The Portland daily press., 1895-06-24
Prohibition and Its Results.
To dhe Editor of the Press.

~ efte Lda1cr OF the Press:
All over the English speaking world the
meaning of the words 'tMaine Law is
well known by everybody. And for the
same reason, wherever the English Ian
guage is spoken Maine is more generally
known than any other State in the Union
In Maine the first attempt was seriously
made by law to deliver its people from the
malign influence of the traffic in intoxi-
eating liquors. ALI over the civilized
world many fruitless attempts had been
made to accomplish this result by ''regu-
lation" of the liquor trade-with no fa-
vorable effect whatever upon the nations
or the people. 1t was in Maine that the
discovery was first made that the tempta.
tions and facilities for poverty, pauper.
ism, wretchedness and crime through the
liquor traffic could not be amended by
any possible system of permission n and
regulation, and that there would be and
could be no relief to the State and people
from that fruitful source of infinite mis-
chief except by putting the liquor trade
by law into the category of forbidden oc-
cupations. So thoroughly had this con-
cluison taken possession of the people of
Maine that the legislature of 1851 put it
into its statute books in one day by a
majority in the Senate of 1S to 1O-and in
the House by S6 to 49, After an expert
ence OF its results for thirty years the
people put prohibition into the constitu-
tion OF the State by majority of AZ, ,075
the affirmative being three times larger
than the negative. Now what had been
the results of prohibition, which induced
the people SO emphatically to place it
beyond all danger of being overthrown
by trading politicians and party strife?
Before the advent of prohibition the
use OF Intoxicating liquors was almost
universal The Pulpit and the Bench.
had their share of it, more or less moder-
ate; the Bar indulged with less moder-
alton and fewer exceptions; the indus
trial classes in every line made free and
daily use of intoxicants, so that as a
rule they were poor throughout the
state; to make both ends meet at the
years end was thought to be well
enough for them and more than many of
them could do.
There We're 35 distilleries in the State
VI uhcil large converting WeSu
indian molasses into New England rum:
IN villages and country places smaller.
ones producing whiskey from potatoes
and applejack from the many orchards
everywhere in the State. Seven of the
large rum distilleries and two large
breweries were in Portland At the same
time great quantities of West Indian rum
were imported-it came to us by the car
go-many cargoes every year.
MaiJlA had low 10
West India Islands, which were the
principal outlet for our immense lumber
trade A great many vessels built for
the purpose we're constantly at work in
lumber from all our ports
to the many West India Islands, the re-
turns being mostly molasses with which
to keep our many distilleries in constant
and active operation. Maine had also a
large trade with the Islands in fish the
which to supply e The e 'ooppers' aa's Of "ti the
distilleries One of the merchants en-
gagged most largely in the lumber trade
with the Indies told me that Maine was
never dollar the richer for it's very large
commerce with the Islands; the lumber
and fish were practically poured down
the throats of the people in the shape of
West India or New England rum. - The
result OF this was that Maine was the
ESNASoo Roe1oS Al ullO ~ 1iOlly COACluSlvc
proof of which was seen everywhere from
York to Eastport. The entire value of
the property Of Maine of every kind was
spent in drink in every period of twenty
years, as that of the nation now is, in
every period Of thirty five years. Now,
rs the result of prohibition Maine has
become one OF the most prosperous States
n the Union. Mr.. Blaine, during the
5arfeld campaign, in an immense meet
mo- in Gitu Hall aAato,,cA C<ok
Q be the most prosperous Stase of the
Union. AS poverty was obtrusive every
where all over the State in the old rum
lime, SO industry, thrift and prosperity
Ire prominent now in every part OF our
5erritory. 1t Is not possible to state by
my methods of computation now known
% us how great are the benefits and bles-
sings coming to US IN many ways from
sur policy of prohibition.
The imported liquors and the products
,f the dlstilleries and breweries were all
,or home consumption-thus exhausting
5he wages of labor and the profits of all
legitimate industries Now there is not a
iistillery or brewery in the State, nor
has there been one in many years. Thous-
ands OF puncheons of foreign liquors were
imported every year, but not one is
one since the adoption of the policy Of
The savings of our people
IN these two items of waste are enor-
nous. No alcoholic liquors are produced
in the State. Everything of that kind
comes in small quantities, smuggled in
violation of law
Before the enactment of the Maine Law
wholesale and retail, were
in large numbers in all our
towns and villages. There was no ham
let or crossroad SO small and insignif-
can't that the liquor trade did not find it
and establish rum shop there. Now in
more than three-fourths of our territory
containing more than three-fourths of
our population, the liquor traffic is prac-
'lcally unknown, an entire generation