The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-18


against the general policy Of the suppression
of the liquor traffic. 1t is their right to do this.
as IL would be the right Of "Bob" Ingersoll to
give his opinion of Methodist Drayer-meetings
and Of their influence in making infdels, pre-
seuting himself as shocking example, and
denouncing such meetings as "partisan and rev.
dictionary" There can be no objection to tss-
timonies from all such persons against teetotal-
ism and the Maine Law, provided the public
understands that they are in no sense "tempsr-
ance men," as some Of them give themselves
out to be. One of these directors to the consti-
tutoral amendment, who is also vehement in
his protests against prohibition, on grave &C.
cayon defined his position Oh this whole sub
iecs by public declaration that il any person
should induce his children to become tsetotalers
it would be inheting great wrong upon them
aud upon him. L have not seen any objection
to Constitutional prohibition from any one who
has any claim to be considered Temperance
man."
cannot see any GOOD reason why prohibi-
ton of the liquor traffic should not be- pat into
the Constitution, but think there is abundant
aud cogent reason for doing so. / am confident
that no inteligeat man will deny that the liq-
uor traffic infiicts upou the people more and
greater evils than those that come from all
other sources Of evil combined. Mr.. Gladstone
put it tersely when he said of it in the House
Of Commons, 1--WE have suffered more from
this cause than from the combined evils OF
war, pestience and famine" the liquor traf-
fc and the evils coming from it are rapidly in-
ereasing in this country in extent and volume
and malignity, and will continue to do so un-
less prevented by prohibition and sharp penal
ties of law. These penalties must be severe
enough to make the trade Improbable to the
sort OF men engaged 10 IL, who can be re-
strained by no considerations of right, duty and
the public good, bat only by such reasons as are
addressed to those who commit the smaller Of
fences Of thieving, counterfeiting, burglary and
iDcendiarsm.
prohibition base their opinion upon the dictum
that principles only should be pot into the con-
sttution, while all matters Of detail should be
reserved for statute law. There is no reason
whatever to support that opinion, because ma
ny matters of detail are in fact contained in all
our constitutions. The Legislatures are for
hidden to do many things, aud are commanded
to do other things the people through the Con-
sitution intending in that way to make sure
of certain policies that are supposed to be for
the public good The Constitutions of Ohio
and Michigan have had for many years pro-
hibition of license to the liquor traffic. In Ohio
this provision Of the con tituti9D has been
twice voted upon especially and afirmatively
a prohibition to the traffic There has never
been in Ohio, nor in any other State, sugges-
ton BY anybody that this prohibition in the
| constitution was not properly passed there.
Within the last year the Republican Legisla-
ture of Ohio submitted to the people of the
| State two propositions for amending the con-
stitution in relation to the liquor traffic. One
was for the absolute prohibition Of the manu-
facture, sale and keeping for sale Of intoxicat-
l ing liquors. which racsiyed 325 600 votes, the
4 Othar n ramif tho n the TaQiala.
| ture ito regulate and restrict" the traffic
| which received 50 900 votes. But the project
for prohibition failed through fraudulent
/ counting and false returns.
These propositions to put the regulation or
| the prohibition of the liquor traffic into the
constitution were acquiesced in by all the lead
| ing Republican notabilities OF the State, Gov
| Foster, Judge Foraker, Senator Sherman and
/ the rest of them, with no suggestions from any
OF them or from anybody that the subject OF
these projects might not properly be put into
the fundamental law if the people should
| choose to do so.
The Maine Law is supposed to be the settled
] policy of the State, il is spoken of as SUCH The
Republican party adopts It and stands by il,
| and no party in Maine takes ground against it,
| while the Democratic party has repeatedly and
| enphatically repudiated the policy of license.
But for all that, while prohibition remains on
the statute books only, it is liable to be re-
pealed, as it was at one time by an accidental
| and temporary complication Of parties. The
| friends OF temperance, therefore, believe il to
be matter of the utmost importance to place
| prohibition in the Constitution, where It can
| not be overturned by political schemng or log
| rolling. At present, there are Influential per-
L sons in the State who are eagerly looking for
| ward TO a time when the repeal of the Maine
| Law can be accomplished. Such persons
l say that the law is not suDDorted nv
the public opinion of the State. A vote
| by the people on constitutional prohibition will
| show to all the world what the fact really is,
| and it will afford the best possible opportunity
| for fair fight in the open field, between the
enemies and the friends of greg shops. no.
tice that it Is the latter, and only they (or of
persons, If not really friends Of saloons, whose
action is directly in their interest), who object
| to such an opportunity to show themselves face
to face with those who go for the prohibition
and determination of the liquor traffic, which
was denounced on the floor of the United
States Senate by an bonored son of Maine, Lot
M. Morrill,, as 1.-The gigantic crime of Grimes"
Ii the public opinion Of Maine is in favor of
grog shops why should such persons object to
an opportunity to show it TO be so?
There is no other subject which involves as
deeply as this the prosperity of the State and
the welfare and happiness Of the people. Am
confident do not overstate when saw IL goes
to the life of our institutions and to the sta
oility OF our form of government, which can
not be perpetnated except by an intelligent
and virtuous people. The liquor traffic, far
more than all other agencies and influences
~.
grade and brutlfy all who come under It's influ-
ence. 1t ahsorbs in direct expenditure more
| than $500 600 annually, and involves an in
direct cost of more than 100000 600 in addition
which is more than half our National debt. F"
Tie New YORK Tribune said that. This vast
sum is an absolute loss to the country, no good
whatever coming from it to nation, state or
people, while the evils flowing from it are so
vast that they cannot be measured or estimat-
ed by any process of computation now known
n he f~ar v,,seo ~.
| need be little poverty in the country, and there
would be little crime. But for il hundreds of
thousands Of homes would be prosperous and
happy, where now happiness is unknown,
where dscord, pinching want and misery
abound. But for the liquor traffic every fami-
| ~ in the nation might easily have a comforta-
BILE home in fee, and our warehouses and pris-
ons would be nearly tenantless.
"There is to-day in all English speaking countries
no sueh tremendous. farresehiug, vital question
fects it overshadows all else. 1t Is impossible to ex
anime any subject connected with the progress the
clVlzatlon the physical well-being, the religious
condition OF the masses without encounterng this
mOnstrous evil 1t lies at the centre Of ali social
and political mischief. It paralyzes benevolent
Work IN every direction 1t neutralizes educational
energies. IL silences the voice of religion II OBJ
struets political reform. 1t gives to ignorance and
vice greater potency than intelligence aud virtue
can command; it deprives the poor of the adyan-
tages OF modern progress; it debauches and de-
grades millions, brutazing and soldering them be-
centres of population with creatures whose condi-
ton almost excuses the immortality which renders
them dangerous to their generation. All these evils
all this mischief all this destruction of human souls
and 1ntellects, go among us daily and hourly;
some hearth darkened; some family scattered; soma
loving heart broken some promising career ruined:
some deed OF shame done Can any political organ
zation be said to represent the best aspirations and
the strongest needs Of the people, whil this ali ding
source Of misery and crime and poverty is allowed
/ to spread and flourish? there is needed some OF
| that sacred fire which kindled into inextinpnisb-
| able heat the zeal o the Abotionists and which
compelled the abandonment OF human slavery IA
| rouse the national indignation and abhorrence
/ against this very much greater eVil.'
| The New York Tribune said that. Ia IL not
all true? Again the Tribune Gays:
| How can we reasonably complain of anv minor
evils while this gigantic one continues to hammer be
naohs advance at every step; while this vast dra ain
continues to carry Off a capital one year,s wise an.
/ PhcaLlon OF which would solve every social prob.
/ lem that perplexes Us? 1t is the one oyershadow-
ing evil whose existence OF necessity prevents the
success OF reform efforts in all other direetions
~ religious progress is discussed the fact remains
/ that the saloons empty the churches Wherever we
TURN we encounter this subtle and sinister agency
But sooner or later it will be necessary for fha in
tegent and progressive elements of society to rop
all lesser enterprises and continue in one etermine5
assault npon that vice which is to-day thu heaviest
clog upon progress and the deepest disgrace of Inc
| nineteenth century, ''
But for the liquor traffic these fearful lives
| could not exist. The purpose of a Donnlov