New-York tribune., 1900-07-29
PROHIBITION AND REVENGE
HOW THE MAINE LAW IS USED AS A
CLUB.

| Lewiston, Me-, July 2s (speciaD-Many Of the
prominent visitors spending the summer Bar
| Harbor profess to element of humor in the
very active and acute run of prohibition
at the great Maine summer resort. 1t is trite to
say that the Maine prohbitory law isn't enforced
| in the impartial manner observed in the of
! other laws against misdemeanors The prohibitory
| law is enforced by spasms when certain peculiar
combinations of circumstances arise. There at
| least score of these circumstances that bob up
| occasionally to start crusade the news from
| which gives outsiders idea that the Maine law
| Is wonderful reformer.
Bar Harbor is witnessing the common phenome-
! non Of the law employed a budgeOn by one
| liquor seller against the others in the community
| The spirit Of enforcement breaks out very fire.
| quently in this form in Maine, and while at
| tack of this sort RACES the hulabaloo is tremen-
! dous.
There is a club in Bar Harbor bearing the pas
| toral name Of the Woodbine. The Woodbine Club
| isn't gracious organization In the estimation Of
| the town fathers of Eden. Eden is the Maine town
of which Bar Harbor is the principal village Bar
Harbor village. with its summer population Of aris
tocratc cottagers, is strange duckling in Maine
| municipal affairs. The Selectmen of Eden frankly
say that during the summer season. when "all the
! big bugs" hand. Bar Harbor doesn't pose
| as place where absolute abstinence is required.
But the Selectmen add that they don't propose to
| be walked by the barroom element. And
| Furthermore. the Selectmen, while they are en-
t1rey willing that the summer visitors shall have
| all the liquor they desire deplore the practice
| Of selling indiscriminately to the natives"
| The man from the city is supposed to be able to
Tug his liquor gracefully The native frequently
seems to mbibe belligerency and other unbecoming
traits along with his toddy. The large hotels of
the village, in Difference to the wishes Of the
Selectmen, withhold the cup from the natives and
sell only to the guests-the city men who are used
to and supposed to be fully Injured to the bite of
| the adder
| Now It appears that this Woodbine Club flour
! shing under the summer skies OF tolerdtoif that
| blandly suffers actions and doings IN Bar Harbor
summertmes that would be chilled by winters pro-
| hbition-thIs woodbne Club has been catering to
the natives. The thirst to which the Woodbine has
catered has seemed TO be constant and vigorous
| that the clubs doors have been kept open nights
Sundays and holidays. In the words Of one Of the
| Bar Harbor fathers. "the blamed thing has seemed
| to want to kill the goose that was laying the
| golden egg" 1t was not willing to content itself
with the privileges that have been extended by
/ summer tolerance to the other barrooms and the
hotels
| The Woodbine was requested to prune Itself. The
! Woodbine nsolently kept twining. So the local
| officers were told to make raid on the Woodbine
| Two men who were said be proprietors of the
place arrested and charged with conducting
a liquor nuisance The trial occupied several days
and resulted in a continuation to the upper court.
Now here is where the Maine law exhibits one of
its peculiar features-the 'bludgeon feature" The
propretors of the Woodbine declared before their
arrest that If they disturbed by the officers
they would retaliate. After their arrest they
ried out their threat. BY the provision Of the
Maine prohbltory law officers proceed to
search and seize complaint of any citizen.
The proprietors OF the Woodbine citizens
They complained. They demanded that all the
large hotels and the other places in the village
catered the exclusive and aristocratic tastes
of the summer sojourners be treated to dose Of
prohibition They proceeded to swear out warrants
against the hotels But Judge Clark, of the Bar
Harbor court refused to issue such warrants from
/ tIorr ac+a Of IA
bine people were prompted by revenge
The proprietors Of the WoOdbine. still determined
| to rebuke the Selectmen and the officers and the
hotelkeepers of Harbor hastened over to South
| west Harbor and induced justice Of he peace
! to issue the warrants Then the hotels were duly
entered by constables who We're wlinS 10 r.
perforn The chances seem to be, therefore, that
between them the sprat family OF Bar @HafPor @ VIII VIII
lick the platter cIean, unless the '"o iH0' "
rive at some compromise: , - .,-t,, o,,or,ob1a
to carry out personal grudges that town authori-
ties who seeh to clean out ana
placing the more reputable and intius class OF
ing for retaliation. And such occurrences are found
to have such an immediate erect on poilucs @ thaI
The other day in Portland raid made on a
that the reason for this the fact that he was
that has considerable local political influence. He got
the idea that the senior member of the botthng
city and swore out a complaint against the bottling
house he Kept the ofncefS On lne rum 50 tAdt
word could not precede them, and the result was
that the officers got more than 5000 worth OF
liquor-a blow that astonished and grleVed the
estmable gentlemen Of the bottling house immeas-
urably. .--
The question OF Prohibition did not seem to % enter
into the matter 1t is conceded that the 1InSeTs h
would have moved against the parties had II
not been for the mutual accusations
Portland has hundred and hfty saloons.
satirist suggests that this city the birthplace and
home of General Neal Dow have novel we celeb cele6ra, a,
tion during the Old Home Week. set for early IN
August II is suggested that the city observe the
anniversary of the prohibitory law oy asking the
saloons to close half day while the bartenders
join the street parade wearing their white aprons
All the sixteen counties in the State now counte-
nance officially what is termed the Bangor plan.
Liquor sellers allowed TO do business without
interference provided they come forward twice each
year and pay over to the county attorney the sum
of $10 the fine for a single sale or Intoxicating
liquor The sum of 1920 a year is conceded 10 be
very low license.
The Democratic party at its State Convention put
a plank In platform favortng resuomisson or
the question Prohibition to the people but there
is no expectation that this move will win votes
The luuor sellers could not hope for lower license
than that which prevails by tacit agreement.
The temperance people will consent to no change
in the State law. Both sides entirely satisfied,
therefore