The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-02-11

utter failure in Maine, and must be
so everywhere. My last words to him
on parting were: ''Mr. Blank, you are
mistaken. You are misled. You are
misinformed."
In few days after my return | re-
ceived letter from him, saying he
would not expose himself to be Justly
charged with being misinformed, mis-
led and mistaken in relation to mat
ter of such great public Importance,
and he was coming to Maine to eX-
anime the ground for himself. In a
few days after, he came to Portland,
which he explored thoroughly. | had
daily communication with him. He
found liquors sold on the sly in dusty
and cobwebby attics; in dark, damp
cellars; in low, dirty, out-of-the-way
shanties, and only in such places.
Then he said he wanted to see some
villages. took him to Saccarappa, a
large manufacturing village Of 1000
inhabitants, six miles from Portland,
explaining to him as we were driving,
that in the old rum time, it was a
miserable, drunken place; every gro
Gerry and every tavern low, dirty
rum-den; the wretched people spend
ing all their wages in drink, except a
miserable pittance with which to
keep starvation from their dilapidated,
tumble-down houses; their haggard,
ragged, barefooted wives and children.
Saccarappa, in the old rum time, was
widely known for the drunkenness
and yulgarity of its people. But
now there are no more industrious,
thrifty, respectable people in the coun-
try.
I drove Mr.. Blank about the village,
where he saw signs of industry, thrift,
prosperity, everywhere. Large shops,
with handsome fronts, plate-glass
windows, and tasteful display of goods
of various kinds; handsome school
houses, churches in good style Of
architecture, nice private dwellings,
mechanics shops, where everybody
seemed to be busy; all these build
ings, of whatever kind, in excellent
repair-signs of neglect, dilapidation,
decay, nowhere. | drove him to the
office of the largest manufacturing
establishment in the place, and said
to the manager, who held that posi-
tion many years:
"Mr. Haakell, this is Mr.. Blank,
from Ohio, who, as editor of the --,
is we'll known all over the country as
one Of our great leaders Of public
opinion. He has come to Maine ex-
pressly to find out upon the spot what
are the actual results of prohibition
here. I would like you to tell him
what you know of it." Mr.. Haskell
began to describe the village as it had
been, when I told him that | had al
ready explained this. Then he said
II don't think any liquor is sold
here now. l hear nothing Of it, and
see no indication Of it. If liquors
were sold here [ should be likely to
hear of it, and should certainly see
evidences of it. think no liquor is
sold here" l said:
Mr.. Blank, [ suppose. in Ohio,
such village as this would have at
least half a dozen saloons"
Forty" said he. ''At least forty
probably more" Saccarappa has a
great water-power and many manu-
features Of many kinds. Cotton,
wooden, silk. iron, wood, saw-mills
and fouring-mills.
[ then drove Mr.. Blank to Cum ber-
land Mills, village of about the same
size as Saccarappa, entirely devoted to
the manufacture of paper-said to be
the largest paper works in the world.
[ explained to Mr.. Blank that, in the
old rum time, it was known by the
Indian name, Congin, and was, like
Saccarappa, occupied by saw-mills,
and was a miserable, rickety, dilapi-
dated, shabby, drunken place. | drove
him all about the village, now one of
the incest and prettiest in this coun-
try or any other. I pointed out the
spots where the rum-shops were in
the old time, while now there is no
suspicion of hquor-selling in the
place. There is not house or build
ing of wood in the village that is not
nicely painted; and everything is in
perfect repair. The workmen' houses
have about them little lawns and beds
of flowers, all well kept. Every house
is well-drained and abundantly sup
piled with excellent water; the
churches and school-houses are models
of good taste, all in the best condi-
tion; and there is a very handsome
town hall.
We were driving about, examining
and admiring all this, when Mr.. Blank
exclaimed:
''Such a village as this in Ohio
would have at least forty saloons
through which the wages of the work
people would be far worse than
wasted; and the results of this would
be seen in neglected and shabby
houses, and in poor and pinched ways
of living" Then he burst out: I'm
converted. I go for prohibition, for
pulverizing the rum power" and
from that day his paper, with great
circulation and wide influence pro-
claims war against the saloons.
Now this is a fair sample of the
results of prohibition in Maine. All
through our rural districts and vii
lagos, being more than three-fourths
of our territory, containing more than
OF our pOpulaGlOn, Gne
same condition Of things substan-
TALLY exists; so that Maine can no
longer be recognized as the same by
any one who revisits it after the alb
sence Of twenty years. The whole
face of the state and character of the
people have BEEN changed wonder
fully for the better by the operation
of the Maine Law, which has nearly
the liquor traffic and has
driven out every distillery
and brewery, of which we had nine in
Portland. The wages of labor and
;he profits of business are no longer
'quandered in drink, as they were in
;he old rum time; they are seen in the
'eports of the large and constantly |
Increasing deposits in our savings