The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-28
Prohibition and Liquor Selling.

method OF dealing with the liquor prob
lem has again and again been demon
strated in Maine. the state which took
the initiative in this legislation. and has
chung to It long after the complete
breakdown OF the system became appar-
ent. No more striking illustration of
this failure was ever given than in the
recent report of a committee Of citizens
appointed to investigate the conditions
prevailing in Lewiston. This commit
tee headed by Rev. G. A. Knickerbock-
err. and including among its members
Prof. Purinton, Of Cobb Divinity School,
submitted its report at recent public
meeting, and the figures which 1t has
compiled certainly present an extraoydi-
nary condition of affairs in the Maine
city. There are 261 stores of various
sorts on the streets of Lewiston, and
1903, or more than one third OF these,
are either liquor saloons or restaurants
where liquors are sold. in addition TO
which are the hotels. In The language
OF Prof Purinton, who made the inves-
tiga ton personally, 1.-The city supports
100 liquor dives. when we are able to
maintain only 16f other stores. which
furnish all the. various commodities Of
life" This Ia In city with popula-
ton OF only about $4,000 people.
More than this, the law is violated
with absolute openness. Saloons are
conducted precisely as in cities and
states where prohibition does not pre-
vail in theory. and all the law officers
are perfectly familiar with the facts.
In state where prohibition is a part
OF the organic law, and where the ex-
treme ingenuity Of legislators has been
taxed to provide machinery for carry
Ing the constitutional provisions into
effect. the courts and the officers of the
law have been compelled to confess
themselves powerless to enforce the law
literally according to its intent. ana
have fallen into a system. not unlike
that familiar to many Western cities.
Of regulating In a measure a business
which 1t Is impracticable utterly to sup
press
Liquor sellers are fined with fair
degree of regularity, in sums which in
the aggregate amount to the equivalent
Of a moderate license fee. The fines i'm
posed In Lewiston averaged $32t and
not one saloonkeeper was kept out Of
business for a day by the legal pro-
ceedings Mr.. Knickerbooker's conclu-
sion was that the policy of the courts
and of the officers was not one OF re-
preston. not one OF enforcement OF the
law. but simply one whereby a credit
able amount of revenue may be secured
to the county. The same policy is in
general effect throughout the state, al
though In some counties the more sys-
tematic and economical policy Is pur-
sued of general roundup OF liquor
sellers once year. and in one county
the average fine amounts to s4s0 year
for each regular liquor dealer.
There is lesson in this for the OPP
| poneuts Of the canteeu system In the
army. II they would permit their com
mon sense and not their personal pref
udices and fauaticism to guide their
actions. The canteen system Is not re-
sponsible for drinking In the army. Its
complete abolition would not deere ase
by one pint the amount OF liquor con-
sumed by the soldiers, any more than
| theoretical prohibition has decreased
the consumption of liquor in Maine or
anywhere else where IL has been tried
! The canteen. however. does in effect
/ limit the soldiers to the consumption Of
| the light beer which alone is being sold
there. and 1t drives out Of business the
| low dosgeries which were previously
| found In the Immediate neighborhood OF
themselves and a terror to their com
! mandinS officers. The united testimony
of all regimental commanders has been
that the canteen made distinctly for
| temperance among the enlisted men,
added much to the attractiveness and
actual comfort OF army life. encouraged
thrift and economy. and improved the
morale Of the whole service.
The rabid advocates OF prohibition re.
fuse TO perceive. after lesson OF more
than fifty years. that prohibition sim
| ply increases the number OF low dog
geries where vile and poisonous liquor
is sold BY men who are professional