The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-03
RUN LAW IN LEWISTON.
Committee of Citizens
Investigate.
Find The Law il Practically
KulIified.
Fines Collected But
Business Goes On.
Report Made at Meeting In
Auburn Last Evening.
ESPECIAL TO THE rREss.l

a mseting OF citizens Of this city and
Lewiston a committee was appointed 20
investigate tie methods employed By the
officials in enforcing the prohicitory
LIQUOR law In the two cities and In An
droseoRgin county. This COMMITTEES was
as Follows: Ara Cushman, one Of The
wealthy shoe manufacturers Of this city
and well known throughout New Eng
land; the Hev. Q. "A. knicksrbooker,
pastor OF the Elm street Univsrsalist
church Of this city formerly OF Dorchss.
ter. Msss.; VI. a. Robinson, q promi-
nent business man Of shis city; Rev. J.
s. Durkee, pastor Of the Court street.
Free Baptist church of tbis city; Rev.
George n. Howe. pastor Of the Pine street
| Congregational church Of Lewiston, and
=, b, Hayes, q prom inent business man
and deacon In the Pine street Congre-
gational church Of Lewiston. This oom-
mittee has made . Thorough invsstig alton
of the methods employed In the enforce
meut Of the prohibitory law and at a
meeting held In Auburn hall this even
/ ing the result OF the Investigation Of the
com mittes was presented by the Rev. Mr..
knickerbooker In o report which he
wrote.
| 10 say that the reading Of the report
crested a sensation Ia expressing the fsct
mildly. That the prohibitory law IL not
| enforced here has been we'll known hut
| that there Is such q Wholesale nullifioa-
tion Of the law was q surprise to many Of
the prominent people present. Tbs char
actsr OF the men who oomposs the inves-
tigating committee removes from IL all
suspicion that the report Is from parti-
San standpoint or designed Cor Q person-
al attack upon the officials whose duty 1t
Is to enforce the law.
| After the reading Of the report remarks
were made by a number Of the promi-
nent men present. among whom were
Prof. Thomas l.. Angel of Bates college,
who presided; Prof. ii. X. Purinton OF
Bates college. Ara Cushman and Rev. ].
s. Durkes OF Auburn and Rev. George
III. II owe Of Lewiston. The SPEAKERS
voiced the sentiment that the prohibitory
law while designed for the total sup
preston of the liquor traffic Is new by
the county and city officials and tbs
courts IN ads simply a regulation. The
report OF the committee follows:
Your committee bsgs leave to submit
the following report as smhodying In out
line the main results of the work which
has been done since the committee was
appointed. We should have been glad to
report earlier but the Held which We have
tried to cover has been large one and
ths thoroughness with which we have
covered IL, will, ne trust, atone in your
minds for the delay.
The resolution adopted at the fret
meeting In this hall under which this
com mittes was appointed, was stated In
these words: ''It is the Fenss Of this
nesting that q committee be appointed
to oonfsr With the citizens of the county
for the purpose Of perfeciirg 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 resc-
Ion, yon will notice, assumes that
the prohibitory liquor Law Is not bsing
snforced as well az 1t might be. Under
ihii resolution your committee has scteu
nd tonight we are ready TO show just
how much firth there Is in the aasum :
Ition that the prohibitory liquor law is
net teing enforced 80 well as 1t might
be.
We bAvs conferred with the officials
whose duty 1t is to SEQ that the Law Ii en-
forced and we have been assured that 1t
IS being enforced as thoroughly as posi-
BILE. We have found that the sheriff and
his deputies are .tender-hsartsd and have
70 desire to persscute anyone; that
they do not want to make any liquor cell
sr feel that he has been singled out for
the laws assaults. but that 1t IL their
fixed pclioy to treat all about alike; to
raid them at irregular intervals and Be
cure evidence against them where pos
sibls no that large number or them
shall he presented for trial at each term
OF court. Then the court deals with
them In as tender and cen slderate way
as the officers AMI meantime and all the
:ime, with almost no exception, the bus
Iness Of liquor selling goes on. While the
liquor dealer is facing the judge In
court, to receive his sentence for vioiAt-
ing the law Of the state. his place of bus
mess is open and his bar-keepsTs are az
busy a. usual
The officers claim that the method they
pursue is restricting the business and
closing some places. All the evidences
your committee has hesn able to gather,
altar most pAinstaking Investigation,
goes to 81 ON that the business OF lqnor
81 lting Is not hsing restricted In An dros-
cog gin county; that the number Of places
where liquor Is sold Il mot bsing dim'n'
ished and that wttAin the past year new
places have been opened.