The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-22
PROHIBITION" In MAINE.
Scores of Bars at Which Liquor Is Openly
Sold in Portland, Bangor and Augusta.

PORTLAND. Me-. May 2l.-The agitation in
West Virginia over a proposed prohibitory
amendment in that State has led several persons
to write to prominent temperance men in Maine,
asking for an exact statement as to the prscti-
cal working Of the liquor law here. A great
many replies have been sent detailing the Ok.
cellent effecs Of the constitutional amendment,
telling in glowing terms how rum has at last
been banished from the pioneer prohibition
State, and saying that not a glass Of liquor Is
now to be had for love or money. The letters
were read in public at several temperance meet
ing in West Virginia, and had a marked effect,
until . New York paper reachsd there. some
weeks ago. with an accurate and
circumstantial account of the discov-
cries Of q correspondent who was sent
through Maine to find out exactly how the
liquor law works. This astonishing revelation
of open bars. free rum and unrestricted liquor
traffic induced Oh aries Burdette Hart. editor of
the Wheeling Intellieencsr, to come to Maine
on q tour Of investigation for himself. Mr..
Hart arrived here with the belief that the paper
must be mistaken, but before he had been In
town twenty-four hours he concluded that the
correspondent had made a truthful aud IN
biased report. Mrs. Hart, who accompanied her
husband, was enthusiastic In her support Of the
prohibitory law. basing her belief on the letters
she had read. Mr.. and Mrs. Hart reached
here on Saturday night, and remained over
Sunday at q frst-class hotel. At dinner, to
their profound astonishment. . guest seated
opposite them ordered . bottle OF wine. and the
waiter, in . matter-of-fsct way, drew the cork
and filed the glass. Still thinking that an ex-
ception to the law had been witnessed,
editor Hart started the next morning for .
stroll about town. In two hours. he returned
and told bis wife that he had visited over forty
saloons where liquor was sold openly sby the
glass. Thoroughly surprised at what had been
discovered. the Virginia editor determined to
probe the matter to the bottom, and took his
departure with his wife for Augusts. The first
thing Mr.. Hart did on arriving in Augusta was
TO go to the State library and the Capitol, with
the expectation that 1t was we'll stocked with
prohibition literature. To his further astonish-
ment, a search from floor to ceiling failed to an
earth q single volume treating OF prohibition or
dealing with the forbidden traffic in any way.
In Q tour about town he found, without much
difficulty, some practical illustrations of the
workings Of the prohibition law. He had been
informed that there were several places in
Augusta where it was possible for the weary
traveller to slake his thirst. and q large number
Of saloons were visited and liquor purchased in
nearly every one. At one part of Water street,
in . length Of about four hundred yards, he
found nine bars whore LIQUOR was sold, and pur-
chased liquor himself or saw 1t boueh. at every
one of them. He visited twenty shops where
liquor was sOlo openly during the TWO Gays No
was in Augusta and ascertained that upward Of
thirty special licenses had been taken out BY
Augusta dealers. But this was not all. He
called upon one Of the leading citizens. q pro-
nounced temperance man, and asked him IL he
was aware of the extent Of the LIQUOR traffic in
the city, and that rum was Being sold openly on
the street. The Augusta gentleman professed
amazement, and said that the authorities
would not allow it The West Virginian.
in his turn, was surprised. and in
formed the citizen of what he had
seen with his own eyes. Editor Hart continued
his travels to Bangor. where the condition Of
affairs was even worse than in Portland and
Augusta The hotel be stopped at was equipped
with q frst-class bar-room. and guests had only
to press an electric button and the bell boy
promptly served the best brands Of liquors and
wines which money could buy. Here again a
formidable array of open rum-shops was discov-
cred and liquor flowed freely on every hand.
Mr.. Hart also visited other cities in the Stats.
and in nearly all found the same condition Of
affairs as in the others. He leaves the State
with no very flattering opinion Of the efficacy Of
prohibitory amendments. and 10 at q loss to
account for such . condition Of affairs in the
banner prohibition State.