The Portland daily press., 1890-12-29

thing down to the European standard should
study these remarks of western man, one
OF class that "does not believe in the tariff
anyway" according to report and ponder
them for long, long time.
Political Bosses and the Liquor Law
The Rev. Mr.. Wright, of ST. Lawrence
street church, in sermon published else.
where, alleges that he has seen more drunk
en- men on the streets of Portland during
the past year than during any one of the
preceding twenty years In which he has re-
sided in Portland, and he draws from this
fact the conclusion that liquor is more free.
ly sold today in this city than at any time
during that period. We think that Mr.
Wright is mistaken as to the fact, and we
are by no means satisfied that his explana-
ton Of it, assuming its correctness. is the
only possible one, but if they both be sound
then 1t would seem to follow that the pro-
hibitory law is more inefficiently enforced In
this city today than at any time during the
last twenty years, and this, we understand
Is substantially Mr.. Wright's allegation.
For the purpose of testing Mr.. Wright's ex-
PLANTATION Of the lack of enforcement we are
going to assume that the fact is as Mr..
Wright thinks it is, and that his conclusion
is an inevitable one.
Before proceeding to show what the cause
OF the inefficient enforcement of the law is
Mr.. Wright proceeds to show what it is not
1t is not, he AYERS popular Indifference on
the part OF our citizens. 81 believe" he
says, that the. vast majority of the people
OF Portland do fervently desire that it 1.-THE
prohibitory lawl shall be respected, obeyed
and enforced" Neither is it, apparently. in
his opinion, necessarily the fault of the rul-
ers, for he says "they may ardently desire to
rule the city in righteousness" and still not
be able to do SO. Having eliminated these
two explanations, he proceeds to show what.
IN MS opinion, 1t really is. His explanation
is the one that General Dow has made quite
familiar to the public. The political leaders
or bosses" in order to keep their party In
power year after year, guarantee immunity
70 the rumsellers for their votes. Now the
chief end which the political leader has in
view Is success. And his success is depen-
dent on votes. Yet, in community where.
according to Mr.. Wright, the vast MAORI
ty OF the people ardently desire that the
prohibitory law shall be respe cted. obeyed
and enforced" we find the political leaders.
IL Mr.. Wright is correct. year after year.
de1erring, not to the wishes OF this vast ma
1ority, but to comparatively insignificant
minority who do not desire that the prohib-
itory law shall be obeyed, respected and en-
forced. Now it is safe to say that no sane DO
litlcal leader would pander to minority as
against the vast majority unless he could do
SO without being found out. for If the MAORI
ty were "fervent." as Mr.. Wright alleges that
ills on the question of the enforcement of the
liquor law, bis defeat would be inevitable and
defeat is the one thing above all others which
ne Is seeking to avoid. If then the political
bosses" in Portland and elsewhere in Maine
pander to the rumsellers there are only two
possible explanations of their course Eth
or the majority Of the people must be indiffer-
ent as to the enforcement of the prohibitory
law, or THESE bosses must be able to conceal
tneir traces with the rumsellers from the
majority. But Mr.. Wright alleges that the
majority are not Indifferent. but "ferventu
and If Mr. Wright is aware of trades with
rumsellers it would seem to follow that
great majority of the people must know of
them, too, Tor clergyman by reason of the
position which he occupies is less likely To he
knowing to the disreputable practices
going on in community than
almost any other class. II then
Mr. Wright's premises are correct,
we have in Portland community, the vast
majority of which fervently desires the en-
fercement of the prohibitory law, supporting
year after year political leaders or "bosses,"
who are habitually making trades with the
rumsellers looking to the latter's immunity.
There is only one condition under which
such state of things could actually exist
and continue to exist. If the leaders were
provided with standing army big enough
and powerful enough to compel people to
vote against their wishes, such a state of
things would be possible. But no such con-
dition exists in this city or state.
The phenomenon which Mr.. Wright is try
Ing to explain is not peculiar to the prohlbi.
tory law, and If people would remember that
TACT they would have much less difficulty In
ascertaining its cause. Instead of its being
the exception that laws, like the liquor law,
"nele tnere is rarely personal complainant
are laxly enforced 1t Is the rule. Almost
all such laws get comparatively little atten-
ton from executive officers The laws
against gambling saloons are not enforced
with anything like the vigor of the laws
against larceny. The reason is that whom
anything is stolen there is an injured nerson
who makes 1t his particular business to see
that the officers pursue and arrest the thief,