Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-03-16
PROHIBITION in MAINE.

The Law Is Not n Faiiure-Thc Trouble Is
tho Politicians DO Not Enforce 1t.
Miss Frances Willard recently inclosed
an editorial from the Chicago Tribune on
the temperance question to Mrs. l.. nj. N.
Stevens, President of the w. C. I. u, of
Maine, asking whether its statements in
regard to the efficacy of the prohibition
law of that State were true. She received
the following reply:
There are no anti prohibition cities" in
Name, as some would represent, if we except
Lewiston, a manufacturing city with many
Catholics as Protestants. This is the only city
IN Maine that did not give a majority vote for
constitutional prohibition. In other words, our
cities have voted prohibition. Suppose they
Of ooss Mhs see wona tSs
situation bea The conditions Of a license 1a ng
are fully as difficult to enforce as prohibition.
entire satisfaction of all right-ninded, un-
prejudiced persons that prohibition is q right
eoas, wise and beneficent law; that it can be
have faithful officials. In most of our Maine
cities the two great parties are quite evenly
divided, and each bids for the liquor vote In
order to secure the majority The Republican
party is the more successful in this.
III Portland we have Republican mayor
professedly Christian and temperance man.
IN his hands are the reins of enforcement; an
honest, earnest nncompromising order from
him to his marshal, and through him to the po-
nee, could and would close the drinking places
IN Portland. have studied the question care
fully for years and know whereof speak and
what affirm Why does he not do it? Plainly
because the party can not afford it, The
Winning SIDE Wosla they vote for ~ Neal Se p sns
representing party with prohibition for an
issue for the SAX of being on the winning
side?' They voted for Mayor Chapman in
| order to be protected-and they have been.
1t is not q lack in public sentiment" but oil
political sentiment Could this public senti-
ment be brought into one party, thus creating
q political sentiment, there would be no tro,l-
BILE i'll enforcing the law. 1t is pitiful to see
how the party controls the man.
Let US admit for a moment that public senti
ment in Portland did not favor prohi bition
Even then the officials could not be excused for
the situation there to-day. Our prohi bitory
| law has no such clause-"providing pu bile sen
| timent is in favor of such law" The law i.
| plain and clear-cut, and our officials shame
| fully violate the solemn oath of office. There
| is no escape from this accusation which hal
been made from pulpit und platform. Prohi
bition is not failure, but the Republican
| officials i'll Bangor, Portland, and some othel
| municipalities are shameful failures.
| No leading temperance men have said tina
| prohibition is o failure. etc. "T. c. Woodbury.
! has always been opposed to prohibition, nnt
has never been known to be identified with an.
temperance movement in city or State.
| The people of Maine know too we'll the bless
| ings of prohibition to 50 back to the dark age.
! Of free rum or license. They will rather, q
| the logic of such events" as appear in Portland
and Bangor to-day opens their eyes to the neet
T. NJ n S,rEyE<c