Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-27

they have so voted whenever the queS-
ton arose. In 1851 this law was first
put upon the Statute books bya Demo-
cratic Legislature and signed by Hon.
John Hubbard, then the able and hon
est Democratic Governor. 1t was
amended in 1853 and repealed in 1856
under Samuel Wells and License sub
stituted; but in the fall of the same
year Hannibal Hamlin swept the State
us the champion of Prohibition, Law
and Order, with an overwhelming ma
jority, and the law went back upon the
Statue books by the direct vote of the
people, the proposition of Prohibition
VS.. License being submitted in June
1853. There it has remained ever
since, amended and made stronger from
| time to time. In 1884 it was made an
integral part of our State Constitution
| by an overwhelming majority.
! Two years ago | wrote a letter to the
| Lewiston Journal in which I said: Il
agree that many Of our best men think
| the cause of temperance would be bet
ter promoted by Il local option high Ii
cense law. If the majority of the peo-
| pie so think, that should be the law of
| the State. and | see no possible OBJ
| lection to again submitting to the peo-
| pie a question which would have to be
presented in proposition to repeal the
Constitutional amendment" There WAS
q movement during that legislature for
| the re-submission of the question to the
| people. What was the result? The
petitions and evidence We're over
whelmingly in favor Of having the law
| exactly as ii was. and the legislature
so voted by a decisive majority.
voted against re-submission then, and
should do SO again under like circum-
stances.
There are some of our best citizens
who believe it impossible to entirely
prohibit the sale of liquor, who believe
such selling to be q necessary evil
who believe the best way to control
that evil is by n local option. high Ii
cense law. They may be right and
they may constitute a majority of our
people, but certainly there is no evil
dence that such are the facts for
whenever opportunity has offered, the
people of this State, either by them
selves or their representatives, have
voted in favor of Prohibition.
Now. what is the condition TODAY.
There are nearly four hundred towns
and seventy mine plantations in our
state in which liquor is not sold. In
the cities and a few of the larger
towns liquor is sold. except in Cum
berland county. For instance. in Au-
gusta. Bangor, Bath and Lewiston,
liquor is old as openly as in Boston.
This is absolutely wrong. Let ne
read from the Statutes. Chapter so Of
the present Revised Statutes in Section
One declares that Every sheriff shall
on the first day of January following
his election, be sworn. conditioned to
the faithful performance of the duties
of his office and to answer for all the
neglects ana misdoings of his depu-
ties"
Section Nine declares "Sherifrs shall
obey all such orders relating to the
enforcement of laws as they from time
to time receive from the Governor"
The sections preceding Section Nine
make it the duty of the Governor of
the State to notify the sheriffs to en-
force the law as they find it.
On page 204, Section Co. of Freeman's
appears the following. |
'Sheritfs and their deputies and county |
attorneys shall diligently and faith |
fully inquire into all violations of law
within their respective counties. and
proceedings against viola
tons or supposed violations of law.
and particularly the laws against the
illegal sale of intoxicating liauc~s.
and the keeping of drinking houses
and tipping shops. gambling houses
Dr. places, and house of ill-fame. either
BY promptly entering a complaint be-
lore the magistrate, and executing the
issued thereon, or by furn-
shing the county attorney promptly.
md without delay. with the names Of
alleged offenders and of the witnesses.
For services under this section
'heriffs. and their deputies acting un-
Ter their directions. shall receive the
anne per diem compensation as for
attendance on the Supreme Judicial
curt. and the same fees for travel as
or the service of warrants in criminal
asses, together with such necessary
Incidental expenses as are just ana 4,
roper; bills for which shall be i