Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-10-04
An Appeal
TO THE PEOPLE or MAINE.

to the people to be voted upon in Sept.
lSsi-the constitution requiring that all
proposed amendments shall be voted upon
at the regular State election next succeed
ing their submission.
The reasons which led MANY thousand
petitioners TO ask the Legislature to submit
this amendment, were first to strengthen
the policy of prohibiting dram shops by
making it part Of the fundamental law Of
the state, so firmly intrrnched as 10 no long
er invite assault, encourage resistance or
foster hopes of its overthrow and second
ly to elevate prohibition above party issues
and complications, as has been the result in
the case Of all other principles and policies
that have been solemnly incorporated into
the constitution of state and nation
Whether or not these reasons were suf-
ficien,ly well grounded to justify such step.
il is not now necessary 10 inquire, for the
reason that the fact Of the submission Of
the amendment to popular vote makes it
necessary TO vote il up Or vote il down /:
and it is impossible TO prevent the influence
Of the vote from passing beyond the ques-
ton of whether prohibition shall be in the
constitution. TO the other question Of wheth-
er prohibition shall stand or give way 10 H.
cense. Indeed both at home aud abroad al
most the only question which will he re-
garded as involved in the submission will be
that Of prohibition or license.
Practically, therefore. the vote on the
prohibItory amendment IN September. 1881
will be poll Of the voters of Maine on the
question Of prohibition or license aud every
voter should cast his vote in view Of this
practical fact. Il is for this reason that the
mere form Of the amendment is Of little
consequence. The amendment j. not leci,-
lation. Il does not add 10 nor suh>tract
from the text Of any law nov on the statute
book. In effect il simply declares tina; the
policy Of prohibiting the liquor traffic shall
be the settled policy Of the State of Maine
and tina, no legislature shall ever give the
dram shop the protection Of the law. Now.
any legislature may substitute license for
prohibition. This simple fact encourages
the liquor interest 10 hope for the overthrow
Of prohibition, and 10 maintain an agitation
in that direction. With the adoption Of the
amendmcn, all inducemcn, To- agi,a,e I'D the
overthrow q prohibition would be taken
away The exception 81 cider frnHr the
operation Of the amendment does not in aus
manner change existing laNs relating Ia d.
but slmpl, reserves To the legislature the
same discretionary righ, 10 deal with j; that
this body now has
1t mus, BE- evident 10 every rejecting
mind that a defeat Of the amendment cannot
leave the prohib.,orl cause ahcrc It stand,
now. /, would not, To he sure. immediate
Is r.p,al our prnhibuor, laws IN, /, would
al once paral,ze their enforremen, and De Al
them a most injurious bluv II woull lie
accented a, home as well a, abroad a. \,
proof that the. people Of Mann. are tIr,l Of
prohibition and ready ID ,ry license i,
would encourage every enemy or prohibi,ist,
IN and ont Of The state 10 at once labor for
il, overthrow. l. would curre,apndlnrly
liscourar. every friend Of the nrohili,ar,
poliry and make the de,n.ra,, con,,>, FIR
repeal which would follow. one of The. -.
vere,, ever known. 1t would renew the 49,
we're political conflicts over ,hi, question
which ure,ailcd in ms STATE f,,m ism IN
1850. with new factor Of oono,irion. ~
the corruption fund, of the national Lnuor
dealer, association, Of the country, solicit.
Gus 10 break What they regard As the h,ad
and front of legislation adverse 10 their H.
terests.
On the other hand. strong atirma,i,.
majority for the amendment viii be accented
At home and abroad. as evidence ths, th.
great BODY Of the peopl, Of Maine. after a
trial of thirt, wears. regard the policy Of
probibi,inr The dram >hon a, on the whcl,.
more successful than TIM, of lir.n,. and
propose TO hold 10 II. Such result nil
strengthen the friends Of prohibition every
where. and give new impetu, 10 the c,u..
|, will al.o greatly strengthen our rrohibi.
ment easier. and will weaken ooun,Itjon ,o
them. /, has been claimed and i believed
by many. that our prohibition laws are 10,
sustained By the people, and ,hi, belief en-
courages opposition to them and weaken,
their enforcement in many section. Of H..
State. If the vote on the amendmen,
should show. as we confidently believe il will
that our prohibi,ory policy ha. the s.nnort
I Of large majority of our people sarb ,
result will do much 10 increas. is nonpi,r,.
~ and efficiency.
We do not propose a, this time 10 ur.,.n,
Z in detail those facts which conelusiyely dem.
ons,ra,e that our prohipi,ory laws have be,n
productive of great good IN MITIGATING The
temptations Of the dram shop in Name.
/ No one claims that they have ex,inyui,b,d
the secret dram-shop. Laws prohibltlny
murder and robbery do not absolutel, III.
vent these crimes they simply lessen md
mitigate them. That our prohibitory I.w,
have diminished the dram-shon evil, mnre
than license has done in other states and
more than license did when tried IN hi,
s,a,e-is within the uersonal ob..r,,t,.,r n,
a large number of our citizens
| Replies TO circulars addressed ia ,.,rt
town in Maine indicate that. in lar,, pro.
| portion of the towns, intoxicating liquor,
are not even secretly sold. Inasmnch n. he.
/ fore the adyen, Of prohibit;op ,h.re var,
\ from three TO a dozen omen dr,m.sbon. II
nearly all of these towns. this rr.at chany,
| for the better Of itself demonstrate, the snc.
cess OF our prohibi,ory laws.
In all but a yer, few towns and cities
there is no free, open. undispuised ,ale Of
liquors and the secret sale is conducted IN.
der more or less difficulties. VARYING viii
the degree of efficiency of the enforcement,
of the law. so for the most mart 10 offer liz,
tie temptation to persons moi seeking for an
opportunity to CRAFTY their appe,i,es.
Ii is well.niph the universal testimony Of
those who have engaged in Temperance. work