Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1882-04-29
HARD NUTS FOR pRoHIBIrIonIsrs
The Ratio of Intemperance and Pau
perism Greater in the. Prohibition
than in the Non-Prohibition States
Statistics Which Will Surprise
Many of Our Readers.

1
than in the Non-Prohibition States
Statistics Which Will Surprise
Many of Our Readers.
The statistician of the New York Sun
has been applying himself to an investi-
CATION of the effect of prohibitory legis-
lation upon pauperism and intcmper-
ance. He summarizes the result thus:
1t is only in the later censuses that we
have any trustworthy data concerning
pauperism, and the last census, which is
likely to be the most accurate, is not yet
published. The proper time to make
the returns of pauperism would be upon
February !, when at its maximum, in-
stead of which it was taken on June |,
when at its minimum. On that date, in
1870, there were in the United States
76,737 persons receiving public relief, or
one in every 502.33 of the population.
In Maine, at that date, we find 3, 1881
paupers, or one in 1865 of the popula-
ten. During that year one in l35. 40
received public relief there, an increase
| of over l4l.9 per cent. over the number
in 1850, the year before prohibition be-
gan; the population having increased
meanwhile less than 7.45 per cent.
From this point we start in our inves-
tigation, and, in lack of the census for
$780, we turn for information to such
official records of the cities and villages
as are accessible. | have copies of Il
number of these before me, containing,
in detail, the expenses for support of the
poor, with the number of
| ARRESTS FOR VIOLATION
Of the liquor law, and for drunkenness,
from 1870 to 1880 inclusive. | find that
in the cities of Bath, Ellsworth, Bidde-
ford and Belfast the poor expenses have
increased not only positively, but rela-
lively. Thus, in Belfast, where they
feed the poor by contract, it cost every
inhabitant in 1870, 47.34 cents to MAIN
tain the poor, and in 1880, 56.5 cents
a relative increase of 10 per cent. In
Ellsworth it rose, in the same time, from
4S to IS cents--a relative increase of
over 5S per cent; in Biddeford, from IS
to "A cents-an increase of over per
cent; and in Bath, from 70 to 90. 8 cents
an increase of over 26 per cent. In
Gardiner there has been a small decrease,
falling from 65.4 to 56.4 to 56.3 cents--a
reduction of nearly ii per cent As the
percentage of arrests for drunkenness in
Gardiner. which was only l.O6 in 1870,
HAS RISEN TO $50 IN 1880,
A heavier rate than in Bangor, where
prohibition is VIGOROUSLY not enforced,
and much heavier than in Newark, N.
j., with its over 1000, licensed saloons
this is a nut for the Phibitionists to
crack at their leisure. In the larger
towns there has been decrease of pau
perism during the decade; but how and
why? Let us examine the records.
In 1870 it cost Portland to support her
poor just $2S, $50. 10, or 81 cents for each
inhabitant. The police made Jealous
raid ON the drunkards and arrested
l,76l, So per cent. of the population;
and by l37 searches and seizures, drove
the liquor sellers "to cover" The next
year they kept it up, and increased the
poor expenses to 500, ll406. The vigor
died out; there were the next year only
922 arrests; the liquor rats left their
holes, whisky abounded, and 10 the
POOR EXPENSES FELL TO S24, 999.54.
AT this time there was determined eff
fort made to enforce the law with vigor.
In 1884 there were |, 400 arrests-over
u per cent. of the inhabitants, and over
SO per cent. of the adult males; and
there were 2,3lSarrests thenextkear, and
SO they kept at it for four more years,
during which the poor expenses rose to
nearly $50, 900 again. The spasm of en-
forcement died out, whiskey flowed
freely, in addition to which the sales at
the town agents, for medical and me-
chanical purposes only" rose from $l2,-
OO7. go in 1879 to $27, $50 in 1880, an in
crease of 100 per cent, and for the first
time in years the poor expenses fell Ia
SIS, 1864 6; or 55 cents per capita.
In Bangar the rise and fall of pauper-
ism with the enforcement and non-en-
forcement of the laws can be most read
lily observed. In 1870 there were 1854
arrests for drunkenness, and the poor
expenses were Sl7,922.36, Or 81 cents
per head. In 1873, when
THE SAME WAVE OF EXCITEMENT
That overwhelmed Portland struck
Bangor, the Sheriff, n Mr.. Jerrard, en-
forced the law with severity, independ-
emily of the municipal authorities. BY
aid of his State Constables he made ar
rests at one time of no for drunkenness,
and kept at this work for years. With
this rose the poor expenses steadily un-
til they reached $26, 1866, or over
81 so per capita. But the spasm died
out here too. Since then no attempt has
been made to enforce the law at all.
The liquor sellers have been kept within
the bounds of decency and order-no
more. Liquor of all kinds can be had
in Bangor as readily rs bread.
The number of arrests for drunken
ness of all kinds in 1880 was 262, or l.55
per cent, and the poor expenses were
reduced to SIG, 64.64, more than so per
cent. less than when Sheriff Jerrard and
his State Constables enforced the law"
In 1870, in Augusta, the poor ex-
penses were $9,4lS.S4. Here they
made continual efforts
TO ENFORCE THE LAW,
So much liquor being consumed at the
State Capital liquor and legislation
melting into each other everywhere.
They had a Mayor there for several
years named Nash. He was extremely
Jealous, and annually lectured the Com
mon Council on the subject. The Off
GERS pursued the evil-doers. In one
year they arrested 1913 for drunkenness,
A for assault and battery, and 50 for
violation of the liquor law. When
Nash closed his official career the poor
expenses had run up to $7.l34, and they
kept up year more. But Mr.. Vickery
was elected Mayor. He is well known
business man, and as man of business,
therefore, he went to work in practi-
cal way. Though temperance man,
he evinced good, sound sense in his ad-
ministration. OF course, the extremists
Were enraged and determined to defeat
him. But he was elected by decided
majority over his competitors, and in
1880 the poor expenses of Augusta fell
| 81. AID as to 81. SD. 10 Vickery had q