The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-12-17
NEWS FROM MAINE.


ADror. oS Of the pres aut drun mi IL
a Change vi front on thr<llqn"r " I's
ton. which is meeting with the sul' |
port of a number of tax payers VINO |
have hitherto supported without |
stint, the local option law as 1t STANDS |
upon our statute books, comes the |
news that even in the far oil State OF
Maine, the people are firing oil the
farcical prohibitory law. We quote |
from the Baltimore MorhiHg Herafd, |
of Monday, Dec. -.
BANGOR, Me-, Dec. 12.-S:nce the
death of Neal Dow there has been a
general revival all over Maine of the
discussion of the prohibitory liquor
law, and it begins to look as though |
some change might be attempted at
the next session of the Legislature
The Maine law always was a failure,
and seems even more impotent-the
enforcement of it even more farclcal-
now than ever before. In Bangor very |
little attention has been paid to the
law for 20 years, or since the time OF
the famous Sheriff Jerrard, BY com |
mon consent liquor selling is allowed,
under certain police regulations, ana
although there are nearly or quite 2OO
places where liquor can be bought at
retail, besides several wholesale houses
there is better order here and far less
intemperance than in almost any
other city of the same size in New
England.
1.-The Bangor plan" so called, of
regulating the liquor trade, or OF get
ting something out of it for the public
treasury, is generally accredited to
Chief Justice Peters, of the Maine
Supreme Court, whose home is in this
city. By this plan there is no searches
and seizures, as provided for by the
Maine law, except upon specific COIN
plant; but once year, at the feo-
ruary term of court, all liquor dealers
are rounded up and prosecuted under
what is known as the liquor nuisance
act. The penalty upon conviction
under the nuisance act is fine or I'M
prisonment, whereas upon conviction
in search and seizure process, the
punishment is fine and Imprisonment
-SlOO and costs and go days in jail, at
labor. and in default of fine, 90 days
additional. Those convicted under
the nuisance act merely pay a
fine of 800 and costs-generally SllO,
and that is the end of it; that is practl-
cally their license fee for the year.
No search or seizure of liquors is
necessary in carrying out the Bangor
plan The sheriff goes to Portsmouth,
n. H., and copies from the books Of
the Collector of Internal Revenue for
this district a list of those in Penob-
scot county who have paid the special
United States tax as dealers in liquors. |
The mere fact of a mans name APP
pearing on this list is taken as priIna |
face evidence that he is engaged IN
the business, and he is indicted ac-
cordingly. Some are slow in laying |
the fine, but most of them settle, few
ST 900 has been gathered into tie
county treasury at single term CT
court. and on various occasions the |
county of Penobscot has been saved
from financial distress by the money |
squeezed from the liquor dealers.
Recently the Bangor idea" has
been adopted in Androscoggin and in
some other counties, with consider
able success, and now it is popular in
Cumberland county, in which is
located the City of Portland, the home |
of Neal Dow and many another ardent
advocates of prohibition. But in Port |
land they run to extremes. At one |
time it is vigorous enforcement-that
is. continual searching and seizing, |
with the result of driving the traffic |
into the slums and making the quality |
of the liquor something vile. Then, |
as they are now doing, there is al |
most entire disregard of both law and
decency. Barrooms are run wide !
open now, not only on week days, but
on Sundays as well, and it is this con-
dition that has prompted men who |
have all their lives been strong sup |
porters of the law to finally admit |
that the law is impotent, that perhaps |
a change would be desirable.
In Bangor the clergymen of a dozen |
churches have been holding meetings |
for the especial purpose OF discussing |
the liquor law, and they are by no
means unanimous in Endorsement of
the present statute. Signs multiply |
that the days of prohibition in Maine
are numbered"