The Portland daily press., 1900-05-02
WHAT Is THE "THoUBLEf"
TO the Editor Of the Press:


Councilman woodsids saysi
There are, or were prior to this reosnt
activity CT the polioe, about 20 regular
par-rooms where all kinds Of liquors are
sold. In add ition 20 thess there are 9
nultituda Of what are known ~ kitchen
bar-rooms, restaurants. boarding houses
and fake" drug stores where different
kinds OF intoxicants are sold. From .
liquor dealer who 10 thoroughly familiar
with all these PLACES gos the Informs
tiou that there ere In all. or were shor
time ago, ST plsoes where LIQUOR 10 sold
In violation Of law. In addition to thiI
there are hundrsds Of homes where wines
ard other liquors srs kept cor slant.
~ on hand for pIivsts MS. This
or the fault OF the sheriff, ths police, or
the Law. bat exists In spits Of them cit.
The saloons may be olossd temporarily
but the sale and consumption OF liquors
cannot be stopped ct present In Portland.
The first trouble IL with the law. In till
city ID is not In accordance with the will
Of o great MESS Of the peopie. and Law
the people cannot be enforced. The
second trouble 10 with the sheriff aud his
deputies whose special duty IL is TO en-
| force this branch of the law They swear
to enforce the Law and In stead Of doing
this they dev ile means OF getting rich out
OF it ct the expense Of the county"
In these lines Council man Woedsid'
has things very much mixed. There Il
no law In Maine Agsinst the oonsump'
ton OF liquor. The councilman IL talking
about the administ alton or non adm In
,stration of Law. What IL 10 be trus
''that thsrs are hundreds Of homes WHARF,
wines and otherzliquors are kept oon'
a fv ha nFfWafa uaAYs r..
Wcodsids knows very well that neither
the sheriff nor the police can tpuoh these
LIQUORS. This mixing Of things oontin
ues in the counoilman's Communication.
| De says: 1.-THE saloons may be closed
tenn porarily. but the sale and oorsump
ton Of Ito uors cannot be II, pped at pres
emit 10 Portland" Whoever said or
suppc sad tht t the consumption Of liquors
could be stopped in Portland or any
where else In Manner 1 know of no one
who supposes that even the sale Of iiquol
oan wholly be stopped. We have laws
prohibiting stealing add gam bling but
these crimes are not unknown amon0
| laws. II n restrictive measure and Ii car
| be enforced In Portland or anywher'
cleo as sat sfactorily as ether laws II offic
| ers who have sworn t. enforce the lawl
will do their duty. There are sheriff.
ard deputy skeritfs who have very
| plhJu uuty boup Az
Por tIand we have o mayor, q marsha
aud police force, whosS dutir are alst
| very plain. There Il no troutls WITT
the law. heard one Of the mott emil
nent judges In our oily recent ly say tina
our present. Law Is ample for the sup
preston of the sale ons IN our city. MIR.
\ MoC d side even admits t1As they may
bs closed Temporarily" But why tenn
porarily onlyf The question is moi
/ whether the law 10 or IL not In ooCrd
Anoe with the will Of the great MAS o
our people. 1t Ii ON the st t. boo K
and the sheriffs, deputy sherlns, mayo
marshal and police have a plain dutJ
and that Is to sse that the Law 10 enforced
not today or tomorrow. but SO long al
Itle law stands The "truuble" Is with
there who have sworn to enforce law
| IT 'sa gratifying sight for which W.
have waited long, that at length the
mayor, marshal and poiica are In ths'a
days att nding, In measu at lt asst, t.
q very plain duty.
| 1t is very evident that MIR. Woodsid
would like to have something else takt
the place of ths probit,tory law. Wins
Is ne del, however, Is n : chsnge In thu
law. but Its proper enforcement. Their
Is trouble" under a HoeDte law as well
% under q prohibitory law. But Mr.,
Moodside knows very well that thu
| "troubls" 10 not with the law but with
the AdmiuistaAtio Of the law.