West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-03-09

Now, ! state here that the liquor
bill Of Maine before prohibition was
enacted, was s13,OOO,OOO dollars an
nually, and now it is only 100000.
Only the one-twenty-sixth part
what it was prior to prohibition.
Is not this evidence sufficient to
satisfy the mind of any reasonable
person, that the Maine Law is a
success
But, Mr.. President, ! have here
another letter, by which | am as
well supported as by this one of
Gov. ConnOrs.
"Dear SIR Your letter, asking
a statement as to the working,
status and result of the law known
as the "Maine Liquor Law" is re-
ceived, and we reply without hes
itation, from a personal experience
of it's operations: For the first ten
years of it's existence there
were many difficulties and serious
obstacles. A great variety of ques-
tions of practice, evidence and
pleading were presented to the
courts of law for adjudication, and
very frequently.jurors, overcome by
their prejudices, failed to agree
upon verdicts; but the courts finally
determined all points Of law raised,
Or that could be, and public opin-
ion reformed all perverse Jurors SO
that for THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS
the enforcement Of the provisions
of the law has been constant,
general and successful. The result
has been that. the traffic in intox-
icating liquors, a crime by statute,
has become a crime in the opinion
of a large majority of our citizens,
the buyer as well as the seller being
regarded as moral participant in
the crime The use of liquors as a
beverage is unpopular, and the sale
is very limited. In majority of
the towns in the State none can be
obtained, except as provided by
law. The propriety of the law
having been early made political
issue, one of our two great parties
has until within two or three years
been hostile to it and evidenced
its hostility in its platform. Last
year, at its Convention, when the
usual resolution against prohibition
was offered for consideration, it was
VOTED DOWN by a good majority,
with considerable enthusiasm.
The law is now as easily and
thoroughly enforced as that for the
prevention and punishment of any
other and similar crimes, and we
can sincerely affirm that it is a
success.
EUGENE HALE.
7. B. REED.
S. d. LINDSEY.
LEwELLEN Powers
VIM. P. FRYE.
Representatives in Congress.
H. HAMLIN.
J. G. BLAINE.
Senators.
These proofs are overwhelming,
and cannot be contradicted by the
Senator from Berkeley, or any 9TH
err Senator on this floor But, Mr.
President, | have more of the same
sort Here are extracts from a let
ter written by the Sheriff of Cum
berland county, in which the city
of Portland, the largest city Of the
State, is situated:
at is made by law the special
duty of the Sheriff in each county
by himself and his deputies to be
active and vigilant in the enforce
ment of the law. To this end, /
have four deputies in Portland, set
apart and devoted to that particular
work, who are always on the track
Of persons suspected of violating the
law of prohibition, and they sieze on
sight all intoxicating liquors sup
posed to be intended for unlawful
sale, which after due trial and con-
domination by the courts, are de-
stroyed by being poured into the
common sewers of the city, which
are connected with the tide waters.
The effect of the law, and its prompt
execution, has been to reduce the
liquor traffic to a low point, so that
it is carried on only with quiet Sc
cresy on a small scale, mostly, if
not entirely, by low class of our
l