The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-24

poor" those supported wholly or In part
by the city outside Of the aims house,
Mr.. Baker says, "Thsir suppers has be-
come turden well nigh intoisrAbla In
spise uf careful Investigation and wise
discrimination 10 has reached . point
unprecedented In the history Of the city.
both In the aggregate cost and the num-
Der represented"
One Of the overssers, mau never given
TO generalization or fighty statements,
told the writer that Of those who applied
for help, three-q quarters, ct the very
lowest estimate, were the victims Of the
rum curse. either directly or Indirectly.
With this fact In view the following
cost Of the support of the ''outside Poor"
for the year '9s was t1s,1os.76 excess
over previous year. e, FOG 81; this amount
with the cost Of supporting aims house
and Greeley hospital. brings the total
expenditure Of supporting the poor OF
tbs oity for the eleven months ending
March LIST, 1899. aup to ss2, "A o.. IL IL any
wonder that the rate Of city taxation IL
often sdvanoedf
|
sent our judicial interests as well AZ
economic in pert. may we'll ask "Why Is
liquor sold in Portland In open violation
of the lawf" Why are not the majesty
and dignity Of the law mainssineif
| In this connection 1t may be relevant
to bring TO the minds Of your readers.
lest they forget. certain sections Of the
| Maine Law. We ouote
| GAN places used for the Illegal gsaie .or
keeping OF Intoxicating liquors. all plaoes
| W here Intoxicating liquors are kept, sold
or given away, drunk. or dispensed 10
any manner nos provided by law, are
common nuisanoes, and whoever main
tains one 10 puuishable by fine not ex-
ceeding one thousand dollars, or imprls-
| onmept not more than one year. A
tenant guilty OF this offence forfcjts his
right OF occupancy, aud the landlord may
Immediately enter without legal process. "
Whoever knowingiy let's any building
came to be used for any OF the stove pur-
poses. 10 guilty Of aiding In the u,ainte-
nance OF nuisance and subject to line
| Of not less than one hundred nor more
than one thousand dollars. or Co be I'm
prsoned not less than thirty days Nor
more than six months. In addition to
these provisions the supreme court has
Jurisdiction In equity, at the instance OF
tbs county attorney on petition Of net
less than twenty legal voters. to restrain,
enjoin. or abate such nuisances. Wine,
sle, porter. strong beer, layer beer. oil
other malt liquors and older. when kept
| or dsposited with intent to sell the same
| for tipping purposes, or as beverage,
and all distilled spirits. are expressly de
olared to be Intoxicating, and their salc
| 10 prohibited, but this enumeration does
not prevent other liquors from bsing con-
4 aidpfad iufOI icRkfun
Tho statute expressly makes 10 the duty
of the mayor and alderman, salsotmen.
assessors aud constablea, to make COM
plant and prosecute all violations OF the
law, and the duty OF the sheritfs. their
deputies and the county attorneys to en-
| force the law diligently. Upon failure
Of the sheriff q TO perform this duty, the
governor and council are authorized to
appoint q special ooonstable therefor.
A7d with this law on our Statute books
a copy OF which may be- In every persons
hand II be so Wishes, there we're. In ths
year ending In February, 1899, SIS ar
rests made In Portland. or this number
| 17i0s were for drunkenness and thirty-four
for search and seizure; having 7t4 arrests
for lighter offences, which, NO doubt In
the influence OF liquor Oh the pity, the
| shame Of 1t.
The Civic League from Q sociological
point Of view asks the oft-repeated quss-
| ton: "Why 10 our Maine Law violated
each day OF the three hundred and sixty
| tve? The conditions that exist In our
city are menace 70 It's well being
Gooi oitizeDshiD can never prevail in It's
best sense while saloons are being al
lowed to run without let or hindrAnce."
And lastly, the ohurohss that stand for
the highest and truest In the community.
combining the larger part OF the 81, ments
Of the secular organizations, OF which
| we have spoken, with the spiritual side,
repeat the CRY. They see men and women
one long, ghastly procession, going down
into Christless graves, with senses 90
bluntsd with the deadly poison that
scarce any earthly force has power 30
turn them aside to save them. And the
poor orphaned children, with the ferrous
| sin cursed .stEt IN Of alcoholism as their
heritage, CRY ing In tSe streets for bread.
| And the barter In human souls goes on,
For many years We have Looked to the
| judicial and administrative forces in our
city for u reform. In them 10 the power
| vested to turn and overturn the liquor
corruption. We cannot quito sympahize
with that class OF our citizens who say
| that the whole basal trouble lies with the
people themselves, that they do not care
| that when they say IL must be done, IT
| viii be. We cannot understand why pub
| lie Sentiment either fer or aEeinst a
measure should influence the officials In
the perfor nance OF duties which are a
part Of the obligation they assume when
| they take the solemn and binding oath
Of Office. 1t eseins to the writer that II
the whole city were hostile to the prohiti.
tory law. 1t ought not to lessen the re-
sponsibilities that are placed upon these
men. When person has teen proven
guilty Of . capital offence the people do
not demand or even advise the guardians
of ths law to execute proper sentence
upon the criminal Would we not think
such a condition Of things altogether I'M
wnrrAutabiel
The liquor traffic industry il the most
powerful Industry in the world. in part.
because 10 10 thoroughly intrenohsd In
the advantageous position that its Inn
menss rsvence brings 10. II never sissps
nor rests. 1t 10 keen, alert, sagsr-ayed t,
saize every point Of vantage and follow
IL mp. Portland saloon keepers are happy
In their increasins wealth and intiussce
To whom shall We look for proteotionf
n. Z. U.
Portland. February %. 1900