be balance against the license law,
ss may be showu by figures. lis very
low estimate which says the reform move
ment has reclaimed ten per cent. Of the
drinking men OF Maine. Many set the
percentage ~ from fifteen 10 twenty hve
Lsi rs suppose that Massachusetts, has
been affected but hall IS poReriully as
Msine. Then the movement has re-
claimed, at the lowest estimate, five per
cent. Of the druDkaIds. Add TO this one
per cent. decrease owing 10 the hard
times. and SIX per cent. decrease. from
these two causes are met by an actual de-
crease of from three 10 four per cent
Thls leaves balance OF iron three 10
four per cent. against toe license iaT.
PROBABLY the case is even stronger
than these hgures show, Tor the hard
times Affect most seriously those who are
day laoorers, and from that class COMES
most OF the arrests for drunkenness Oae
per cent. from this cause is very low
estimate, b1t lis smallneSs may Offset ex
cess OF estimate in favor Of The Reform
movement.
Agsin. tho figures regarding places OF
sale. mislead. There is an apparent de-
crease 10 number. This is obtained by
deduc;ing the numbsr of licensed shops
from the number Of illegal resorts re-
D ,,,ed for 1874. Only an excess OF 309
j. shown by these figures tor the yesr
1874. and nothing IS said of the Illegal
b.rs kept in 1877. Who does not believe
tbets are to-day more than SO9 places
10 H4ssschusetts where liquor isiliegslly
sold A smart msn could mad more
than hat number in twenty-fOur hours.
Turning from Massachusetts, with her
license law 10 Maine with prohibition
one finds a very different state OF things.
In the frs, place, drinking is discoun,e-
nance by law, and every seller becomes
Q criminal. Tue outlawing of any act,
Is one step towards suppression, so We
in Maine are in advance of Masssehu-