The Portland daily press., 1881-02-07
Law Enough Now,


In letter elsewhere printed, N. D. sug-
gests that the PRESS can know but very lit
tie of the condition of things sin the old rum
time" The editor of the PRESS is con-
strained to admit that he has no personal
experience of those times, owing to circum
stances quite beyond his control. But he
has heard great deal about those times
from temperance orators and writer's who
probably have not failed to paint the pic
ture with as heavy shadows as belong to it.
Moreover he has observed many cities and
countries where intoxicants are sold as free
ly as bread and therefore is not wholly un-
able to make an intelligent comparison be-
tween Portland as it is and Portland as it
would be without the prohibitory law. He
is very glad 10 believe that the old rum
times can never return. N. D. seems to
ignore the general progress in virtue and in
telligence since those times which would
render repetition of their conditions impos-
sible. Communities, wherein no check has
ever been put upon the sale of intoxicants,
show an abatement of their excessive use
as marked, perhaps, as Portland does.
The great moral uprising and protest against
intemperance which took form in the Wash
ingtonian societies have left their mark broad
and deep upon social customs and we could
doubtless point with pride to the advance
ment which Portland has made, even if
there had been no prohibitory law. So the
comparison should be made in justice, not
between Portland as it is and Portland as it
was, but between Portland as it is and Port
land as it would be in these better times.
N. D. says we have in Portland 13O low,
secret grog shops and he is not likely to
overstate the matter. These grog shops
offer temptation to the very classes of our
community to whom temptation is most dan
gerous-to men who spend for rum the
money which ought to go for food Id
clothes and shelter and warmth for wives
and children. In their practical workings
these rum shops in kitchens and out houses
are more hurtful to the community than the
same number of open and conspicu GUS
places would be, because they offer specia
allurements to the kind of men most injured
by the nse of strong drink-the men who
have not about them social restraints and the
self restraint which comes of education and
intelligence. To these 130 groggeries should
be added the sixty OF seventy 'club rooms
which have come into existence because of
prohibitory legislation, and which. in their
way, are peculiar Maine product. We
took occasion year ago to discuss this
clubroom question pretty fully and shall not
now repeat the sugge stions. We will only
say that the secrecy and convenience of
them, the social opportunities and the games
there played furnish an enticement to young
men and boys which open grog shops would
never give, and the whole system seems a
sort of nursery of disso oluteness.
The PRESS is not making general argu-
ment against the Maine prohibitory legisla-
ton. 1t realizes the possibility that the
country towns and villages may reap bene-
fits from such legislation. 1t merely sug-
gests that the benefit to Portland is ques-
tienable, to say the very least. But the
PRESS does protest against additional and
iAAOAO oCiih5Oho ACS ioidulOA do piOpOoCu Wy
N. d. There is plenty CT law now if prop
erly enforced to ruin any man who persists
in the liquor traffic. The extraordinary
powers given to the State executive over Off
cials elected by the people, and several other
provisions respecting the conduct of officers
are dangerous precedents in legislation and
may have power to plague us at critical
junctures. Prohibition stands as the set
tied policy of the State. 1t can be over
thrown only by extravagant and unreason-
able action on the part of those who have
constituted themselves it's special guardians
and sponsors. The discreet friends of tenn
perance-and all good citizens are friends
of temperance-are content with the law as
it is, and would even consent to an abroga-
ton of some of its more unreasonable pro-
visions. They deprecate this constant agi-
tation as prejudicial to the cause which they
cherish. This is shown by the opposition
to N. DIS proposition exp ssed by those
staunch temperance newspapers, the Lewis
ton Journal and Bridgton News. The little
knot of advanced prohibitionists" have as
sisted to afford us executive officers presum-
ably after their own heart. They can look to
them for efficient enforcement of law
which is now amply sufficient for all prac-
tical purposes.