The Portland daily press., 1892-07-15
Grog shops a Public Good.
lie Editor Of the Press:

To the Editor Of the Press:
There are many nice people in town
who think grog shops a great public
good. They help business and make
things lively about town, and these good
people are so thoroughly convinced OF
this that they are willing to sacrifice all
other policies in the endeavor to estab-
lish the good old rum times when our
streets were lined with grog shops and
the town bell rang for grog time at eleven
and four o'clock.
We are to have trial of public opin-
ion here on that subject at the September
election. We have sheriff now who Is
true to his official oath and seeks to be
faithful to his duty; these nice people
don't like this and mean if they can to
turn him out and put in a man altogether
different. All the rogues, roughs and
rascals about town are of the same
opinion and will heartily help the nice
men in that little job for the public good
The famous John Holmes, formerly U.
S. Senator from Maine, told a funny;story
many years ago, apropos of tits. 1t was
in lecture in Third Parish church; he
lived in Thomaston. At the spring town
meeting the question of license to grog
shops came up for vote and the hall
was so densely crowded that the modera-
tor could not decide whether the yeas tor
nays had it, and the people were all to be
in line on two sides Of the street. They
called it 'fpolling the house." The rag
ged and loose crowd rushed out joyfully
to set the example, and when the nice
people came out, they would not show
themselves with the other sort, and the
pro-license party was left in red-nosed
and pitiful minority. Here in Portland
it would be a sight to see, on one side OF
Congress street a line of men in favor OF
grog shops, on the other side all those
who know that such establishments are
| an unmitigated curse to every commun
ty where they are tolerated.
Next door to one of our churches is
nice brick block of two houses, two
stories with french roof. AS it was
going up saw carpenter about it very
busy, and asked him for whom he was
building it, and he replied, that it was
for himself All! said, if you had spent
| your money for rum you could not do
this Not penny of my money ever
went in that way, he said. When the
houses were finished his family occupied
one of them and the other was rented to
| first class tenant for $3.50 a year. /
ask our nice friends who are in favor of
grog shops, which, in their opinion was
| the better way for the carpenter; ispend-
ing his wages at the grog shop or in
| building nice house?
There is in town one of our substantial
i III n;f. xxyl,nY
know we'll and have done SO for many
years. When he was young working at
his trade and unmarried, he had depend
emit upon him widowed mother, and
widowed sister with two children. In
the same shop was another young man
at the same trade with no one dependent
upon him. The first was a tetotaller and
the other used to ''wet his whistler oc-
casionally, only little you know; he
could take it or leave it, he 'knew
when he had enough and could always
stop you know mo fear for him."
Well, he didn't know when he had
enough; he ibid not stop; he kept on
straight to the lookup, to the House of
Correction, to the jail; and then to a
drunkard's grave many years ago, The
first citizen can be seen any day at
his shop with his apron on, his shirt
| sleeves rolled up, always BUSY earning
something for himself by honest, useful
the general stock of wealth. He owns
his shop in the centre of the city and
several other shops and houses and could
live on his rents without work But he
is always happier when employed. Now
you nice people in favor of grog shops,
in these three cases you see the legiti-
mate outcome of your preferences, a
young man turned into drunkard and
early in life sent to dishonest grave; on
the other hand substantial and honored
citizen, who would have been like the
other if they had walked in the same
path. Which is the better way?
NEAL Dow.
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