The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-04-29
ENOUGH OF PROHIBITION.
A Movement in Maine in Favor OF
the Repeal of the Law.

BANGOR, April THE little city OF
Belfast, on Penobscot Bay, forty miles
below Bangor, is one of those places
where, when every thing else is calm as
a duck pond, the Maine liquor law al
fords fruitful theme for heated dis
cussons. They are having great row
down there now over the beer question,
and an interesting phase of the conflict
is found in the recent formation there
of what is known as the Personal
Liberty club. Over 200 voters of the
city, including many prominent citizens
irrespective of party, are members OF
the club. which has for its object the
repeal of the prohibitory law, and the
enactment of license law in its stead.
The personal liberty people are not all
drinking people by any means, but they
are very much disguised with the pro-
hibition law, and especially with its
administration by the detested stated
constables They are working hard to
establish similar clubs in all the impor-
tant places of the State, except Bangor.
There is no need of any CLUB here. The
people take all the personal liberty they
want in this town, with no questions
asked, and then Uncle Hannibal Ham
Inns Tarratine club of 100 gentlemen
enjoy lots of liquid liberty without
bothering their heads ABOUT repeating
Neal Dow's crank statute.
The Belfast club and its principles are
vigorously supported by one of the
local papers, the Progressive Aqe, Demo-
cratic, and strongly opposed by an
other, the Journal, a stralght-laced old
Republican sheet, which refers to the
club members as the "jim-jam" party.
and to the Age as 'tree-rum organ"
The club members are of the unterri-
fed kind. however, and the movement
they have organized is bound to grow
and make quite a stir at the coming
State election. The newspaper promi-
nently identified with the prohibition
cause says, in the course of lengthy
article on the new organization:
Its numbers, its open avowal of hostility
to the prohibitory laws of the State, and Its
purpose to eXpunge them from the pubic
statutes, taken in connection with the al
ditional fact that efforts are being made TO
ties, are Signs which should not be disre-
garded by the steadfast and constant friends
of legal prohibition that s time of serious
trial Tor that policy may be at hand.
1t is time that they view d1Spass1onately the
ground over which they have travelled to
reach the present vantage. and de-
ternined upon plan OF campaign Tor the
future.
1t is, indeed, time for the prohibition
fctc TO n rpanI
work. The Msine liquor law was en-
acted in 1851, and at frequent intervals
ever since, the original statute has been
amplified and braced up by new clauses
and amendments; but now, after run
of thirty-seven years, 1t does not ap-
pear to have gained any advantage
ground to speak of. There may be
few couatry editors and unsophlsticated
old ladies who really believe that pro-
hibition has done great deal towards
stopping the sale If liquor in Maine.
| hut everybody else knows better. In
Belfast, the home of the personal
liberty movement, liquor has always
been easily obtained, and it is sold there
now, despite all the searching and pry-
| ing of two over-zealous State coDstables
Oct asionally seller is caught, con-
victed and fined, but Just as many
drinking people remain, and just as
many drinks are sold as before.
A few miles below Belfest is the great
Methodist camp meeting ground OF
Northport. where in summer thousands
of people from all over live in Gotta ges
and tents The camp meeting itself is
held in September, but secondary al
fair, the place being more given up tC
picnicking than praying. The Meth
Odists have control of the whole greuHd
and they have more rules than ont
could shake stick at for the govern
ment of the crowds who visit the place
but here, On this sane flied bit CT tn
bay shore, is where personal liberty
fourishes like a large green baV tree
Belfast officers go nosing around tn
grounds in quest of concealed bug juice
out they rarely get any. Steamers ar
not allowed to land any wet goo!s bu
the stuff seems TO get there, aud if a.
the empty jugs, kegs and bottles tina
accumulate during the summer could b
gathered together, at the end OF tn
season, the array would be imposing
enough to give rise to the suspicion
that some one had taken Il drink be
tween prayers. The constables dit
manage to make one bold stroke 10
wards crushing out the rum power a
Nortbport last season. Tney foun'
three young men and young woman
occupying cottage there, each of whom
had two gallons of whiskey flor per
sonal use" The young men We're eacl
fined 500 and costs. Two of them ap
pealed. and gave bonds for further ar
pearance. That was the end of thei
cases. The other young man was III
able to give bonds or pay the fine, so b
got three months in Jail. The majest
of the law was vindicated to that ex
. tent.
Nothing has been heard from tn
: Bangor State constables since they wen
fishing, but, with good luck and in
creased vigilance, it is thought tha
they may be able to wrest key of Doc
beer from the sIums of the Devils Hal
Acre by the time the ice goes out.