The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-23
SOME OFFICIAL FACTS
As to How the Prohibition Law Really
WOrlSs in the State of Maine.


Bangor Correspondence New York Evening Post.
These statistics have been obtained from the
United States revenue collector at Portland,
and from the annual report of the Prison In
spectors in Maine. Theoretically, Maine has no
places where liquor is sold, except the city and
State agencies, which are provided for under
the statutes But last year the United States
sold l,046 stamps to retail liquor dealers. Of
the sixteen counties in Maine, If we select the
four containing the largest cities, we find the
stamps divided as follows: Cumberland county.
in which is Portland, bought 253; Penobscot in
which Bangor is located, purchased 1S9; kenne-
bee, which includes Augusta, took 80, and
Androscoggn. which includes Lewiston, paid for
90. All the other counties are credited with hay-
ing bought some of the stamps, even agricultural
Aroostook having 49, This by no means includes
all the number of liquor dealers The number of
ccmmittals to jails for drunkenness in the State
in 1884 was 1916 OF these Cumberland county
made 1856; Penobscot, 167; Kennebec, $50: An
droscoggin, 1O7, and Waldo, 234. Looking over
the commIttals to jail for drunkenness, aud
using the census Of 1880 as basis of population.
Waldo had to every 1873 of the population;
Kennebec to every 189; Cumberland, in which
is Portland, the home of Neal Dow, l to 223;
Androscoggin. to APO, and Penobscot to 422
OF the counties containing the four largest
cities. PenobScot made the fewest committalS
in proportion to its population, and Kennebec
the most. Bang or is in Penobscot county, and
the pronibitory law has not been enforced in
this city. The sentiment. however, is strong
against drunkenness, and arrests have been
made strictly for that offense. Besides,
the municipal law has been strictly enforced,
which requires all tipping places to be closed on
Sundays and at 10 p. NJ. on week days. There
were Sl8 prosecutions for violations of the liquor
laws in 1884 i'll the whole State The Prison In
speetors say In their report that intemperance is
not tho cause of majority OF State prison
crimes, although it is the cause of about three
fourths of the sentences to jails Intemperance,
they say, is not the great cause of crime in the
State, but lack of good homes and education.
The lack of these often causes intemperance as
well as other vices and crimes One of these
Prison Inspectors, by the way, man who has
travelled all over the State for years, says
that he does not believe there is a village or
town in the State where liquor cannot be OBJ
tanned, although outside the larger towns and
cities it might be difficult for stranger 10 find
any There were :G2 conv!ets In the States
prison at the close of the year Twenty four
were in for murder, six for murder in the sec
ond degree and three for mauslaughter. Five
are waiting to be hanged, having been SEN
fenced under the ro-estabiished law of capital
punishment. The greatest number of convicts
camo from Cumberland county. the number be-
ing thirty seven; the next greatest from Pcnob-
scot twenty; and Androscoggfn has sent eight
cen. Some of the worst crimes have, however,
been committed in country villages or absolutely