Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-06-24
TEMPERANCE DEPARTMENT.
Conducted by
THE GOOD TEHRLARS OF MULBERRY.
BY GOV. DINGLEY.
PROHIBITION IN MAINE.

temperance. Inasmuch as the
policy of licensing the traffic
prevails in most Of the States of
1.-THE Union, and is believed by
multitudes to be the most eff
fective method of restraint by
law, the results of the contrary
lpolicy of prohibition in Maine,
are very naturally subject of
earnest inquiry by friends of
Temperance everywhere. / pro-
pose to respond to numerous
applications fer information ON
this point.
1st. A very large majority
Of the people of Maine, who
have had an opportunity of
witnessing the practical results
of both license and prohibition,
are thoroughly convinced that
the latter system is immensely
more efficient than the former
in mitigating the evils flowing
from the dramshop. Previous
to 1851, the license system had
been the policy of the State
from lis formation. In that
year prohibition was adopted
instead, and as an experiment
in which probably not one-third
ofthe people had any confidence.
In 1856, after the law had got
into full working order and was
beginning to spread terror a.
mong the liquor sympathizers,
Il determined and successful raI-
ly was made against it, and the
most stringent license law ever
enacted put in its place on the
Statute Book. This license
law remained in force for two
years, affording the people fair
opportunity to contrast the re-
suits OF license with those OF |
prohibition.
After this trial Of license, the
people of Maine by a two-thirds
vote, repealed the license law
and enacted the prohibition law,
which amendments from time
to time, have remained OH the
statute book to the present time.
For several years the Democrat
ic State, Conventions adopted
resolutions condemning prohi4
bition, and at every election the
Republican party which indors-
ed this policy, prevailed by
large majorities. Two years
ago, and again last year, even
the Democratic State Conven-
tion voted down resolutions
condemning prohibition, and to-
day no political party dares to
go before the people of Maine
with "repeal" on its banner.
II is obvious to any candid
man that such a state of senti-
ment could not exist in this
State, if experiences had not sat
isfed a large majority of the
people that prohibition is more |
effective than license in dealing I
with the evils of the liquor traf- {
fic. No one claims that the
legal prohibition entirely sup
presses the sale OF intoxicating
liquors as a beverage. Laws ]
prohibiting larceny, robbery, or !
even murder, do not extIrpate !
the crimes against which they /
are aimed. What is claimed is, !
that our laws against dramshops a
are as effective against them, as |
The laws against gambling hous- t
IS and houses of illfame are a. t
gainst those evils; and that they
rest on precisely the same /,
grounds, viz: that such places j
ire detrimental to the public in E
lerests. A statement has been
recently made by a Maine cor
respondent of the Watchman !.
md Reflector that liquor can be =
lad openly by travellers in the 7 7
eading hotels of Portland and :
lnd other cities. Tn reply to !
his, Rev. Henry S. Barr1ge, of !,
Portland, says that after careful r
Investigation, he is Satisfied that :.
his statement is not we'll found !,
ID, so far as Portland is con- Il
and l can bear witness :
hat it is not true as to either !, I
Lewiston or Auburn. Mr.. Bar :
age says: - g
"Sccret grogshops, private q
,lubrooms, there are in Portland, Itl
1ut no open bars. In not one a
If the leading hotels, nor in h
my hotel can liquor be had o. p
,enly. In some of these hotels V
here are secret club rooms, it is =
rue, and in one of these last s
week, there was a seizure Of IL b
Ihors; but let the location of Y
such a club room be known and h
i visit of proper officers will d
speedily follow" il
2.l. To specify more particu- Il
arly the grounds for the con- n
,lusion reached by a large ma b
jority of the people of Maine, a
mention that we have found Ie