Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-11
equal population in the country-perhaps


In 1874 Governor Dingle said to the
ofth Canadian parliament,
who visited Maine to learn the practical
of prohibition: "All organized
opposition to the law has died out. The
great majority, probably two-thIrds OF the
people at least, heartily approve OF 1t as the
best system of restriction OF the liquor
ment in the drinking habits OF this people |
within 80 or 40 years is SO evident that no |
candid man who has observed or lnvestl- |
gated the facts can deny It, ;.
When Mr.. Frye was attorney general IN |
1871 he said: THE Maine law has not
been failure, in that it has made rum
selling crime, so that only the lowest ana
most debased will now engage IN 1T In
all the country portions OF the state
where twenty years ago there was gro,
Gerry or tavern at every four corners. ana
within circuit of two miles unpalnted
houses, broken windows, neg ected farms,
DOOR school houses, broken hearts ana
homes, it has banished almost every such
grocery and tavern, and introduced peace,
plenty, happiness and prosperity. IL mas
done more good than any law IN our statute
hook. There can not be found man IN
Maine, who is not prejudiced by reason
being q seller, or drinker to excess, or oy
party position, who will not concur with
me in saving that its blessings nave oeen
incalculable, nor respectable woman ~, Inat
does not pray for its continuance. linus
briefly have I given my testimony, ana
know whereof l affirm.
Horace Greeley visited the state of Maine
in 1856, and gave in his paper the follow
ing testimony:
HThe pretence that as much liquor is sold
now in Maine as in former years Is lmpru-
IDENTIFY false. We spent three days. IN
travelling through the state without seeing
a glass Of it or an Individual who appeared
to be under its influence, and we are rella-
blv assured that at the Augusta house,
where the governor and most of the legls-
| lature board, no liquor was to be had.
| Hon. Joshua Frye, late state constable,
saws. 1876: "Within the past ak months
| I have visited thirteen of the sixteen coun-
ties of the state, and l know whereof 1
speak when I say that the cause OF tenn EN-
perance never stood so we'll before tne
law is we'll enforced, and in nearly ali the
towns no intoxicating liquors are sold con-
trary to law"
Saws Hon. Walcott Homlin. supervisor
of internal revenue for Maine IN 1o'z;
I'm the course of my duty as an lnterna
revenue officer, have been thoroughly
acquainted with the state and extent OF tne
liquor traffic in Maine, and have no hesl,
tation in saying that the peer traoe Is mo-
more than one per cent. of what remem
her it to have been, and the trade IN ols-
titled LIQUORS is not more than ten per cent
| Of what it formerly was. Where Hquor
sold at all, it is done secretly through TEA
Of law"
J. 81. Drummond, formally attorne.
general, said There were no more VIC
lations in proportion to the drinkers tnal
there were violations of the law agalns
theft in proportion to the thieves"
Judge Clifford. of the supreme court
Maine. said Under the operations o
the law there has been diminution o
crime. and the effort has been to make til
sale of liquor disreputable, and to con
fine the liquor traffic to the lowest class
persons" -.
Mr.. Ropes, a distinguished Engis
orator who recently spent several month
in Maine, and on his return home, pub!lcl
said to a great gathering OF his country
: men: ,.
less intemperance and better state
public sentiment on the temperance CUES
: ton there than in any other community
similar extent in America or Europe"
: Il has been recently stated in print !
this city that there is more liquor used l
: Portland than ever before, and that bal
: are open on week days and Sundays
= Now, the utter incOrrectneSs OF IN
= statement, and consequently unrellaolene'
of all other similar representations may l
|
!. official declarations:
Saws the Hon. Neal Dow, Of Portland
r in the New York Independent this yer
? last June 10th, 1880: In Portland, tn
. largest town in the state, there IS no ope
!. liquor traffic What exists here Is on
Z very small scale, carried on IN the loves
dirtiest parts of the city. Wehave ONCE
q here whose sole business it is to hunt 1u
y sellers. Wherever they hear OF one or sn
e pect one to be they are after HIM. ~ II
u traffic is as disreputable in Maine IS ii
u keeping of a brothel probably is in Ne
. Haven. It is under the ban OF the Ia
& which is upheld in this state by an owe
4 wheiming public opinion. ANA oeIo
y the law there were over 0liquor places
"a Portland" =,
% SAYS h. s. Barrsge, editor of I'll Il
20 Portland Advocate, January March, loo
- There are no open bars In this city.
20 J not one of the leading hotels, nor in al
A. hotel, can liquor be had openly =,
% SAYS w s. Dresser, sheriff, Portian
a. April Is, 1878: The effect of the law
" Portland and its prompt execution n
= been to reduce the liquor traffic to a lc
a point so that it is carried on only WI
To great secrecy, on small scale, mostly,
in not altogether, by a low class of OCT fc
an eign population. The law is executed Wi
in with as much vigor as any other, OF o
A. criminal laws and with the approval OF
in best and me enlightened citizens a.
b. acquiesced in by all our people. The Ii
he is firmly supported by public opinion
N this State. The quantity of liquor NJ
sold in Maine is but small fraction
1e of what was formerly sold freely tn. Dug
C. out the State, notwithstanding the MAJ
On false reports to the contrary, clrculat
9: abroad.
n G. N. Bridges, city marshal, of Pc
a. land, saws, May, 1885, THE drinksho
re are all secret and are on very SIN
III scale, and the quantity of liquor sold
W. very small, compared to the quantity sc
il. openly, freely and everywhere wholes'
10: and letail before the enactment OF
or law.n
g. BENZ. Kingsbary, mayor OF Portia-
of and four ex mayors say: AS to the
49, minution of the liquor traffic In the sta
Ter of Maine, and particularly in this city,
IN, the result of prohibition, there cannot p'
ne sibly be any doubt"
ID, All the prominent pastors of Portland
for every denomination, in 1872, signed
nd following statement: In TINS city
lift quantity sold now is but small fraction
n what we remember the sales to have BET
u and we believe the results are the same,
he nearly so, throughout the state. II I
ay trade exists at all it is carr ed on with
nd crecy and caution as other uniaWful pr
he tees are. All our people must agree Il
the benefits of this state OF Things are %
in Gus and very great"
bly, 1.-THE sale of liquor has been bsnished
CO. the lowest streets of the city. The law
ent prohibiting the sale of liquor has taR
PSI from it its only claim TO responsibility, q
re- had outlawed it."
le- The oyerseers of the poor of Portlal