Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-07-10
THEN LOOK At THIS.
From the Progressive Age Belfast.
UNDER Surveillance.

Our Gov. Davis's appOintee who has been
set as spy over the temperance morals of
our community at per diem salary. com
menced his unpopular work last Friday. by
visiting all the places where he surmised al
coholic liquors or lager beer or cider might
be kept for sale. At one place the proprietor
told him that he had nothing but little ci-
der which he bought of one of the farmers
last winter, when he supposed he had a right
TO sell it. He was told that he could have
till the next Monday to dispose of it. He
next called upon our apOthecaries. They
informed him that they were obliged to keep
alcohol with which to compound their medi-
cines. He doubted whether they had that
right, but said he should inform himself as to
the provisions of the law. He said he in
tended to enforce the law to the letter. and
if they continued to keep alcohol it would be
at the risk of having it seized. One drug
gist informed him that he kept proprietary
medicines. bitters and such, which he sup
posed contained greater or less per cent of
alcohol that he didn't want to lag himself
liable to the outrageous penalties of the law
and wanted to know what his course would
be in regard to them. The Constable in
formed him that if he found any SUCH he
should test them, and if he found them con-
tanning alcohol, he should seize them and pro-
coed according to law. He visited our eat
ing saloons and our fruit dealers stands, and
told them they could have till the next
Monday to dispose of any lager
beer cider or other liquors they
might have on hand, and repeating
that he should enforce the law to its full ex-
tent; and finally he visited the hotels and
forbade their keeping any liquor for their
guests. Having performed this duty and
made his charge against the county for his
services he is preparing to execute the rest
of his commission-to watch those places and
to watch the people who go in and out at
them.
We have a population of some four to five
thousand people, and they are unprovided
with any liquor agency; and our respectable
temperate people have had to rely upon our
druggists for alcoho! and alcoholic medicines
ordered by their physicians in cases of sick
ness. and the same has been true in regard to
most of our surrounding towns. Attempts
have been made to have hat has been known
as the ''apothecaries law" enacted, allowing
respectable, trustworthy apothecaries to sell
alcohol and alcoholic liquors. by the prescrip-
tions of respectable physicians but this bill
has every time been defeated by the clamors
of Neal Dow and Josh. Nye and their fanati-
cal followers. And it has come to pass in
this city, that alcohol and its compounds
cur are indispensably necessary in the treat
ment of disease, cannot be had unless OBJ
tanned furtvely, despite the watchful eve of a
public spy set to detect and punish such act.
And this law and proceeding is upheld bv a
class of persons of the two sexes in this city.
whose sentiments were voiced by one of our
clergymen in public lecture, bv the heart
less expression eff sick people can't be cured
except by the use of alcoholic medicines.
then let them die,''
We have now been brought in this city to
the realization of Neal BOWS idea of COM
polling the people of this State to be total
abstainers by statute law. First to get law
that should rival the inhuman code of Draco.
and then have class of detective spies set
over the people to enforce it. 1t is absurd
to plead thst these spies are merely placed
over liquor sellers. They are placed over
the buyers well for if there were no buy
ers there would he no sellers, and there could
be no violators of the law. 1t has taken con-
siderable time to fully carry ont this idea.
aud the attempts have been called by temper
ance fanatics. educating the people to the
higher plane of temperance. The repub-
lican party has, in the first place, had to be.
as those fanatics say. dragged MP step bv step
to give the prohibitory screw the successive
turns. 1t has rebeled several times. II
joined its opponents in repeating the first
constabulary law. but, soon after, it partially
repented that act by passing the sheriff en-
forcement law and nuisance act But those
acts. outrageous as they were and are did
not fully realize the Dow idea. system of
espionage by which the people should be
taxed TO pay set Of spies to observe and
correct their temperance habits according to
the Dow standard was the point to be reached:
1t has been reached by SO completely bull
DOING that party that it hastens to restore
the constabulary law, and put all places.
dwellings or otherwise,-where liquor is kept
drank, or dispensed, on the same plane as
houses of i'll fame,
No people vet. even those kept under
monarchical and tyrannical governments have
ever been found to endure spy system.
They have sooner or later rebelled and over
turned such government. 1t remains to be