The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-06
un-Enforced Prohibition,

UN-ENFoRCED LAW IS A STANDING DIS
GRACE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ENACT IT."
WHEN 1T is DECLARED WITHOUT POSI-
TIVE EVIDENCE, THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
RESULTS FROM AN ADVERSE PUBLIC sENTI-
MENT, 1T is THE DUTY OF CITIZENS TO VIM
DlCATE THE LAW, BY TEST OF SUCH SEN
TIMENT, OR TO DEMAND ITS REPEAL"
YES AND NO BALLoTs"-AT MARCH
ELECTION.
There Is no name attached to this notice of
movement to bring back upon Portland the
horrors Of the old rum-time. If the purpose is
to induce Maine to re-enact the old policy of
license to the grog-s shops. the undertaking is
so formidable lin its magnitude that it should
have very influential support. That policy
was overthrown in 1851, having been in oper
alton from the earliest colonial times. After
all these years of experience of its results,
the people said they would have no more of
it., and the Legislature responded to their
demand by enacting the Maine Law, by a
majority of Sc to 40 in the House and IS to 10
in the Senate. Then in 1884 after more than
thirty years experience of its benefits, the
people put prohibition into the Constitution
by majority of 47,000-the affirmative vote
being three times larger than the negative.
The authors of this dodger will see then, that
the object at which they aim must be very
far away. They must show the people that
grog-shops are good thing; the suppression
OF them bad thing; and that the twenty
four million dollars saved annually in Maine
because of the Maine Law, ought to be spent
by our people for rum.
The first necessary step in their undertake
ing must be, petitions to the Legislature for
the repeal of the Constitutional Amendment
OF 1SS4-and that will be attended with
grave difficulty. The reason that operated
In preventing signatures to this dodger will
tell even more STRONGLY In rendering 1t diff
cult to obtain names to petitions in favor of
the old system Of licensed liquor selling
A formidable attempt was made three years
ago in Belfast to overthrow the Maine law.
Many men. some of them respectable, formed
Personal Liberty League for that purpose ::
but when it became necessary to put their
names down, to show themselves, they all
fell out of the ranks, except those whose
purpose was to sell rum, not to drink it. and
the movement came to nothing Such a
movement as the dodger suggests, must have
brains In 1t as we'll as Drawn. The dodger
indicates that at present the brains are
lacking.
IAN unenforced law certainly involves
en- infamy to the officials whose duty it is to
execute 1t, and whose oath of Office binds
them to do it; but such law for all that.
may justly claim the highest consideration
and profoundest respect of the people. Such
was the law against the slave trade, largely
nhough secretly carried on by American
citizens. until President Lincoln refused to
saying to importunate petitioners: mo, the
slave trade Is an Infamous crime, and it can
never be suppressed until somebody is
hanged for being guilty of it." his ship
master was of highly resp ctable family,
but Mr.. Lincoln was inexorable, though no
man was OF more gentle nature than he.
The New York Tribune says the liquor trade
Is very much greater evil than slavery was.
The violation of the law against lotteries
and gambling shops is SO common as to ex
cite little attention; but those laws are In
the highest interests Of the State and people.
and In every way are worthy of their respect.
The violation of official 0aths, and treachery
to duty by officials of reputation, otherwise
respectable, are so common that they attract
little attention and seem to be condoned
even by our best people.
No 8 Jod citizen would for moment enter.
tain the proposition to repeal these laws be-
cause not enforced, through treachery or
corruption Of officials. The law forbids bril-
for free vote and an honest count; but in
some parts OF the country these laws are
often, If not constantly violated. But they
are good for all that, and none but rogues
would suggest their repeal.
am sure that no man with even a small
share of brains would be willing to put his
name to the declaration: "An unenforced
law is standing disgrace to the people who
enact it," Ii that were really true, what
would become Of the Bible? The commands
and so openly violated and trampled under
foot as are those of the Gospel and those of
Gods enactment
Ii the authors of the dodger would guar
antee that the men who favor their move
ments would stand in line on Congress street
think those who object to it would be quite
willing to show themselves in a line facing
1t.
The authors of it do not see that their
d0dger may be easily read between the lines.
Their real grievance is, not that the Maine
law Is not enforced, but that its place on the
statute book Is terror to them. they look
back sadly and loDgingly to the time when
our principal streets were lined on either
side. from Green street to Exchange street,
down Exchange street, Union street. Fore
street aud Centre street, with large, snowy
rumshops. Upon their doors ana shutters,
when thrown back in the early morning,
could be read In large and f1ashy letters. long
lists OF the goods ON sale within. Santa
Holland Gin. Sicily Madeira Wine, Port
Wine, Medf0rd Rum, New England Rum,
Ali Sorts of Cordials for Ladies. Within
were long rows of standing casks, gaudily
painted. with gilt hoops, bearing LABELS with
the names OF all sorts of liquors and wines.
In the cellar were many barrels, casks and
punch ons of liquors Of every sort. On the
sidewalks each side The doors were long lines
OF casks Of liquors of every kind and price,
aad the clerks often out there with tin
pumps in the bung holes, extracting the
precious contents for eager customers with
red noses and bleared eyes, standing by and
impatiently waiting for their jugs to be car
ried home for family supplies, instead of
flour, meat, sugar, etc, etc. That's the way
it was in the good old rum time!
Down on the southern side of Exchange
street were two auctioneers' offices. Before
their doors, upon the curb were often long
lines OF puncheons Of rum; sometimes i'm
ported. oftener New England Rum and New
York Rect6ed Rum On Fore street, oppo-
site Exchange street, was another auction
GERS office, often, very often, with a similar
display OF punche0ns and various-sized casks
OF liquors for sale at given hour. The red
well; though in those days that was not
thought OF Then came the large hand bell,
whose ringing tones could easily be- heard
many blocks away, announcing the "GREAT
SALE OF CHOICE LIQUORS, IMPORTED AND
DOMESTIC" Then down the wharves were
many great stores, the floors packed full of
puncheOns and casks and barrels of LIQUORS
OF every name and many prices, though the
contents might be and often were the same.
In addition to all this, there was often >een
noon our wharves great display Of West
India rum, imported by the cargO-many
cargoes every year. In those old DAYS
quart of rum was regular daily ration for
great many of our people-more than ninety
gallons ytar-making them SO poor; how
very poor the people were in those days!
Besides all this We had many distileries in
those times, busy night and converting mo-
lasses into New England rum in that good
old time.
The authors of the dodger remember those
time; those glorious times, when rumseling
was respectable; when rumsellers held their
heads high; when they had the chief seats in
the synagogue; when they were presidents
OF banks, and we're looked up to as worthy
men, as In fact they were In those days. The
dOdger people with contracted blows and
teeth firmly set and a muttered or out-spoken
oath read the daily papers-and see there to
duced. Seizure yesterday of two pint bot
ties of liquor from the pockets of Dennis
O'DonDyhue; half tin sprinkler Of stale
beer from Patrick OQuincby; gallon jugs
of whiskey under the foor of a pig PEN
owner unknown; half barrel partly full of
beer under manure heap-Owner unknown.
These and many others like them, being the
whole stocks In trade Of the rumsellers of
our degenerate days.
1t is not to be wondered at that our dodger
friends turn away with signs and groans
from this low, pitiful condition to which the
liquor trade has fallen In Maine, and wish to
revive its fortunes and make 1t respectable