St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-04-16
Prohibition in Portland.
A Very Encouraging Report.

A correspondent OF the boston Her
aid gives II very interesting report of a
revival of the temperance movement
in Portland, under date of April Z:
The work of abolishing the liquor
traffic in this city goes bravely on.
For the first time in many years the
natural seaport is Theoretically sealed
so far as open liquor selling is con-
cerned. Before the present crusade
was inaugurated there were not less
than Is places where intOxicants were
openly dispensed.
The Law and Order League that was
established here on account of the neg
lect of the local officers to enforce the
law have virtually suspended opera
tiOns, believing that City Marshal An
drews and his force are
EQUAL TO THE EMERGENCY
and need no assistance at their hands.
The services of Mr.. MunsOn, their
agent, under whose cOmpaniOnship the
war against the liquor traffic was com
menced last January, have been dis
pensed with.
A few days ago MunsOn caused the
arrest of Lawyer Warren IL. Vinton of
Gray, once a temperance candidate for
governor, who is charged with know
ingly letting IL building owned by him
for the illegal sale of liquor. The law
now is being so vigorously enforced in
this city that the leading hotels have
succumbed to the inevitable by closing
their bars. This has been voluntary
act on their part, rs it would be USE
less for them in the present state of af-
fairs to run the risk of selling.
To-day the amended liquor law
passed by the Legislature the past
winter went into operation. 1t gives
another turn to the prohibition screw,
and by its increased pains and penal
ties for selling liquor it carries con-
sternatiOn into the ranks of the dis
pensers of alcoholic fluids. Its teeth
are so sharp that persons arrested for
drunkenness are no longer fined, but
are thrown into Jail from ) to 30 days
for the first offence, and from 10 to 90
days for the second offence. Last
night there were only two commit
ments to the lookup for drunkenness.
City Marshal Andrews and large
force of special police are constantly
on the alert for violaters of the law,
and making it hot for them in their
raids. These lynx eyed officers are
vying with the sheriffs in the per
Torrance of their duties. Every rail
way train and steamboat that arrives
here is under the strictes surveillance.
THE CITY MARSHAL'S STORY.
"When | came into Office the liquor
shops were in full blast. | have now
been IL days serving as marshal, and
during that time the police under my
| direction have directed their energies
in the suppression of the grOgshops.
| Every place where liquor is unlawfully
sold or kept is declared by the statutes
| to be II common nuisance, and officers
of the law are directed to cause such
nuisances to be abated forthwith The
officers here have worked with a will,
and to day, with rare exceptions, the
grog shops in Portland are all closed,
doors locked and shutters put up. The
only hope the dealers now have is that
! the movement is spasmOdic enforce
ment of the law, but they needn't hang
any hopes on that peg, inasmuch as the
new municipal administration here
| takes cOgnizance of the fact that the
people of Maine have engrafted prOhi-
bition into the constitution. PrOhibi-
ton then being part of the organic
law, the city government proposes to
obey the will of the people as expressed
10y them last fall. The prOhibitory law
has never received at the hands of any
officers here, IA determined, persistent
effort for the suppression of the rum
! traffic. The enforcement of the law
heretofore has been spasmOdic, and
hence the reason that dealers now have
the hope that the present movement is
only temporary. ! shall endeavOr to
do my whole duty without fear or IA
vOr for the suppression of the liquor
traffic in Portland. Much has been
said about there not being law enough
to suppress the traffic. My belief is
that the present law, when honestly
and vigorously enforced, will prevent
anything that may be called an oper
rum shop maintaining an existence
There may be private selling behind
doors and bars from bottle, that may
make it hard for officers to reach, but
with proper vigilance on the part o
officers, even such sellers can be
brought to justice"
GEN. NEAL DOW,
the apostle of temperance, said to the
reporter: "Tne Democratic party,
think, will be wise enough to take ad
vantage of the opportunity now Offered
to secure its old standing in Maine
The temperance men are thoroughly
Disguised and indignant at the Oper
protection afforded to the liquor traffic
by the Republican bosses, in spite OF
the party platform and the cOnstitu
tional amendment. The Democrat,
leaders, as all the world knows, hav,
uniformly favored license as in theil
opinion the best mode of promoting
temperance But they can now max,
proclamation consistently and Will
honor it is no matter what our Opin-
ion is on this subject, the people have
the right to rule and to determine wha
the public policy shall be. 1t is anC
always has been, a Democratic princi
pie that the constitution and the pOpu
lar will, when fairly ascertained, shall
control all public affairs. The peopl
of Maine, by an overwhelming MAORI
, ty, have affirmed that in this stat