The Republican journal., 1882-01-19
Temperance Topics.
AN OUTSIDE VIEW OF THE TEMPERANCE QUEsTIo



the best results from the prohibtory law,
says:
lit g Republican party has erred, it has been in
yielding 10 the demands of such impracticable
temperance men those who set upa candidate
for Congress, IN the Second District, in opposition
10 Mr. DmgeY, and those " no meet on the eve of
every elt ction to nominate each other for oiice
The friends of temperance in Maine do
not suffer alone in this respect. lnsincere
and impracticable advocates handicap
the cause in other States. But doubtless
the greatest hindrance to the enforce
ment OF the law in this State and III
Maine is the sharp antagonism of the
rum power, the large property interests
it controls, its social Entertainments, and
the Indifference of large element which
cannot be persuaded to regard the traffic
as an unniXed evil. In other words,
public sentiment is not educated up to
the point of regarding violations of the
liquor law with the same severity meted
OUT to violation OF the laws for the sup
preston OF other forms OF vice and crime
The same paper says in this Connec-
ton:
The New York Herald is undoubtedly correct in
saying that the sale of liquors cannot be regulated
or uppressed-,'uness the temperance people
nave enough OF c0uIag and real interest their
| work to be lntormers "
There is good deal of truth in this
observation. Still, it must be said that
the friends Of the law find little enc0ur-
agement TO take the initiative in its en-
| forcement when the officers whose sworn
duty it is to seek out and punish offenders
in this particular as il all others where
the peace and dignity and prosperity Of
the community are iutringed upon, are
Indifferent if not actually hostile; or worse
still, where the opponents OF prohibition
have representation upon jures, and
sympathlzers among the prosecuting Of
tcerS, 50 that convictions are we'll nigh
impossible and impartial enforcement
wholly 50. And here we are again brought
face 20 face with the fact that public SEN
| tirlent is not strong enough to carry out
The law in its entirety. We have faith to
believe that the time will come when such
q sentiment will obtain, but much work
vet remains to be done, and it cannot be
done in a day or year Or decade
Meantime, We must be content with
partial enforcement, not remitljng any
work in the line Of moral suaslon. Con
cord, \. H., Independent Statesman.
HOW MAINE PEOPLE ARE SUPPLIED
WITH LIQUOR
The Boston Herald pu blishes an inter
view with Boston liquor dealer concern
ing the business Of selling liquor by ivav-
cling agents. from which We quote as
follows
"Travelling statesmen sell to all alike
His business is TO get orders, and i there
is no regular dealer or grocer who can
sell liquor in the neiI hb0rhood. he pro
ceedS to work up a trade, that is, to ob
tam orders from persons who like to keep
"a little suthin' in the house IN case of
sickness and sith like"
Then it is a fact that YOU sell quite
largely to the people of communities
where the retailing of liquors. etc. is pro
hibited ?"
"Such is the fact. For over - Years
past, or since the passage of the liquor
law in that state, the house am connect
ed with sold very largely to the people Of
Maine. They are regular customers Of
ours, and the demand there is increasing
according to the increase in the means Of
the people to procure it. 1t is like every
thing else. The prevalence Of good
times increases the demand for vet as
we'll as for dry goods"
''But is all the liquor sent to Maine for
! private individuals, for their own special
use 2"
by no means There are dealers in
that state who sell on the sly. as it were,
and make profit enough at the business
to make them feel warranted in running
| all risks
ado not the authorities interfere with
this somewhat"
| "OccaslOnally-p perhaps once or twice a
year-the authorities in Portland aud
some Of the other cities in Maine wake
up into something like activity and make
| 1t lively for a short time for Dealers
Then our sales fall off, for while the dan
gers OF interference prevail, light stocks
only are carried. When matters quiet
| down the demand is resumed, and orders
come in quite lively"
Then the NJ tine prOhibitorv law does
not prohibit the people from getting
liquor ~
1T does not and can not All it can
do is to prevent their sale over a public
bar. People generally crave a stimulant
of some kind, and no law can prevent
them from getting it, People in the
country especially seem to be regular
drinkers. There are few intermittent
| drinkers in Maine, but a large number of
regular drinkers. 1t is SO, as matter Of
course, in all places where life is dull and
m0notOnous."