The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-05-16
Prohibitory Liquor Law as It Is
Enforced in Maine.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION
Sy Committee Of Good Citizens.
Ascsreained Facts Which
May be News 20
Some People.
Some People.

November last, st meeting of citi-
zens of Auburn, Maine, and Lewiston
a commistec>was appointed to iuvesti.
gate the methods employed by the Off
cials in enforcing the prohibitory liquor
law in the two cities and in A1droscog.
gin county. This committee was as
follows: Ara Cushman, one Of the
wealthiest shoe manufacturers of Au,
burn and we'll known throughout New
England; the Rev. c. A. koickerbock-
er, pastor of the Elm Street Universal
ist church Of Auburn, formerly Of
Dorchester, Mass w. A. Robinson, a
prominent business man of Auburn;
Rev. J. S. Durkee, pastor of the Court
Street Free Baptist church Of Auburn,
Rev. Geo. NJ. Howe, pastor Of the Pine
Street Congregational church Of Lewis
ton, and S. B. Hayes, q prominent
business man and deacon in the Pine
Street Congregational church of Lewis
ton.
The committee has made thorough
investigation Of the methods employed
in the enforcement Of the prohibitory
law and at meeting held in Auburn
Hall May 2 the result Of the inVestiga-
tions of the committee was presented
by the Rev. MIR. Kuickerboceer in a
report which he wrote.
To say that the reading Of the report
created sensation is expressing the
fact mildly. That the prohibltory Jaw
is not enforced has been we'll known,
but that there is such wholesale null
li6cation Of the law was surprise to
many Of the prominent people present.
The character Of the men who compose
the investigating committee removes
from it all suspicion that the report is
from 8 partisan standpoint or designed
for a personal attack upon the officials
whose duty tits to enforce the law.
After the reading Of the report re-
marks were made by number OF the
prominent men present, among whon
were Prof. Thos. L. Angel Of Bates
College, who presided, Prof. Il. R. Pu-
riuton Of Bates College, Ara Cushman
and Rev. j. S. Durkee Of Auburn and
Rev. Geo. NJ. Howe Of Lewiston. The
speakers voiced the sentiment that the
prohibltory law while designed for the
total suppression Of the liquor traffic is
now by the county snd city officials and
the courts made simply regulation.
The report Of the committee follows:
Your committee begs leave TO submit
the following report as emoodyi1g IN
outline the main results Of the work
which has been done since the commit
tee was appointed. We should have
been glad to report earlier; but the
field which We have tried to cover has
been a large one and the thoroughness
with which We have covered it will we
trust, alone in your minds for the de-
lay.
Tho resolution adopted at the first
meeting in this hall under which this
committee was appointed was stated IN
these words: ut is the sense OF this
meeting that committee be appointed
to confer with the citizens Of the county
for the purpose Of perfecting an organi'
cation whose purpose shall be to secure
the better enforcement of the laws Of
Maine against crime and particularly Of
the prohibitory'liQuor'law." This res
olution, you will notice, assumes that
the prohibitory liquor law is not being
enforced as we'll as it might be. Under
this resolution your committee has
scted and o-night we are ready to show
lust how much truth there is in the
assumption that the prohibitory liquor
law is not being enforced so we'll as 1t
might be.
We have conferred with the officials
whose duty it is to see that the law is
enforced and We have been assured that
it is being enforced as thoroughly as
possible. We have found that the
sheriff and his deputies are tender
hearted and have no desire to persecute
anyone; that they do not want to make
any liquor seller feel that ne has been
singled out for the laws assaults, but
that it is their fixed policy to treat all
about alike; to raid them at irregular
intervels and secure evidence against
them where possible so that large
| number of them shall be presented for
trial at such term Of court. Then the
court deals with them in as tender and
considerate way as the officers and
meantime and all the time, with almost
| no exception, the business of liquo,
| selling goes on. While the liquor deal
er is facing the judge in court, to re,
| ceive his sentence Tor violating the Ian
of the State, his place Of business is
open and his barkeepers are as blsy as
usual.
The officers claim that the method
thew pursue is restricting the business
and closing some places. Ali the e7i,
dence your committee has been able to
| gather, after most psinstaking investi
cation, goes to show that the business
! Of LIQUOR selling is not being restricted
IN Androscoggin county; that number
Of places where liquor is sold is being
diminished and that with the past year
nex places have been opened.
Still further it is plain that the bust,
ness is not being driven into the dark.
LIQUOR selling is done openly and bars
with their furnishings Of glasses aud
bottles may be seen from the street:
The court in pursuance, presumably
Of policy of harmony with the mild
and inocuous method which the officers
follow, seems inclined to keep within q
certain restricted area Of penalty, fol
lowing it would seem, not the pro
visions of the statutes in such cases
made and provided; but the purely
negative method of not hurting any
| body's feelings excepting the temper
ance people, and asking the offenders
against the liquor law to contribute 6
! ,.,,l1 ononnt toward the finances ofthe