The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1888-05-30
JUST As THE"WORID" SAID
A WEST VIRGINIA EDITOR TRAVELS IN
MAINE AND FINDS PLENTY OF RUM.
Published nv Reousst.

agltationin West Virginia over pro.
posed prehibitory amendment in
that State has led several persons to
write to prominent temperance men
in Maine asking for an exact state.
ment as to the practical working Of
the liquor law here. A great many
replies have been sent detailing the
excellent effect OF the constitutional
amendment, telling in glowing terms
how rum has at last been bsnished
from the pioneer prohibition State,
and saying that not a glass of liquor
ls now to be had for love or none Z.
The letters were read in public at
several temperance meetings in West
Virginia, and had a marked Effect
until the World reached there son e
weeks ago with an accurate and cir.
eumstantial account of the discove-
ries ola Verdi correspondent who
was sent through Maine to find out
exactly how the law works. This as-
tonlshing revelation Of open bars,
free rum and unrestricted liquor
traffic induced Charles Burdette
Hart, editor of the Wheeling Intel
hgeHcer, to come to Name on a tour
OF lnyestigation,for himself. Mr.. Hart
arrived here with the belief that the
World must be mistaken, but before
he had been in town twenty.four
hours he concluded that the For'd
correspondent had made a truthful
and unbiased report. Mrs. Hart,
who accompanied her husband, was
enthusiastic in her support of the
prohi5itory law. basing her belief on
the letters she had read. Mr.. and
Mrs. Hart reached here one Saturday
night and remained over Sunday at
tirst-class hotel. At dinner, to
their profound establishment, q guest
seated opposite them offered a bottle
OF wine, and the waiter, in a matter
of'iact way drew the cork and filed
the glass. Still thinking that an ex.
ception to the law had been witness
ed. Editor Hart started out the
next morning for q stroll about town.
In two hours he returned and told
bis wife that he had visited over forty
saloons where liquor was sold openly
by the glass. Thoroughly surprised
az what had been discovered the
virginia editor determined to probe
the matter to the bottom and took
his departure with his wife to Au-
gusta.
The FIRST thing Mr.. Hart did on
arriving in Augusta was to 90 to the
State Library in the Capitol, with
the expectation that it was well
stocked with prohibition literature.
To his further astonishment, search
from door to ceiling failed to uny
earth single volume treating Of
prohibition or dealing with the for
hidden traffic in any way. In a tour
about town be found, without much
difficulty, some practical illustrations
Of the workings Of the prohibltory
Law. He had been informed that
there were several places in Augusta
where il was possible for the Wears
traveller to slake his thirst, and q
large number of saloons was visited
and liquor purchased in nearly every
one. At one part Of Water street,
10 length Of about four hundred
yards, be found nine bars where Ii.
quor was sold, and purchased liquor
himself or saw It bought at every
one Of them. He visited twenty
shops where liquor was sold openly
lkp<i2g the two days he was in An.
gssta, and ascertainel that upward
Of thirty special licenses had been
taken Sat BY AESzsts -5safers. But
his was net al. He called upon
L 'e Of the leading citizens, a pro-
'aeed temperance man, and asked
D>f vas aware Of the extent or
se liqp0S traffic in the city. and rum
beng Pid openly On the tree.
Augusta gentleman profysed
z. inzement, and SAID the authorities
would not allow il. Tie Wet Viz
ginian, IN bis turn, Was surprised.
and informed the citizen Of what he
had seen with his own eyes.
Editor Hart continued his travels
70 Bangor, where the CONDITION Of af.
fairs was even worse than IN Port
land and Augusta. The hotel be
stopped al was equipped with first.
class khroom, and guests had only
topress an electric button and the
call boy promptly served the best
brands Of liquors and wines which
money could buy. Here again q for
midable array Of open rum shops
was discovered, and liquor flowed
freely on every hand. Mr.. Har.
also visited other cities In the State,
and in nearly all found tie same
condition Of affrirs as in the others.
He leaves the State with no very
iialtefibg opinion If the efficacy Of
prOhlbitory amendments, and IL at q
loss 10 account for such q condition
Of aFaiu In the banner prohibition
State.