The Republican journal., 1907-01-03
As OTHERS SEE Us.
Rev. Clinton Howard of Rochester, N. Y,
President of the Prohibition Union OF
Christian Men, Speaks His Mind.

Christian Men, Speaks His Mind.
In a recent address in Rochester, N
Y, Mr.. Howard, fresh from the cam.
paign in Maine, presented an unan
Swerable defence of prohibition results
in that State, which deserves to be
published verbatim i'll every news
paper and periodical, daily, weekly OF
monthly, in America which champions
law and order and opposes the rising
tide of corruption bred by the legalized
liquor traffic.
Mr.. Howard gave the history of the
Maine Prohibitory Law. from the time
of its adoption down to the late cleo
ton, quoting Governors congressman
and U. S. Senators, and from the OF.
fetal records of the data, and federal
census in showing the good results of
prohibition in operation. cit is true, y
he said, chat the law has been violated
in the larger cities of the State, just as
there are thieves and housebreakers
and murderers in Rochester, with 1,S0O
admissions to the county penitentiary,
in spite of our prohibitory laws against
them, and police department vigilant
to suppress them" But there is more
saloon anarchy in Rochester under
license, and of a more dangerous and
constituencies kind, in "a hours, than
in the whole State OF Maine under pro-
hibition in an entire week.
''But there is this difference between
the law breakers of Maine and the law
breakers of Rochester: there they are
arrested and convicted and jailed; here
they are arrested, acquitted and elected.
We read in the public press frequent
reports about the failure of prohibition,
and the number of saloons in operation
in, ho 70 TO Of statement
is lie. There are no saloons, as we
understand them, in the State of Maine
today.
eli every United States tax receipt
issued for the State of Maine repre-
scented place where liquors were sold
in violation of the State law, it would
give them only 495 illegal joints for the
SIG cities and towns in the entire State.
But that represents the liquor sell
ing drug stores, the State agencies, and
the joint keepers who have been driven
from the State or are serving time in
jail. For every joint under prohibi-
ton in Maine there are 16 joints under
license i'll New York, and $4,000 State
licensed saloons beside, that are worse
than any back alley, third story, pocket
peddling joint under prohibition in
Maine. And for every tax receipt
Joint in Maine there are 20 under
license in Ohio. Not only are there
fewer Joints under prohibition, but
they are more difficult to find
''Portland is a city of 10000 souls, and
you can walk the entire length of its
main street for two and one-half miles,
down one side and up the other, and
you will not see the sign saloon or
anything that stands for the saloon
over any door; you will not see an as
sortment of bottled goods in any win
dow; you will not see any place of bust
ness with screen doors and Opaque
constructions hiding from the public
eye the scandalouS conduct of its Gus
toners; you will not smell the rotten
odor that comes from the dew of per-
dition and decays the character of its
patrons; and that shortest of all routes
for our American girls between earth
and beneath it, that is advertised as
the ladies entrance" is conspicuously
absent.
so it is all along the line. | call
your attention to the absence of pow
erty which is seen on the streets of all
no license cities" Gen. Neal Dow said
AT the time of the adoption of the pro-
hlbitory law, Maine was one of the most
drunken and poorest States in the
Union. There were seven distilleries
and two breWeries in Portland alone.
The evidence of poverty was seen every
where in neglected farms, diapidated
houses and general unthrift.
at is not so under prohibition.
made it point to walk over during the
day the cities wheae | spoke at night
going into the working quarters and
where the most humble live, and no.
where in the country are the people
hon
This is particularly true of the farming
population. Maine is not an agricul-
tural State, but in no other State do
you see such well kept and white paint
ed farm property as you see from the
car windows n Maine.
The census report of 1905 shows an
increase in the manufacturing output
over 1900 of y 2 per cent. Wage earn
ers increased III these five years u per
cent. and wages increased 30 per cent.
Maine is the only State in the Union
that has more savings banks depositors
than voters, with 1000 more deposi-
tors and S22, 900 more money de-
posted in them than tile great manu-
featuring license State of Ohio, with
SIX times as many people.
mot only are the people prosperous,
but the State as a business corporation
NlIHOuI Ou6 Ol
revenue from the saloon. We are often
asked what we will do for revenue in
the absence of the liquor traffic. Maine
illustrates the answer of Gladstone
when he was asked that question at
the time the Local Veto bill was being
pressed in the English Parliament.
With sober people, said he, mot
wasting their earnings, shall know
where to obtain revenue
''In New York it is proposed to abol-
lsh the State tax by grating on the
saloon. Maine taxes her corporations,
so that the people are called upon for
less than 100000 for all State pur-
poses, and the State tax is only 1-2
mills on the dollar.
''Most important of all is the effect
of prohibition on the child life of the
State. Maine has the largest percentage
of the total population in the public
schools of any one Of the North Allan
tic States, including New York. With
$40, 900, 900 revenue from the saloon in
the Empire State, Gov. Higgins report
ed in his last message to the legislature
that illiteracy among the adult popula-
ton of his State is greater than it is in
England, France and Scotland: 10 times
larger than it is in Switzerland Is times
greater than in Denmark and % timp c