Evening journal., 1907-10-21
The Only Solution Of
the Saloon Problem is
NO SALOON
More About Maine
Signed at MI. Salem Church

'AHHN
When the Prohibitory law was en-
acted in Maine the population was
greater than it is to-day, truly enough.
Maine has been building up the great
west all these years. But at that time
poverty abOunded in Maine. A little
town sixteen miles from Portland
drank up the entire valuation of its
personal estate every fourteen years.
What is the history Of that town is a
fair sample of the whole state of Maine
in those years. At that time in the
entire state of Maine there were five
savings institutions, and the whole saw
ings Of the whole state in the FIVE saw
ings institutions amounted to less than
$4,000. Today. after fifty years Of
Prohibition. we have fifty-seven saw
ings banks in our state. we bave twen-
ty-two building and loan associations.
we have thirty-seven trust companies,
with aggregate deposits of more than
s11s.OOO.OOO. There is no other thing
that it can be attributed to. These
are arguments of great force in favor
of enforced Prohibition.
But some Of you win say. "Prohibi-
tion has not been enforced in Maine "
I grant it. But 1 say it is a blighting
lwithering, damnable shame to the Off
cials. But you say. There is the capi-
tai Of your state. where your govern
ment resides-there are seventeen
United States tax certificates held in
that city" That is so, and say that
that is no fault of the Prohibition sys-
TEN. But l want this to be distinctly
understood: To-day four-hfths Of the
territory of Maine is as clean from in
toxicating beverages as 1 believe thi:
rostrum is at this present moment.
After I had been IN Office for sis
months, l thought I would like to know
how far the prophecies of my opponent.
had been fulfilled SO l took a carriag,
and drove over the city.
took two of the leading Official.
with me and 1 went into a great cloth.
ing house-the largest in Maine-anC
/ said to the owner: Il would like [,
lenquire how business has been for tn,
Hast six months under honest enforce,
ment." He put his arm through min,
land said, Come out into the Office
In the Office he said, Il don't want thii
Ito get out among my neighbors. bu
lmy trade has increased thirty per cent
since you have been sheriff"
We drove across to the largest retail
boot and shoe dealer in the state o
Maine, and 1 said. Il have come in 4
TASK you how business is" There ar
-four more clerks on that floor today.
lreplied the owner of the store, THAI
there ever have been since have beei
lin business, and / am selling boots an
shoes to men who were drunkards il
Portland six months ago"
There have been ten murders Il
Cumberland county since our Superio
Court was tablished-twenty- fou
years. There have been ten murder
in twenty-four years and I got tn
worst three in the first three month
Of my administration, and it cost tn
county a large sum to try those mur
der cases. In addition thousands @
dollars have been spent for repairs o
the Jail, court house and other pub
lie property. And yet, today, for tn
first time in the history of Cumber
land county. after this large expendi
ture, Cumberland county owes no ma
. on earth a single dollar. and the frs
1day of January we had $4,000 in ou
treasury.
There were 277 special United State
tax receipts in force in Portland IN
night took the Office and other place
that were selling as kitchen bar
rooms" / will deposit i'm the hand
of the chairman of this meeting SIC
, and will pay for the wiring if an
man in the audience will telegraph I
Portland and inquire of the mayor
and he is not specially Friendly to me-
3 liz there is an open. bar-room or a
open saloon in Portland. (Mr. Pearso
counted the money into the hands {
Chairman Stewart) And my hundre
dollars shall belong to the man th'
lWll produce evidence lnat lnere Is OF
such place--not twentyrffye as the Oh
cago Tribune said there are. but JUS
ONE. There are twenty-five cities an
towns in Cumberland county outsiC
, of Portland. and / viii put anoth'
Y hundred with that If any man wi
! iEd an open saloon or an open bar
e Cumberland county There Is no sue
e thing in existence. And for that res
n son l stand here TO claim with all u
}. power I possess that PROHIBITIO