The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-01-04
Prohibition Problems.

The Maine State Grange at its recent
session in Augusta placed itself on record
as in favor of more rigid enforcement of
the prohibitory law. As matter of fact
the law has never been rigidly enforced,
save systematically in certain locations. II
is no doubt possible to rigidly enforce
the law all over the State, but it is safe to
predict that it will never be SO enforced.
Indeed, public sentiment is now tending
toward regulating, rather than suppress
ing the sale of liquor Many have come to
believe that liquor should be had for me-
chanical and medicinal purposes, and that
those who dispense it for these purposes
should be able to do so lawfully. License
is not possible under the constitution, but
the legislature may make regulations for
the keeping for sale of "liquors for medi-
cinal and mechanical purposes and the
arts" The Bath Independent advocates
the adoption of the Bangor plan in that
city as a move in behalf of temperance.
The Bangor plan, in brief, is to round up
all the rumsellers once or twice yeal
and make them each pay one hundred
dollars into the county treasury, and the
costs. Obviously, the more rumsellers the
more money in the county treasury, and
the more fees for the officers. This is
practically low license system, and an
nfraction OF the law. Still, it has it's ad-
vocates.
While the public is apathetic on this
question, and the old temperance organ
izations have ceased to be aggreMive, con-
tenting themselves with sociar meetings
and intoxicating the young people with
temperance sentiments, the Maine Civic
League has taken up the work in earnest
It's secretary, Rev. w. F. Berry, is making
speeches and organizing leagues through
out the State. He said in RocklaHd the
other day:
There is large moral force, and this
force put the prohibitory law on the
statute books after a glorious fight, but
then went to sleep and the enemy is
reaping the benefits of victory. The
Civic League proposes to band together
this moral force, to group all Christian
people into great body, to ask all men
who love God and the State to join to-
gether irrespective of party.
81 am not afraid Of the saloons, but
am afraid that the people of Maine will
abide III apathy and allow conditions that
sap the very strength of the State to
exist. We can close every known saloon
in the State when the moral force insists
that the officials do their duty
Mr.. Berry is quite right in asserting
that ''there are ample laws to close every
saloon;" but everybody knows that the
] avs are not enforced, and few believe
that they can or will be enforced. The
Bath Civic League is making the attempt,
however,. A despatch from that city
under date of Dec. 18th says:
Rev. c. A. Perry, president of the
league, has issued a circular calling the
attention of hotel and restaurant keepers
to chap. Is of the Revised Statutes OF
Maine, which says that all innkeepers and
victuallers shall take out a license and
give bond of $500 not to break the con-
ditions of that license, one of these con-
ditions being that they shall not violate
any laws of the State pertaining to liquor.
1t is said that the league may try to
have the licenses of restaurant and hotel
keepers who sell liquor revoked and their
bonds forfeited. 1t is reported that the
league will notify all persons having
WI a. 1,
proven that liquor is sold upon their
present term As indictments for liquor
selling have been returned 1t is said
this includes about every person in the
county who sells liquor.
1t is not very many years ago when the
extreme temperance advocates thought
that prohibition could be brought about
by passing laws at Augusta, and the legis-
lature was beseiged at every session in the
interest of more stringent measures. But
the more radical the laws the more diff
cult it was to enforce them, as they were
not sustained by public sentiment. The
enactment of prohibitory laws which can
not be enforced not only does no good tc
the cause of temperance, but tends to
bring all laws into contempt. 1t is,
therefore, step in advance when the
Maine Civic League, which may be re-
garded as taking the place of Neal
Dow in the temperance crusade, comedies
that the present laws are sufficient, and
that what is needed is public sentiment to
sustain them. The outcome of its work
in Bath will be watched with interest, in
Maine. and throughout the country.
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