The Portland daily press., 1900-05-01
LETTER FROM COUNCILMAN
WOODSIDE.


Portland, Me, April Goth. 1900.
To the Editor Of the Press
The orders which rsosntly introduced
In the Common Council and which were
designed 10 reduce our County tai. have
caused such general discussion Of ths
liquor question and have been 90 often
misunderstood that wish 10 say few
words 10 explanation.
| Section 90 OF Chapter " Of the Revised
Statutes Of Maine makes 1t the special
auty OF the sheriff and his deputies and
the county attorney to enforce the prohi-
Ditory law and provides Q special oom-
pensation for officsrs so employed. Under
this law the County Of Cumberland paid
the so-calied liquor deputies in 1899 about
$50 o 90, but have never been atle to
lind anyone who claimed the law was
enforced. Now the employment Of thess
liquor deputies and the course they
pursue Is largely discretionary with the
shsrifY, and the first order Introduced
was protest. against the continuance OF
this sxpsns q. In substance 1t was o re-
QUEST that the sheriff either enforce the
law In good faith or discharge the depu-
ties and stop the expense. The second
and third orders were designed to SECURE
legislation shat would put the sheriff on
Q salary and reduce the fees Of the liquor
dsputiea
There ere, or were prior to the recent
activity OF the police, about 20 regular
ba--roo ms where all kinds OF liquors ara
sold. In addition to these there are .
anu ltituda of what are known as Kitchen
bar-rooms, restaurants, boarding houses
q rs 49, ~
kinds OF intoxicaDtI are sold. From q
LIQUOR dealer who Is thoroughly familiar
with all these places I Cos the informs
| ton that there ere In all. or were q short
time ago, 367 places where LIQUOR is sold
In violation Of law. In addition Co this
are other LIQUORS are kept constantly ON
har d for pIivsts usa
This condition OF thinRe is not sltogeth-
or the fault OF the sheriff, the police, or
the law. bat exists In spite Of them alt.
Ths saloons may be CLOSED temporarily
but the sale and consumption OF sliquors
cannot be stopped at present In Portland.
The nrst trouble Ia with the law. In this
city 10 Il not in accordance with the will
of great mas Of the people. and law
that IL not In accordance with the Will Of
the people cannot be enforcsd. The
second trouble IL with the sheriff and his
deputies whose special duty 10 Is 10 en-
to enforce the Law and instead Of doing
this they devise means or getting rich out
OF IL at the expense Of she county. The
Pre- sent sheriff IL not respon sibSe for .
system, but In responsible for the cont L.
uanoe Of the system.
One OF our leading wholesale liouor
dealsrs recently said 10 ne that there
were one hundred places In Portland thai
would be glad to pay VI. 90 to u 9
county yearly for the privilege OF run
ming, and they would not sell any NOR
liquor than they now sell. This amount
would pay our entire county tsx. while
under our present law we cannot have
such a system as thie, yet 1t 10 reasonabls
to believe that an honest sheriff by y
judtcious enforcement OF the law would
be able to turn over as much revenue to
the county from tines as is Voluntarily
offered for hoensss.
But the financial rs not az bad as thP
moral side OF the question. A Law that
IL constantly sneered at and violated gen.
crates disrespecs for all law. 1t places
the whole liquor traffic In the hands OF
irresponsible persons who while violating
one law may easily be expected to vic
late others. Police officers cannot con-
s,sssnsly enter to inspect, regulate or con-
troll these places except with ssarch war
rants which give but temporary authority
and crime hOurishss without restraint,
In spite of the fact that the whole
system Is notoFiousiy bad politicians are
afraid to attempt q change and prefer
to overlook IL rather than undertake .
reform.
believe the time has come when the
present Condition OF things should no
longer be tolerated and that the best
people OF all parties should unite 10 Sc
cure bstter results,
Sincerely yours,
CALVIN T. MOODSIDE.