The Portland daily press., 1881-05-10
THE PROHIBITORY LAW.
Extracts from a Paper Read before the
Congregational Club by Mr.. Theodore
G. Woodbury..

At the meeting of the Congregational Club
last evening Mr.. Theodore c. Woodbury. read
an able paper entitled "Some facts and figures
concerning the prohibitory law" We make the
following extracts:
The prohibitory law does not need to have
its future foretold, but its past reviewed.
Maine was the first State to pass stringent
prohibitory law and was followed by Delaware,
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Mich
lgan, Connecticut, indiana, Iowa, New York
and New Hampshire. OF these four States on
ly retain the law-Maine. New Hamp-
shire, Vermont and Iowa. The latter State
however legalizes the sale of some fermanted
liqnors. We find then that seven out of the
eleven States that have given the law trial
have repealed it, presumably because it was
unsuccessful Of the three States that have
Kept stringent prohibitory law on their stat
ute books not one ranks as we'll to-day in the
nation as when the law was enacted twenty-six,
twenty-nine, thirty years ago. They have TALL
en- behind their sister northern States both in
population and thrift, not exceeding them i'll
morals. New Hampshire and Vermont in
five per cent, Maine only about three and
half per cent, yet the country as whole in
creased over thirty per cent In 1872 there
were eight States living under the banner and
protection of the prohibtory law, but accord
ing to u. S. Revenue returns nearly one-sixth
retail liquor sales in the whole country for
that year were made in these eight States,
amounting to 22,0O0,00O. From the annual
report of the bureau of statistics recently pub
lished in Massachusetts we learn that during
intemperance were greater than during the
era of license. "FOr the five years
of prohibition from 1870 to 1874 inclusive
the average convictions were %, 166, while
during the next five years, the non-prohibition
decade, the average fell to 1885, 1t is we'll
known the DrOhihitOrv la w hoe hoon i,,f in,
this state for 30 years with the exception of
brief period, and in reviewing its results ques-
tons present themselves for our consideration.
Have the morals of the inhabitants of the state
improved during the term covered by law?
Second, has crime decreased? Third, has the
law had its promised effect on intemperance?
Starting from the broad principle that what
ever lessons ones respectlfor law affects ones
morals, claim that the prohibitory law is
harmful.
1st-Because ofsthe prevarications and SUBJ
terfuges which grow out OF it.
2d-Because OF the attitude of the legislators
towards it. We cannot expect masses to re-
spect law that the lawmakers themselves
ridicule and are continually breaking
3d-Because in its results the law is unjust,
bearing only on those who cannot afford to inn
port their liquors.
We have been studying some of the causes
which tend toward immortality. Let us look
at the effects Witness the deplorable row
ago, and the reputation of debts and reduc-
tions of interest by some of our towns and
cities. Many causes have had a tendency to
produce this state of things. but one must see
influences which grow directly out of the pro-.
hibitory law inasmuch as it tends to lower the
tone of morality which has aided in this de-
plorable state of affairs.
The second question that presented itself for
our consideration was whether crime has
decreased. 1t has been clearly proven by
statistics that both crime and divorces have
increased in this State most alarmingly. But
if any one will examine the records he will
find that the higher the degree of crime the
less it has to do with intemperance. The re-
suits seem to show that love of money, lusts
Jealousy, in other words onr own evil natures,
are more prolific of crime than intemperance.
For my own satisfaction have watched since
the 14th of April the high crimes COM
mitted as noted in the different newspapers to-
gether with the causes and find that out of ~
high crimes thus mentioned only seven were
caused by intemperance. I would not touch
on this subject of crime were it not that the
prohibitionistS claim that Seven-eighths of the
crimes come from intemperance, which 1 think
they must find difficult to prove.
The third question that presents itself it
whether the prohibitory law has had the
promised effect on intemperance? In order TO
Judge fairly of the workings of the law 1
have secured efficient statistics from the city
clerks OF twenty different representative cities.
The statistics cover the last six years, for 1876
1880, both inclusive: