The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-17
territory and in all probability the
President will approve the action.
PRoRIBITION AMI LOCAL OPTION

PROHIBITION AND LOCAL OPTION.
When ex-Gov. ROBBIE declared in favor
of local option he doubtless voiced the
opinion of good many strong friends
of temperance and former supporters of
prohi bition, both Repu blicans and Demo-
Gratis, in the large towns and cities OF
the State. There is little room for
in these places as it was half dozen
years ago. The decline has not been due
to any change of opinion as to the cor
rectness of prohibition as principle,
but to the conclusion which is constant
ly forcing itself upon people that pro-
hibition cannot be stringently enforced
in the cities except for shors periods, and
that the continual spectacle which is pre-
sented of law openly and aagrantly vio-
lated undermines respect for law in
general, weakens respect for government,
and in other ways has demoralizing
tendency. For ten years past the law
has been persistently and uniformly ig-
nOred in Bangor as measure of prohi BIZ
ton. No attempt has been made to
use it as a means of shutting up rum
shops or extinguishing the liquor traffic.
Twice year it is used for the purpose
of compelling the rumsellers to pay what
amounts to license fee into the county
treasury, but it's distinctive character as
prohibitory law has been wholly lost in
that region. In other cities the intent
of the law has not been 50 habitually ig-
nored, but it cannot be truthfully said
that in single one of them the law has
been persistently and vigorously execut-
ed. There have been spurts of enforce
ment when for some months there was
liquor, but these spurts have invariably
been followed by periods of laxity when
liquor was practically as free and as
easily obtained as in Boston under
| license law. 1t seems to US clear that
| the inference to be drawn from this
long continued condition of things is
| that there is not in any of these places
an overwhelming public sentiment that
| demands vigorous and persistent en-
| forcement of this law. In some of them
| there is not even preponderating senti-
ment of that kind-and Portland is one.
This was demonstrated two years ago
| when Sheriff Cram, who had vigorously
enforced the law, was candidate for re-
election. The question of stringent en-
| forcement was never more squarely pre-
sented to the voters than at that time,
| and MIR. Cram was beaten on that issue
in this city by almost 400 majority,
though he got all the Third Party vote,
and had the advantage of running on the
ticket of a party to which the majority
of the voters belonged.
| In the face of these long continued ups
and downs in liquor law enforcement
and this apparently positive demonstra-
ton that the majority of the voters of
this town do not want the law rigidly
enforced, it is not strange that feeling
has grown up among strong temperan ce
| men and former adherents of prohi bition
that some other method of restricting
the traffic ought to be tried that il
more in consonance with the opinions
of the majority of the people.
There is little prospect however, of
any change in the immediate future.
| Prohibition is in the constitution, and
the majority of the people of the State
are at present, we feel confident, strong
! ~ disposed to keep it there. The cleo
tion Of four years ago showed that re-
submission was weak rallying cry for
| the Democratic party even. The country
Democrats did not take very kindly &c
it, and on the whole it lost the party
more votes than it gained.