The Portland daily press., 1880-03-17
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.

tertained by sensible men. 1t was the last
subterfuge that could be urged by men who
were fighting temperance legislation and who
were opposed to it upon principle. The tem-
perance law had been oppressive. 1t had been
oppressive In his vicinity to men and women
who had been determined to sell rum year
after year; it had been oppressive to men and
women who had been engaged in the work of
running young men, middle aged men and old
men year after year. 1t had been oppressive
to those men and women, and had carried
them to our jails and workshops, and if laws
should be enacted which should still further
make those penalties oppressive, that class of
people would be made to feel that the iron is
coming home to their souls. This would stop
this work and nothing else. Where were the
criminals of all grades? And when it was at
tempted to enact laws that should entail upon
this class of men further liabilities for their
unlawful and illegal acts, members were told
that it would be oppressive, and the danger
would be that it would be offensive to the tenn
perance people of the State! He did not be-
lieve in that doctrine. Men who have the
temperance principle at heart desired first to
destroy the DEVILS kindling wood, which had
been cider and the lighter wines. Thousands
OF young men were praying to have this temp
tation removed from them. 1t was no oppres-
sion to the farmer to limit the sale of cider to
five gallons. 1t would not be oppressive to
single citizen unless it was to those engaged i'm
restrictions in this respect were not too severe.
In regard to the provision for the appoint
ment of officers by the Governor to enforce the
law, he thought it we'll guarded. 1t was not
dangerous and did not entail any considerable
expense. Ii could in no way interfere with the
rights of law-abiding citizens. The legislature
should send forth no uncertain sound upon the
matter OF temperance. 1t should pass law
that would help the thousands of reformed
drunkards in the State, who are praying that
such LEGISLATION NAV he enacted. He hnDa1 il
would not be said that the law would be offen-
sive because offensive to the rumseller, but
that the House would say it was ready and
willing to do what it could to extend the on
ward march of the moral reform going ON in
the State, and that the bill under discussion
would be placed upon the statute book.
Mr.. Strout of Portland said il the prohibitory
law was right, it ought to be enforced impair
tally and effectually, If it is wrong, repeal so
much of it as is wrong, but if it is proper law
its vigorous enforcement is proper.
He had also an impression that the change
in the cider clause of the law from one gallon
to five was change in name more than in
substance. If man was mean enough to get
drunk on hard cider he would find means to
get five gallons, either alone or by combining
with men as mean as himself Ii this change
was to be made at all he was radical enough to
make it something more than a name The
farmers on this floor have declared that they
were in favor of the cider clause. He knew
what would be said of the first section. 1t would
be charged that the Legislature had added to
the temperance law clause which puts every
mans house where people resort for the pur-
pose OF any entertainment, and where either
cider, ale, or any beverage not cold water, tea,
or coffee, is used, in the category of common
nuisances. He did not believe there was any
foundation for such construction, because,
according to his belief, it only applied to places
of public and general resort. But he could see
that the law would be open to such an attack
hut 8
might be apparently in favor of temperance,
but still in their heart of hearts opposed to it.
He submitted whether those honestly in favor
OF prohibition should not proceed with caution.
If this clause was aimed at club houses resorted
to by young men for drinking purposes, as it
undoubtedly was, it should be properly worded
so that it could not be open to msinterpreta-
ton. There was no penalty too severe to sweep
out the moral pests in the shape of low grog-
geries that were destroying the happiness of SO
influence of secret club houses was injurious
to young men. If the law was designed to stop
these evils it should be so guarded as not to be
open to misrepresentation by those who are
engaged in rum-selling and were saying to us
''you can stop us, why don't you put the law
to us?' when their real purpose and aim was
to break down prohibition, and to cause such
revulsion in public sentiment that the temper
ance legislation should become nullity. He
had no sympathy with the purposes of such
complish this result. 94
MIR. Verrill of Portland thought the bill had
so many Objectionable features that it ought to
be scrutinized carefully, and that each should
give his reasons for favoring or opposing it.
He still thought there was grave doubt wheth-
er the 9th section was constitutional. He had
recently compiled for publication the temper
ance laws with decisions of the court pertain
ing thereto, from 1874 to the present time so
that they might be clearly understood; and he
was engaged five weeks in the work. And now
the very first Legislature that met had another
bill still further to perplex those who must ad-
minister the law. No law should be passed
unless needed. He had very grave doubt
whether there is need of more laws on the sub
ject. When he found in the Attorney Gener-
ais report nearly two pages devoted to list of
convictions for nuisance in Cumberland county
last year, 10 out of 20 no doubt for liquor nui-
sance, and also found more than two pages oc-
cupied with a statement of the offences against
the liquor law, nearly four pages of the report
showing liquor prosecutions, with only page
and half for all other crimes ON the statute
books, it did seem to him that the laws were
ample against the rum shops.
He did not believe in the cider clause Un-
der our present law any man who sells cider
that is intoxicating can be prosecuted, as we'll
as for selling any other intoxicating liquor. He
was opposed to the clause because it was fiat
legislation. 1t undertook to legslate into a
quart of apple juice some drops of alcohol,
which he did not believe in. He criticised the
provision relating to holding out Inducements
TO men to testify of whom they had bought
rum, and said it would be prolific cause of
perjury, and he could not vote for a bill con-
tanning such clause. There was one provi-
sion in the bill that he favored, and that was
the addition of hard labor to the sentence for
rum selling.