The Indianapolis journal., 1888-04-14
TIRED OF PROHIBITION.
Indications of Coming Change That Will
Work Great Revolution in Maine.

NEW York April I3-A Portland, Me-. spe-
cial to the World says: ''It is predicted by
those who have studied the growing sentiment
In Maine against DrohibitieH that this State will
have high-license law within three years. and
that the pioneer prohibitory State will with
draw the stringent restrictions on the liquor
traffic which have made itfamous. The recent
defeat of Gen. Neal Dow, the Father of Prohibit
ton, in his race for the mayorslty of Portland.
is pointed to as q very significant demonstration
that the people are sick and tired Of Dow's doc
trine. When the most prominent temperance
advocate in the world. at tho head of both the
Democratic and Prohibition regular tickets. not
only fails of election in bis own city, but his
nomination has the effect Of piling up majority
for the candidate representing free and
non-enforcemen5 Of the law double that which
he ever received before, there is good ground
for the high license prediction. The movement
against the liquor Law has recently taken definite
shape, and a strong com bination has been
formed of those interested in repeating the pres
statutes For some months the hotel pro-
prietoFs and restaurant-keepers have been or
RanizIng secretly to aet In cooperation with the
liquor dealers Besides this, remarkable out
growth of the opposition to the liquor law has
jnsr come to the surface ia the shape of Per-
soual Liberty Society Unlike the secret organ
izations of those who carry the forbidden
traffic, the members OF this society promi-
nent business aud professional men, and among
society, as a matter of principle. and not of indi-
vidual interest, aims at ell laws which restrict
personal liberty. its special target is the liquor
law. This society will exert o power
full influence in favor or high IL
cense, which could not be brought to
bear by the liquor dealers, and is of itself
menace to the famous Maine law. growing
weakness in the ranks of the ProhibitionIsts
also threatens revolt among the farmers. The
last Legislature accomolished the feat of making
sweet cider Intoxicating liquor and placing it
upon the same level as whisky brandy.
Every penalty that attaches to a professional
rum-seller is made to apply to the honest farmer
who sells or gives away glasa of sweet apple
juice it drops from his clder-press. Even if
he stores his cider for future sale vinegar he
il liable "a lquor-dsaler, and by this last
achievement of the Prohlhit hitionists the great
orchards of Maine are worse taan valueless, as
they are q temptation to violase the laws AT
last the granger element which has always been
strong in support of Proh bition, has aroused
itself and threatens to make alliance with the
rum-sellers TO repeal the law.
THE World correspondent made q tour of the
State, and found that so far as the cities
concerned the law is openly disregarded. Lq-
nor was procured without difficulty in Portland,
Augusta. Bangor Bath, Belfast Lewiston,
Brunswick, and elsewhere In Portland the
correspondent found 144 places where intoxi-
cants were sold IN some form other and he
estimates that there as many as 500 bars
in the State. The national government issues
some 500 licenses TO Maine liquor sellers, though
the greater number pursue the illegal traffic
without them"