The Republican journal., 1886-12-16
Why a Prohibition Party.

liquor laws has called into existence the Pro-
hibition party. If the Republican party had
demanded of the men it elected to office the
vigorous enforcement of the liquor laws, those
laws would have been we'll enforced. The Re
publican party has not only not demanded the
enforcement of these laws but too often it has
given those few men who did enforce them to
understand that such efficiency was not appre
cated by refusing to rcnominate OF re-ccct
them. If the Republican party had made it 4
practice to refuse to renomnatc or re-ceet
officials who had been delinquent in enforcing
the liquor laws, there would have been very
few officials who would have neglected that
duty.
During several years there has been much
and continued complaint that city officials,
whether Republican or Democrat did not en-
force the liquor laws vigorously and impartial
~. In some cities a show of enforcing the law
has been made by pouncng upon Irish women
and other persons who had $40 friends" and
no ''political influence" and making examples
of them while too often the respectable dealers
(D We're allowed to 20 on unmolcstcd in their
| nefariou> business. In Bangor for several
years there has not been even Il pretcn>c of en-
forcing the liquor laws and yet it has been
mostly under Republican officials and they are
| responsible for the non-rnforcemcnt. That
these laws are not well enforced in most of
our cities and large towns nearly every wei III
formed person Of whatever party will freely
admit. That this is true of iIalIoWcl with its
Republican city government, and true of .\tl-
gusta with its Republican city government is
admitted by Govcrnor-elcct Bolwcll and En-
Gov. An>ou +. Morrill, who headed and the
hundreds of Others who signed those petition,
asking the city governments to vigorously en-
force the liquor laws.
Why is it that these laws are not enforced:
Some who are opposed to prohihitory laws say
that it Is impossible to enforce prohibitory
laws. one thing is certain and that is that
wherever it is supposed that liquor is sold the
premises can he searched and liquors if found
seized and the offender punished with full pen
atty of the law. If this had generally been
done there would be no cause for complaint.
But it has not. saloons in some of our cities
have run for wears l!nmolr>ted by the officers
who knew all about them. In other cities the
plan seems to w. to be a. cncnt as possible
with rum>eller> and not niiic the full penalty.
and let them off hy paying less fines than the
law requires. and with very little mpri>on-
ment DO liquor sellers need encouraging in
that way:
Some persons claim that the reason the liquor
laws are not enforced, is because public >cnti-
ment is not in favor of it, and that in order to
secure this enforcement You must 90 to work
and raise public sentiment. Now is to public
sentiment, | believe that III Il State where
Il constitutional prohibitory amendment was
adopted only two Years ago by over forty
thousand majority. ruIhit sentiment is in favor
Of the enforcement of the liquor laws, | do
not believe there is town or city in the state
of Maine where there i not Il majority of the
people in favor Of the enforcement of these
laws. The non-enforcement of the liquor laws
can not be laid to the lack of public sentiment.
Public sentiment is overwhelmingly in favor
of it.
| Now believe, and many others believe. that
the liquor laws are NOT enforced in Maine cities
| principally because the men in power want the
| rum vote That i Just the jong and the short
Of it. When the Democrat, are in power they
show favor to the rumSclIcr> - A. 10 hold their
votes and political influence. W hrm the Re
| publicmS are iii power they do thc same. The
party in power that cnforccs the Iiouor law,
| loses the rum vote a. did Dccring in Portland.
| and at the nest election the rum vote. accor,lus
to the Portland Press and Mayor Chapman
himself, Went to the Republican caudjiatc
| Mayor thapntn ani he W:,S elected. Most
Of The rum~crr~ in Augusta, IialInwrI, Buj-
cor and some other places arc said to vote the
| Republican ticket in consideration of which
the liu,lor laws ;,rr NOT enforced ~. thry ,lnulI
| be. In most of our cities lhc marty tlot can
Hold th, rutu yotp !, rr.tty ,urc ~ ,.ar,y thn
election. hence, thc tpmptatiou to .n,.I th. rnui
vote. and fine. o,,}y WAY ia .rrIrr tine r,,,,, ,nt
| i tn ,hovr thn r,,n.,.lI,.r. l., L,;,.., ~
with thnm in nnfor,in,, I'm. I;,,,,.n,,, \,v.
claim, tI,ot ,I. r,.,.o, +bo p,,,,,,Ii..,,, ,.;.r
| ia ,ot .,for.. III, E,,o, HI, j., .,,,. ..it;..
hnc,,,.c tbo, went tb RIM, ,,t...r,,lno,,. tr,,,
no,,,l Io., !, ;f t,,,,. ia ,,,f..,. ,i,...
\ou. ,.t, t,,., ,.i,r ,,.t,,,.l J.,
to bn in f,,or of ,,r,1,il,i,iuu ,,,1 tr ~ t,l.I
tbo ,,n vote II, nor ,,,for,ir,, th. I;,,,,,. l,,,.
| il unlynrtiy nf SInbnrt all bn,,,..t tn,r
nnron.n mon Hnr,,.,. hIi.,.,, ,l,i. =, ~, t,.,,.
is why left fine RapI,I,lican marry. ,nd i.,inn,I
| thc prohibition uart,. ,nd th,t i. xh, many,
others have done thc same.
Another reason for thr ,>.i.t.u,.,. nf q, Pro-
hibition marty i me, r,.fi,.,I ~ thr pr,nIIi..n
marty, to So anruL t}o Ii,,,o, I.,v. j. "a mako il
no..iI,In tn .ton,i, amt tb traffic lf tl, ,,,,,I-
tie, can be- made Leayy cno,leh So that there
win he mo- rroit IN thn h,I>inrs> if .,,, l. .tn,,
pcd At th,, present time tbr ,IifirlIlty of con-
| \jrtiue ruln>cIlcr> Renders if rrctty certain
that thny cam muk. mnnrv rnoIl,rl, I,ntlyr,u Inc
times of their being caught to l;,y their fine,
| thr officers arr ,iseilant. 3nd where the, ar,.
| not yi.iaut. of course th, profit is larger Now
| the law needs to be amended 50 thai the first
| offence shall he punished bv one wears impri>-
| onmcnt and ~ 600 fine if the offender has
| property enough to pay it. otherwise remit it.
| Make that the law and liquor selling can he
| driven to the wall. Net many men would rum
| the risk of i years Imprisonment for the sake
| Of selling liquor.
The Negligence Of the Republican party in en-
| forcing the liquor laws and refusal TO properly
a ~,