The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-27

S74 persons were arrested for drunken
ness, the second year ssl. the third year
s77, the fourth year gs5, n steady gain all
the time. Then you elected MIR. Dss-
psaux. The first year Of his administra-
tion l,149 persons were put In jail for
drunkenness. Those are his own fig
ures. Is It fair thing for any man TO
say after he learnsj these facts that pro-
hibitlon does mot prohibit. No effort Is
made 10 make It prohibit the sale Of
liquor. You are ali farmers here, /
judge, do you find a hoe will hoe without
strength behind its No, 1t viii not,and
a sheriff put in Office not to enforce the
law won't accomplish anything.
Today there are In Portland S33 govern
ment LICENSES for saloons. I took pains
to ask the police officers TO tell me the
number OF saloons ON their beats and
they number over 4c0 at the smallest cal
culation. There are kitchen bar rooms
which do not take out government II
censes. What Is the sheriff's dutyf The
law tells you that the government license
for the sale OF intoxicating liquors r.
prima facie evidence that liquor Is sold
by tho persons holding 1t. The sheriff
has four tiepu lies IN Portland and IS
outside OF Portland. Why doesn't he
drive these flends OF he'll to the WALTZ
Let me tell you how Sheriff Despeaux
has enforced the law. He has two depu-
ties whom he calls "seizers." Do You
know what the word seize meanss Look
II up I'm the dictionary n you don't and
ind out just what Il means. Well Mr.
Despeaux calls these deputy "seizers. ="
They are supposed TO steal about In
steaithy way and seize liquor. But Mr..
Despeaux finds that they can't steal about
on foot and do any seizing. SO what
does he dor He goes and buys n red wag
on and a calico horse. There wasn't
horse in the whole county like that calico
horse. There wasn't rumseller In
Portland who did not know that horse
and the moment he started out with the
s.ealthy sellers the whole town knew
itS What would yon think of man
who started out to capture burglar with
brass band?
Well Oren promised well when he was
trying TO be nominated. He fooled lots
of brother ministers as well as lot Of
other people. He was going to perform
wonders and they believed what he said.
When he got into the office 1t was differ
ent.
Do you believe the sheriff's Office should
be made legacy TO be transmitted from
one man to another like legacy. Tint
is what is being done in this county.
There is more boldness displayed in the
violation of the sheritf's oath than was
ever before practiced in the face and
eyes of intelligent people. There has
been a great deal OF talk about the busi-
ness administration of Mr.. Despsaux,
about the empty kegs and beer barrels.
The sellers drive with great speed and
rapidity TO a saloon on Commercial street.
A citizen whom / know stopped in to
see what the sheriffs would do. lie saw
the saloon keeper up in the store room
on the second floor lowering down empty
kegs ard beer barrels to the sellers who
were awaiting underneath for them
with four kegs Of beer sitting right by
their feet, and the next day the papers
told about the seizure they had made at
that place.
Mr.. Pearson then said that the sheriff
receives 81 week for every prisoner In
jail for his board and 1t costs him 50
cents to board each man. The sheriff
thus makes profit of $l.15 on each
prisoner. In one week the sheriff makes
profit of over $500. ana 1t Will average
more than that. Is it any wonder that
the sheriff Is anxious TO have these sa-
looms running wide open to make prison
ers for him of the poor wretches who
drink the rum sold at these dens? Why
is it that ssS men at the very least stand
up in Portland and openly defy the law
OF this statef
Are you going to vote for Mr.. Des-
peaux this year" continued Mr.. Pearson.
He went on to say that he was a candi-
date for sheriff and that If he were elect
ed ne would shut up every saloon in
Portland. He said he didn't hate the
rumsellers. Il hate the liquor traffic" he
said lyon don t hate bed bugs, do you?
The only thing you don't like about
them is the way they make their living