The Press., 1884-02-14
DOES PROHIBITION PROHIBIrg W.
R uml i'm M aine.

DOES PROHIBITION PROHIBIT? W.
 Rum i'm Maine.
 D. R. LOCKE, IN THE TOLEDO BLADE WHY THE LAW IS NOT ENFORCED EVERY
 WHERE.
 In Bangor liquor is sold openly, as open ly as anywhere The enforcement of the law is in the hands of the sheriff, and when the sheriff is opposed to the law, no power, as yet, can compel his action. If he does act he does it in such half-hearted way as to be really a shield to violators instead of terror
 In Bangor the majority are opposed to enforcement, and consequently officers are elected who will not enforce. In other places where the traffic is winked at and still has an existence, it is because of apa- thy in the matter, because no one makes it his business to enforce the law. The ed itor of the Phillips Monograph has the proper idea: s@ ..
 Prohibition is windmill. When the wind blows, 1t works; and when it is calm so is the windmill, When the mill is agoing, it pumps the we'll dry; and when it is still, the hole fills up-and folks get drowned in it. It is good windmill, but an eternally moving water-wheel would be better We prefer water to wind.
 But where it is even partially enforced it has accomplished good. The seal of COZ demnatlon is set upon the internal traffic 1t IS declared by law to be a crime to sell, and whoever drinks becomes participant in the crime. It has educated the public mind against its sale and use, and so far its effect has been good everywhere.
 It has been demonstrated in great ma- jority of cases that the law can be enforced, but Ii the people Ill other places are too much engrossed in otber things to take care of their most vital interest, of course 1t will not be. Law is never enforced ia no exception to the general rule. There are many laws on the statute books that are dead letters. The Maine liquor law is dead ill a few places because of the care lessness of the people, but where the peo- pie choose to enforce it 1t is living and vigorous reality. Thank heaven the care. less places in Maine may be counted upon your fingers.
 In Portland, where the law is enforced, the arrests for drunkenness and disorderly conduct has decreased half, and it must be borne in mind that Portland has to answer for the viciousness of a good part of the rest of the state. It is the principal city and naturally the resort of the vicious of the country round about. The citizens proper now furnish very little business for the courts
 In Litchfeld there were, before the en- actment of the law, eight places where liquors were openly sold. There is not one now. Public sentiment demanded the enforcement of the law and it was enforced
 In Paris, time was when the daily con- sumption of rum amounted to hogshead daily. Now it cannot be had at any price except at the state agency, and only there for legitimate purposes. The use of rum as beverage is also well-nigh unknown. Paris wanted the law enforced and it was enforced
 The same may be said of the great ma jority of the smaller places. In some To- calities the state agents connive with the hotel keepers to furnish liquors to stran- gers, but there is very little of this done. The authorities know about how much li- quor should be used for legitimate pur- poses, and when the amount sold exceeds that quantity an investigation is sure to follow, that is uncomfortable for dishonest officials.
 FEW FACTS.
 In 1883 Maine had an open dram shop for every 225 of its population, which would give the state 2,75O. It is esti- mated by the public authorities that there are not now in the state more than 700, and these, except in Bangor and few oth- CT places, where the law is imperative, for reasons already given, are secret places. It has been driven into holes and corners in the cities, and entirely crushed out in the villages and country
 Durham in 1883 had seven grog shops. A drop of liquor, for drink, cannot be had there now for love or money. It IS 8 sig nifcant fact, and one worthy of note, that in Bangor, where the law is not enforced, and which has as many open rum-mills as it had before the enactment of the law, the police records show the same propor- tion of criminality. Only in Bangor has the rate of crime and beggary kept up to the old standard. Everywhere else it has decreased. The law does work some good as these figures show.
 A comparison of the arrests for drunk enness is instructive, In the cities of Au- burn and Lewiston, where the law is en- forced, the arrests for drunkenness are but 8 to every thousand of inhabitants. These are manufacturing cities. In Low ell, Mass, where liquors are sold openly, the arrests for the same cause are 30 in every 1000. Both are manufacturing centers, and the character of the popula- tion is the same Lowell has 135 open bars, Auburn and Lewiston not over 20 secret ones.
 Prohibition comes very near prohibition, and it does benefit communities by just as much as it prohibits. There is no doubt about that. There isn't 8 man in Maine who knows anything about it but will say that the law has lessened the consumption of liquor, and it has been a benefit to the state by just the amount it has decreased its consumption.
 What was, before the law, expended for rum is now expended for the means of liv- ing. If the trade in food and clothing, shelter and fuel is better than the trade in rum, then the Maine law has accomplished good,