The Somerset reporter., 1889-12-05
Prohibition and It's Enforcement.



/ We publish in another column the com
muucations Of Gov. Bnrieigh to the Sec
Rotary Of the Grand Lodge OF Coed Tenn
+ plar- aud to the sheriiis Of certain equities.
The resolve OF the Grand Lodge. which is
copied in the correspondence, demands
Of the Governor and Council, through the
officers Of the state, u better enforcement
+ Of the law, and SAYS "the state govern
mcnt must assume the responsibility Of
the open and defiant violations Of law. y
1t is getting to be quite common for well
meaning temperance people 10 charge the
/ Governor and Council with all failures to
enforce the prohibition laws Of the state.
+ OF like character with these expressions
4 of the Grand Lodge Is the following,
which we quote from the Good Tempiars'
/ Department Of a recent issue OF the Bid
/ deford journal There is the whole
county OF PenobScot that is selling rum
openly that ought to be shut up; there is
/ the Governor who should take notice Of the
women's prayers that have been ascending
Tor months that he would do something in
that county
1t must be assumed that the authors Of
these statements are sincere friends of
/ temperance, and desire to fix the RESPONSE
billy where the laws leave it aud to do no
1 injustice. 1t would seem, however, that
there must be an impression prevailing in
Good Templar circles that the Governor
and Council have unlimited power to en-
force the law or not as they please. The
only provision of law which gives the
executive department of tue state any
power In the enforcement of prohibition
beyond the power they possess in the
enforcement of any other law, is the fol
/ lowing:
| Upon petition and representation of
thirty or more well-known taxpayers in
any county, that chapters seventeen and
twenty seven are not faithfully enforced
by county or local officers, the Governor
and Council shall enquire into such repre-
sensations, and if, in their judgement
they are well founded, the Governor, with
the advice and consent of Council, shall
appoint two or more constables for such
county. who shall diligently enforce said
chapters, and for this purpose such con-
stables shall have like powers and duties
as sherifis and deputies. For such services
such constables shall receive the same
compensation as shertis and deputies"
1t will be seen that the Governor is,
personally, utterly powerless to act alone.
The initiatory steps for the appointment
of STATE officers must he taken by the pub
| lie. petition of thirty or more we'll
known tax payers" must be presented be-
fore any action whatever can be taken by
the Governor and Council. Then their
duty is judicial. They must investigate
the grounds of complaint and apply the
remedy provided by law Has such petit
ton been presented to the Governor and
Council from either the counties of Pen
obscot, Cumberland or KNOX? Until such
petition is presented and an Investigation
asked, is ii quite just to charge all respon-
>ibility upon the Governor and CouUcilf
The Governor has already in forcible lam
guage, urged upon the several sheritis
throughout the state, for whose election
the people of the different counties are
directly responsible, the active perform
aDce of their sworn duty of vigorously
enforcing the prohibitory laws.
That Governor Burleigh is firm friend
of the cause of temperance Is known of
all men. He has been all his life total
abstainer from the Use of alcoholic liquors
of every kind and description. This
ought to cCu7t and will count for some
thing in the minds Of thoughtful, fair
minded people everywhere. His views
upon the temperance question which he
has always uniformly and squarely cx-
pressed, and his official acts since his ele-
walton to the Chief Magstracy of the
state, speak for him.
HIS course has been consistent and hon
orable throughout. He has attempted to
escape from no responsibility and has
taken decided action, SO far as it has been
within the limits of possibility for him to
do so without assuming the powers of an
autocrat.
There is great deal of wisdom in the
remarks of Congressman Dingey in his
admirable speech at a recent temperance
meeting in Lewiston He said
ave have right to expect that these
officers will endeavor to do their full duty
and enforce the law impartially and faith
fully. A dram shop, anywhere, no matter
by whom kept, is an enemy of social
order.
After all this has been done, we shall
find that our best work for the enforce
ment of the law, and for the promotion
of temperance, is done through those
moral agencies which build up total absti-
nence habits aud educate the people in
total abstinence principles. With com
muuity of men and women who practice
total abstinence the enforcement of the
law is easy. 1t is in our families that
temperance instruction should begin. Let
parents do their work of Instruction faith
fully and the glorious day of triumph for
temperance laws and temperance princi-
ules will be lshrrcd in