The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-12-05
From the Baltimore Sun.
The Maine Liquor Law Said 10 he q
Failure.

In the last number of the Journal of
Sociology there is an interesting arti.
Gle by the Rev. l.. w. Bacon, in which
the failure of the Maine liquor law In
Maine is discussed, and the merlte of
the system of licenses are investigated.
After showing that the prohibition in
Maine has never been absolute, but
only attempts Though unsuccessful
iy) to provide for necessary and proper
sales by legal formulas of description.
leaving nothing to the discretion Of
the VENDOR" Mr.. Bacon deduces. as
well established by experience, that
prohibitory laws are commonly follow.
ed for few months by large reduc-
| ton in the sale and use of intoxicating
liquors and of the mischiefs attendant
thereon, but that after these few
months the law, elsewhere than in
Maine, either lspses in dusuetude or
is repealed by reaction in the public
mind, leaving society IN worse con-
dition than before. The question
turning on the testimony from Maine,
it is found that the Maine law has
been by no means complete success
in the land of its birth. The Temper
ance Extra of the Women's Christian
Temperance Union, Bangor, of March
l, 1880, an unwilling witEess in such
matter, exhibits the fact that "the
Maine law in Bangor, for more than
twelve months, has been an absolute
dead letter, and the prevalence of
drunkenness in the town frightful."
The venerable Cyrus Hamlin, after
extended observation iii both hemis-
pheres, declares he has s'never seen 80
much drunkenness, among both wo-
men and men, as in Bangor the last
few years" His statement as to the
extension of the drinking habit to
women is significant, as indicating
perhaps that the dram drinker, pre-
cluded by law from his rotations
abroad, brings his liquor home for
domestic consumption, and places the
temptation to drink before his wife
and children. When the state of
things in Bangor referred to above
was made the basis of a demand that
the law should be put in vigor again
eit was met by the stunning question
whether the morals of the town were
any better during the four years when
the law was vigorously enforced" and
it seemed to be generally conceded
that "the condition of public morals
was worse while the law was enforced
than since it had been suspened."
1t appeared, also, that during the
period when the Maine law was being
enforced there were "forty drinking
clubs in that little town." and Deacon
Thurston, ex-mayor, who "wished
the law executed if it was possible,
and if the public welfare would be
promoted by it," declared he "would
rather have hundred open bars than
thirty club-rooms."
One IS surprised to learn that Sin
the directory of the liquor trade, pub
lished in 1875, there were advertised
the names and places of business, by
street and number, of about one hum
dred and seventy-six professional
liquor dealers in the city of Portland
alone, and these only the more impor-
tant Dealers" The organizing last
year of new prohibition party, on the
ground that neither of The existing
parties can be trusted to maintain the
liquor law, is an indication, in Mr..
Bacon's view, that the people Of
Maine are not a unit in support of the
Maine law, having found that it results
in 'less drinking and more drunken
ness.' By this paradox it is meant
that people SEQ on the streets few or
no signs of saloons and bar-rooms
where drinking is known to be going
on, bat more drunken men who ex-
hiblt in public the effects of whiskey
drunken IN private. 1t will be Of inc
teIest to observe the result of the ex-
pertinent of prohibition now being
tried in various counties of Maryland,
and it is to be hoped that the evil
combatted will not, as in Maine, per-
sist under some more pernicious form.
To prevent this, society itself must be
vigllant, and see that the object of the
law is not obscured by any moral
effect which may be suggested by the
facility with which it may be eyaded.