The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-11-27
NASBY VISITS MAINE.
He Asserts That Prohibition Does Tndee
Prohibit.


1t Saves tho Youth of Maine-Con incipg
Facts as to the Efficacy of the Liquor
From Petroleum 7. NasGys article in North Ameri
eau Rcrier.
But does Prohibition prohibit, ard
is Prohibition the cure for the eyiI7
The proof of the pudding is in tie
eating. | assert that it does, to suf-
ficient extent to justify the action ofthe
states that have made the experiment,
and to encourage those who hope to
extend it over all the states. | myself
made a tour of Maine, with a view to
determining the fact for myself, ex-
plored Portland, the largest city in the
state, first. There is liquor sold in
Portland, and plenty of it. and yet Pro-
hibition has been pronounced, unequiv-
ocal success in that city. Prior to the
enactment of the Dow law, some thirty
years ago, there were three hundred
srog shops in the city, its population
being about so, 900. Itwas as drunken
city as any in the country, and its
rate OF poverty, crime and misery was
in exact proportion to the number and
extent OF its liquor shops. In 1883,
when visited the city, to determine
this question for myself, there were
four places only where the law was de-
fed, and liquor sold openly. There
were some twenty other places where it
was sold secretly, but there were only
four oper bars, and these four could
not be said to be open b,rs. They
were IN the sub cellars under the four
principal hotels, and so intricate were
the ways to them that a guide was
necessary. And when you found them
they were sorry places. A room twelve
feet long by six in width, a cold, dis
NAL, desolate room, lighted by one gas
light and absolutely without furniture.
There was not even chair to sit upon,
only small bar, behind which were
few bottles of liquors, with the neces-
Sary glasses to drink from. Nobody
ever penetrated these horrible places
except the confirmed drinkers, who
must have their poison, and who dare
not trust themselves to keep it in their
rooms.
So difficult was it to tind, and so dis
NAL and discouraging was it when
found, that Boston man with me re-
marked, "Well, if this isn't Prohibition
it comes very close to it. If had to
take all this trouble to get a drink in
Boston. and had no more pleasant
place than this to drink in, | don't
think | should ever drink"
This IS the strength of Prohibition.
In Portland there are no delightful
places fitted up with expensive furni-
ture, no cut glass filled with brilliant
liquors, no bars of mahogany with sill
yer ratings, no great mirrors on the
walls, no luxurious seats upon the floor
nothing of the sort. Drunkenness
there has no mantle of luxury thrown
over it, and the mask Of soclality has
been ruthlessly torn from it. If you
want to get drunk in Portland YOU go
where the material is, for that purpose,
and that only. You must 60 and find
tit is not trying to find you.
Who have taken the place of these
three hundred rum-selers of thirty years
ago? Bakers, shoe makers, tailors,
milliners, and people of that class.
| L llClC dlS III llOuoSo NdSdIl, dlll
is better class of houses than ever.
The effect of Prohibition upon the ma
terial prosperity of the city is marked.
The workingnen own their own hoases
their newspapers are better sustained
they have book stores, art stores, and
all that sort of thing. which a whiskey
city of the same population never did
sustain the small trades are all flourish
ing, and, despite the disadvantages the
city labors under by reason OF climatic
and other conditions, it is one of the
most prosperous municipalities in the
Unned States. There was once ST.
500, 900 paid annually for rum-that
money now goes into the comforts OF
life, and there is still wide margin left
for Injuries
In the country towns of Maine the
effect is still more marked. The far
mers, when liquor was out OF sight, did
not want it, their children grew up
without knowing the taste of the de
stroyer, and comfort and prosperity has
everywhere taken the place of slovenli
ness and unthrift.
The best argument found in Maine
for Prohibition WIS bv an editor of a
paper in Portland who was, for political
reasons, mildly opposed to it. had a
conversation with him which ran some
thing like this:
"Where were you born?|
"In village abou, n Yty miles from
Bangor"
do you remember the condition Of
things in your village prior to Prohltl-
ton ?"
"Dlstinctly. There was vast amount
of drunkenness, and consequent disor,
der and poverty"
''What was the effect of Prohibi-
uon?'
at shut up all the rum shops, and
practically banished liquor from the
village. 1t became one of the mos,
quiet and prosperous places on the
|