Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-07-23

the measure OF Its enforcement EnfOfced,
t;s an unquestioned success. Unenfdtced.
!. exerts no better direct influence than ii.
eanse. although its presence on the statute
hook is silent testimony against. as license
i testimony in faror Of tippling.
II is not claimed that prohibition faithfully
enforced can entirely extirpate surreptitious
dram selling, any morethan laws prohibiting
theft and murder can absolutely prevent these
crimes All that is claimed is that it can
close open, known dram shops, and restrict
The traffic to such secret corners and limited
proportions as to remove temptations that are
not sought for in concealed by-ways, and
thereby powerfully aid moral agencies.
In more than three fourths of this State
including most of the rural districts and MANY
cities. prohibition is faithfully enforced by
the ordinary officers of the law, with the most
gratifying results. There is not single dis
tery or brewery within our limits In the
rural districts and large portion of the VIII
lagos open dram shops are unknown, and Sc
cret sales rare. In a majority of the cities
the open dram-shop is unknown. In the cities
of Lewiston and Auburn, with 20 coo popula-
ton for example, the success with which the
liouor traffic has been restrained for MANY
wears, affords the best evidence of the practi-
eability and wisdom of our prohibiiory laws.
There are several cities and villages in the
laws are not faithfully enforced, and at least
one in which it is allowed to remain a dead
letter. or rather is enforced as a license
law, with all the evil results that come from
license This conditions of things in GER
tain portions of the State affects not only
the well-being OF the communities suffering
from the blighting influence of dram .shops.
but also the good name of the State Maine
occupies position of great responsibility
The friends of temperance in other States
nav in every civilized community, are look
ing with the deepest interest on what thew
term our ''prohibiton experiment The
enemies of temperance arc also looking on.
and Selling with avidity every circumstance
calculated to discredit prohibition When
any county city in Maine fails to en-
force the prohibitory law, the fact is at once
published in every State, and even sent
abroad, evidence that prohibition is fail
ure Thus it becomes of vital importance
that the law should be yell enforced. not
only in more than three fourths of the
State as it is, but also in those exceptional
places where it is executed loosely or not
at all
We recognize the fact that laws against
panderers TO vice are executed with greater
difficulty than ordinary criminal laws When
one has his house broken into and his prop
erty stolen, he at once interests himself to
detect and punish the robber. But when
one has his character and property taken
from him by the rumseller or gambler. the
victim ordinarily endeavors to protect his
greatest enemy. Tn the one class of of
fences the laws to a great extent enforce
themselves; in the other they are a dead let
ter, except as they are enforced by officers of
the law, or by private citizens, who take
upon themselves the office of detective from
benevolent motives.
To remedy this difficulty as far "a possible
"a difficulty nearly as great under license "a
under prohbition,-the State has enacted
special laws to secure the enforcement of
laws against dram-shops, gambling places
and houses Of ill-fame. First, the Mayor.
Aldermen and police of cities ard the NUM-
cipal officers and constables of towns are
required to enforce these laws. Second be-
cause of the fact that the concentration of
the foreign vote in cities often makes it i'm
possible to secure local officers who will
faithfully enforce these laws, it is made the
duty of the ordinary officers of the law. to
wit, sherifs and their deputies, to make COM
plants and execute warrants, and of Comfy
Attorneys to prosecute such offenders. And
thirdly, by an act of the last legislature.
where both local officers and sheriff are shown
to be derelict in duty, it is made the duty of
the Governor and Council tn appoint two
more cOnstables in such county to temper
ariiy do the neglected work of enforcement
until the voters of the municipality or coun-
ty shall be able to supplant unfaihful officers
with those who will do their duty.
Ii thus becomes manifestly the duty of the
Governor and Council to appoint constables
in counties where they shall he satisfied that
the Sheriff neglects to faithfully enforce the
law. The temperance men of Maine ask and
expect that this duty imposed on the exccu-
tive department shall be performed in good
faith. that the law may not be openly dis
regarded in any part of the State. We do
not ask for the appointment of such officers
in any county unless it is clear that the or
binary officers of the law neglect to enforce
the law in reasonable manner. because we
recognize the fact that these officers can best
do this work We do not ask that these con
stables shall be the men of our choice. but
simply that they shall be true and efficient
men who will do the work entrusted to them
without fear or favor.
While thus insisting on the duty of the
State to appoint constables to temporarily
enforce its laws when the ordinary officers
elected bv the people neglect their duty. we
desire to impress on the friends OF temper.
ance the vital importance of securing faithful
local officers. andcspecially of electing Sher-
ifs and County Attorneys-the officers speci-
ally charged with the execution of laws-who
will do their full duty. Under our system of
government where sll officers are ultimately
elective. we may temporarily supply the place
of an unfaithful or inefficient sheriff or coun-
ty attorney, but we cannot permanently en-
force anv law unless it is sustained by the
popular sentiment of the people of county
Indeed laws against panderers to vice. need
the active sympathy and support of malori-
tv of the people in order to he effective
Without this the best officers cannot secure
a full measure of success.
We are confident that a majority of the
citizens of erery county in the State are not
only in favor of prohibition. but also in favor
of its faithful enforcement. This being the
case. il is plainly the duty Of the temperance
men of the State to see that such persons,
and only such persons as can be relied upon
to faithfully enforce our prohibitory iaws,are
elected to the offices of sheriff and county at
tornev-the two officials charged with the
ordinary duty of enforcing the laws
But in order to secure this result constant
ly. not only agitation but active etfort, ana
r. needed Tenn