The Portland daily press., 1895-01-31
PROHIBITION IN MAINE.
Some Plain Talk About Prohibition, Lii
cense Law and Constitutional Resub-
mission.
70 the Editor of the PRESS.

| 10 the Editor or the PhESS.:
Within few months there has been
good deal of cheap talk relating to the
| prohibitory laws of Maine. 1t has come
from various sources. Of course hotel
and saloon keepers and other
traffickers in Intoxicating drinks are like
the rogue, who "ne'er felt the ha. te
drawn with good opinion of the law"
But these classes do got include all
who are blowing their horns" and fran
| tically calling upon prohlbitionists to
beat a retreat. The "dram drinking"
community, from the genteel wine bib
Der in his stately mansion, down to the
beer guzzler, who gets his drinks from
the dirty novels on Centre street, are
discussing the "Maine Law" Then
there is another class, who ouly occas-
ionally take drink, better known as
rum politicians" who are suffering a
sort of political La Grippe" on account
of prohibition.
Now what do these classes say? Obi
they say, prohibition does not prohibit.
There is as much rum sold now as ever
the "hue and cry" of these men. They
always cite you to the cities and larger
towns; and entirely overlook the rural
districts, which cover over nlne-tenths
of the territory in Maine, where the
traffic in Intoxicating drinks is substan-
TALLY abolished and grog shops are I'M
known. They cite US to Bangor, Port
land, Bath, Rockland, Lewiston and one
or two other cities, where they say rum
is Free"
AS to Bangor, they are pretty nearly
right. 1t is a rum cursed city. SO far as
majority of it's inhabitants are con-
cerned, and more than a half century
behind the times on the temperance
question. Public SCI timent favors the
grog shops and is against any kind of
law that will shut up these breathing
holes of hell"
They are now hanging around the leg
islature trying to get out of the public
treasury large appropriation for an In
sane Hospital, into which TO put the in
sane idiots they have made with their
grog shops. That is what is the matter
with the boosted "Queen city of the
East"
In Portland the law has been enforced
and can be again; but is not enforced at
the present time. The fault is not in
the law, but with this officers whose duty
it is to enforce it. Politics has good
deal to do, with it.
There is not a city or town
in this State where t he prohibitory
law could not he successfully enforced
if the municipal officers choose to do 1T.
But they say intemperance is on the
increase ii this State. 1 answer, SO is
murder, and yet the law against murder
is promptly enforced, while the saloon
keeper who sells the distilled damna-
itionp that crazeS the murderer and causes
him to commit the crime runs at large;
and this is the difference between tweed |
ledum and tweedledee in the eyes of rum
politicians.
resu omission of the constitutional ques- |
ton and get prohibition out of the con-
stitution and then we will bring on the |
millennium by having license Or local |
option. Our Democratic friends at the |
last state election put resubmission into |
their platform, and gave the people a |
chance and warmly invited them, to
vote for it: and the result was-they |
were routed, "horse, foot and dragoon," |
and buried under such majority that |
they have never known where they were
SINCE Prohi bition is in the constit alton
TO stay-iD spite OF politicians or politi-
cal parties; and that man who seriously
talks of changing the fundamental law
of the State in this regard by a resub-
had better look over the dead and
wounded in the submission party of
the last State campaign before he starts
a boom for seat in a coming legisla-
ture. ~
AS to license-so far as restraining or
prohibiting the sale of Intoxicating
drinks is concerned it is a stupendous
humbug, and those who advocate it
know it. ssaa ga @ ig$see&
A clergyman of Portland when in
quired of as to his views on license law /
answered that he would favor it upon
one condition, to wit: that upon con-
spicuous place in front of every saloon
should be placed large sign upon which
should be printed in staring capitals
1.-The straight road to hell, and ten miles
nearer than any other route"
As to prohibition, it has done more to
promote the great interests of the State
and bring prosperity and happiness to
it's inha biIants than any other act that
has ever been spread upon her statute
books. The great majority of the people
of Maine are intelligent and understand
what is for their best interests, and the
time is coming when unfaithful public
servants, who in spite of their official
" fiddle while Rome is burning, will find
retired to back seats, and
better men Installed in their places.
Prohibition is the settled policy of
Maine. 1t has behind it healthy,
sound public sentiment, which is grow
ing stronger and stronger every year.
Reforms never go backward, and just as
sure as "God reigns in Heaven and
among the children of men," just so sure
will the right prevail.
AN OLD REPUBLICAN.