Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-24
RUM IN PORTLA

It has often been asserted that the anti liquor law of Maine has been more thorough ly enforced in Portland than in any other
 city of the State If this is true it is evil
 dent that prohibition doesn't amount to
 much in the cities of Maine. Rev. Mr. Bay
 ley's sermon the other day on the non-sn-
 forcement of the law in Portland has called
 attention anew to the condition of things.
 Rev. MT. Bayley, who seems to be fully
 equipped with facts derived from personal
 observation, declares that the arrests for
 drunkenness during the last six months of
 1887 were 922. against 567 arrests during the
 corresponding period of 1885. Other gen.
 tlemen eorroborate his testimony that in-
 temperance is on the increase, and that the
 open sale of liquor is notorious. Mr. Bay
 ley also says "that never before have there
 been so many club rooms where drinking is
 habitual as at the present time."
 A correspondent of the Boston Herald has
 been looking into the matter and does not
 find anything that tends to show that MT.
 Baylsy didn't know what he was talking
 about. Portland contains a population of nearly 10000 people, and the arrests for drunkenness are to every g inhabitants,
 while the average number of arrests in eleven cities in the country of the popula- tion of Portland was one to every 45 An examination of the records of the Superior court shows that over $s0,O00 was paid in fines last year, and some thirty-fve liquor sellers thrust into jail. During the past nine years two hundred and sixteen different rum- sellers have been sent to jail and a total of $160, 1000 in fines has been conveyed into the county treasury. The liquor traffic is princi- pally confined to the low saloons into which it has been driven, although it is an open secret that the drug stores and hotels have their share of patronage. Some of the places where liquor is kept have regular open bars. There are two importers of wines and liquors who do big business. One of these firms has been in business over thirty years and has never been molested. One of the it is raid, runs over dozen sa- looms, Twenty years ago he was a coal beaver. To-day he can count his wealth by thousands of dollars. Whenever 8 raid is made on any of the low saloons and seizure takes place and the proprietor is jailed it does not close up the shop by any means. fresh supply of liquor is ordered and member of his family, or somebody else, steps in and runs the saloon. Most of the liquor kept at these places is poor stuff known as ''rectifed whisky" warranted to give a man the "jim-jams" in thirty days, if he drinks enough. Portsmouth beer is also sold. Dealers also keep small stock on hand, for fear of seizure. For months there has been so much laxity in the enforcement of the liquor law that the numerous gin mills have had it all their own way. According to the best testimony there are about forty places where liquor is sold, and the probsbil- lty is that the number is much larger.
 The condition of affairs in Maine, where prohibition which cannot prohibit has been | long and thoroughly tried, is very strong for high license, which well regu- ates the liquor traffic and does much to les | zen the burdens of the taxpayers. l