The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-23
PROHIBITORY
LAW is DOOMED
After Nearly Half a Century's
Trial
Maine is About to Give Up the
Fight.
DEATH OF NEAL DOW
Seems to Have Given Prohibit
tiOn Its Final Blow.
EVAnthe Ministers Have Turned
Against the Law.

Bangor, Ne. Dec. 2s.-since the death
of Neal Dow there has been a general re-
vival 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 leg
islature. The Maine law always was a
failure. and seems even more impotent-
the enforcement of it even more farcical
now than ever before. In Bangor very
little attention has been paid to the law
for twenty years, or since the time of the
famous Sheriff Jerrard. By common con-
sent liquor selling is allowed, under GER
tain police regulations, and, although
there are nearly or quite 200 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.
THE Bangor plan," so called of regu-
lating the liquor trade. or of getting some
thing out of it for the public treasury, is
generally accredited to Chief Justice Pc
ters of the Maine supreme court, whose
home is in this city. By this plan there
are no searches and seizures, as provided
for by the Maine law, except upon spe-
cifc complaint; but once a year, at the
February 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 nuis-
ance act is fine or imprisonment where
as, upon conviction in a search and seiz-
ure process the punishment is fine and
imprisOnment-S1O0 and costs and sixty
days in jail. at labor, and, in default of
fine, sixty days additional Those convict
ed under the nuisance act merely pay
fine of 800 and Costs-generally about $40,
and that is the end of it; that is practi-
cally their license fee for the year.
No search or seizure of liquors is nee
essary in carrying out the Bangor plan.
The sheriff goes to Portsmouth. n. H.
and copies from the books of the col
lector of internal revenue for this district
a list of those in Penobscot county who
have paid the special United States tax
as dealers in liquors. The mere fact of
a mans name appearing on this list is
taken prima facie evidence that ne is
engaged in the business, and he is indict-
ed accordingly. Some slow in pay
ing the fine, but most of them settle,
few going to jail. In this way as much
as $1,000 has been gathered into the coun-
ty treasury at a single term of court, and
on various occasions the county of Pc
nobscOt has been saved from financial dis
tress by the money squeezed from the
liquor dealers.
Recently the Bangor idea" has been
adopted in Androscoggin and in some
other counties, with considerable 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 advocate of prohi-
bition. But in Portland they run to ex-
tremes. At one time it is vigorous en-
forcement-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 sun
days as Well and it is this condition that
has prompted men who have been all their
lives strong supporters of the law to final
ly admit that the law is impotent, that
perhaps a change would be desirable.
In Bangor the clergymen of 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.