Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-05-08
For the Democrat.
NOTES FROM THE MISSISSIPPI
SHORE.


SHORE.
III.
With only the river as dividing lint
between Illinois and Iowa, anything tina
agitates the public mind upon one shor'
is very naturally felt to a greater or les
degree upon the other. Therefore it wa
not strange that the temperance question
which, during the spring and early sum-
mer was the all.absorbing theme in the
latter State, should be somewhat discuss
ed upon the borders of the former. II
was with bated breath that temperance
men and women in other Western states
looked forward to the result Of the Iowa
election when the prohibitory amend
ment should be submitted to the people.
Iowa became for the time pivotal State ;
the friends of temperance in Wisconsin,
Indiana, Michigan, and Nebraska but
waited the triumph of their cause here to
sound the battle cry of Prohibition in
their own States. While the true and
tried ones in Illinois, were looking still
| farther into the future-to the time when,
with prohibition all around her, Illinois
would at last wheel nobly into line, and
the whole Northwest should become as
Maine is today-the most temperate
country on earth;-for it is useless for
the enemies OF Prohibition to claim that
it amounts to nothing. Living even un-
der the stringent license law of Illinois
for few months, would convince them Of
the superiority of Prohibition. No ILL.,
nois town so small, but it has at least
one licensed saloon, which renders drink
ing respectable and paints red nose for
many young man. 1t is fact patent
to any observer, that there is much less
drunkness here than there. People some
times tell US Of the vast amount Of drunk
enness in some OF our Maine cities. Do
those people suppose for moment that
the condition Of things would not be in
finitely worse, if, as in the little city Of
Moline, Illinois, with a population Of
IL 900, there were forty-two licensed sa-
looms Chicago boasts Of Ihrrty:fVe
hundred liquor saloons, which are thought
to be profitable to the city because, for
sooth, they pay an annual license OF
5000 600; but in the same time they
extract from the pockets Of the people,
without adequate return, the enormous
sum Of Sl2 100000. Pay the people
one dollar, and rob them of sixty All
of this under license law Should it
be matter for surprise that Iowa sought
some more effectual method The only
wonder is, that with her immense Ger
man population, her five millions OF dol
lars invested in distilleries, saloons, &C.,
and her annual liquor traffic Of 800, OOO,-
ooO-just four times the amount OF her
school taxes of all kinds-it was posi-
BILE to carry such an amendment at all
And now that by flaw, Intentional OF
otherwise, in the letter of the law, the
whole thing becomes as though it had
never been, it is small wonder if those
by whose tireless efforts the right was
triumphant at the polls, and those in
other states who had looked forward to
speedy contamination of their own hopes
should almost lose heart. But, though
the contest be long, and the enemy pow
erful.
"Truth. crushed TO earth, shall rise again;
| The eternal years OF IOu are hers'
| But Error, wounded, writhes In pain,
| And dies among his worshipers."
A panic seized distillers, brewers, ane
liquor sellers in Iowa, as the possible
triumph Of Prohibition became apparent
and those upon the border began to make
arrangements for moving their business
across the river to Illinois.
God grant the time may come wheI
their nefarious traffic shall have been
crowded, not out of single State, bu
out Of the entire country; and the waters
of our oceans, east and west, shall have
washed our shorers clean from all stair
of intemperance YANKEE GIRL.
Buckfeld, FEB. %, 1888.
A CHEAP ELECTRIC LIGHTER. -Th