The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-29
PROHIBITION IN PORTLAND.
Sometimes the Law Is Enforced, and More
Times 1t Is Not.


Times 1t Is Not.
Special to the Boston Herald.
Last Sunday morning in.conversation with
Herald man, Gen. Neal Dow, on being reminded
of remark that he made last winter to the
effect that, when the Grand Army men came,
these of them who wanted anything to drink
would easily find it. acknowledged recollectng
the words but he said that was before the city
election. The Democratic candidate for mayor
was elected in March by the votes of Prohibi
tionists, and since then. with the powerful help
of the city marshal, has been actively enforcing
the liquor law, as we'll as the rest of the laws.
Life has been made burden to the average rum
seller, though some have Jared worse than
others. Mayor Deering thinks he has political
future, just as ex- Mayor Neal Dow knows he has
political past; but General Dow continued
that, whereas in the winter, believingl that. in
the natural course of events, a Republican
mayor would be chosen, he expressed the opin-
ion referred to- now he knew better. Rumselling
would not be allowed during the week of the
national encampment of the G. A r., or any
other week.
Once in while some Portland Prohibitionist
takes a stranger and shows him what he does
not know of the town in which he lives. and the
result is article in some distant paper to prove
how successfully prohibition works in Maine.
General Dow, if he could have disguised him
self, would have done well to take a trip about
town yesterday. To begin with, it is an admitted
fact that the law has never been well enforced
since this generation came upon the field of
action within the last few months, by Demo
cratic city government, too; not that Democrats
love the law more but this course of action
seemed to be business. Next, it will be remem
bered some of the Prohibitionists put forth most
agonizing appeals to all concerned to see that the
law continued to be obeyed, and they succeeded
in getting UP such scare that posts and individ-
uas from more westerly States brought their
own supplies rather than stand the chance of not
finding any when they reached the Forest City.
xx,fx1 4 49,. A. %
They found that a great deal of talk had been
made, and some bitter feeling stirred up. They
found, also, that any man who wanted to pay
fifteen cents for single drink of whisky which
which cost 81. % per gallon, could get thousand
of them: that is, if he had $3.50 to spare, and
perhaps he might have got them shade cheaper
but that is doubtful. They found nobody was
worried about police interference and that,
though some seizures were made or attempted
to be made daily, they did not interfere with the
comfort or convenience of the ordinary man.
Any man. except, perhaps, tramp could get
anything he wanted-the tramp had to 60
further, even if he Jared no worse
They found that the sale of liquor, which be-
gan in a moderate way the first of the week. was
carried on so openly by Wednesday afternoon
that thirty five or forty people would be stand
ing and drinking at a time in one extemporized
bar room, and that means a good sized room with
table at one end, made of implanted pine
boards resting on cross pieces. behind which
stood three or four men, driven nearly to
death by the pressure of business.
General Dow has lot found these things and
probably never will, but he might if he chose.
Political blindness is the densest in the world.
But there is one more thing to be said: The or
der of the city has been excellent. The veterans
did not surprise themselves. for they knew
themselves, but they did surprise everybody
else. There has been good deal of fun and
noise, and all that. at the camp and elsewhere.
There has been no drunkenness or disorde-, or
anything of that kind. The Portland papers,
Republican and Democratic. will testify to this.