The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-05
fcnnmunlcated.l

(communicated.)
 Compiled from II s. Census Reports.) 'Prohiibt the liquor traffic and crime will cease". Is the war-cry of prohi- bition. The question thus becomes pes- tinent; Has the number of convictions for crime decreased in States which have been under prohibition?
 Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont I have been under prohibitory laws long CT than any other States. and continu- the fullest fruition of that policy. Re- ferring to the United States census Reports. the in each of these States at each census from 1850 to 1890 is found to be as fol-
 Under. Under
 license. prohibition.
 1850 1880 1870 1880. 1890 sfaine :. 100 FPS 261 4os 512 New Hmpshire B 1sS 2s7 2es 221 Vermont 1os lss 1sS 25s 2oe bition in any of these States. In that year there were in the penitentiaries Of Maine 100 convicts, or I'll convicts to every million of population. Between [ 1850 and 1860 prohibition became the law of the State, and in the latter year the number of criminals had increased to 225. or 35S to every million of pop ulation. The number of criminals fur- ther increased in 1870 to 261. in 1880 to 4O5. and in 1890 to 512, or to 774 convicts for every million of popula- .tfon.
 There were. therefore. in Maine in 1890. after forty years of prohibition. more than four times as many crfmi- nafs for every million of population as there were in the same State before 1t had prohibition. Int Portland (Me-) Herald says: Crime is alarmingly pre- ~rn1 Aaru hn - creased year by year. Our Jails and ! prisons are unpIeasantly full Rob- berries and burglaries are occurring in < all directions. Crime of all kinds IS increasing"
 Tn 1850 New Hampshire. under li- cense, had in her penal institutions 33 convicts or 104 to every million of population This State also adopted prohibition shortly after 1850. and the number of convicts increased steadily to fss .n 1860. PCT in 1870. 27S in 1880 and s21 in 1890. the number of con- victs per million of population in the latter year being s53.
 There were therefore, in New Hamp- shire, after forty years of prohibitions, eight times as many criminals, per mill lion of population. as there were under license.
 Vermont was under license in 1850. She had in that year 105 convicts. or 334 for every million of population. She adopted prohibition between 1850 and 1880. In the latter year the num- Der of criminals had grown to 1S9. and this number increased to ie3 in 1870. to 25s in 1880. and 200 in 1890 or to e02 for every million of population.
 Tn vermont therefore. the number of criminals per million of population, after forty years of prohibition. was double the number under license.
 The steady increase in crime from de- cade to decade under prohibition as shown by these figures is most remark able. Unfortunately the figures on this subject of the census of 1900 are not yet published. but 1t may be safely as- serted that they will show no material change in the trend indicated by the preceding census reports
 Iowa and Kansas adopted prohibi- ton after the census of 1880 was taken. The census reports for 1890, page 127 shows the
 Number of Convfets
 in those States under license and pro- hibition as follows:
 Under Under
 license prohibition.
 1880. 1890. Iowa. .. .. ...-..,... sos LOIS ~ KanSas. :; ;,..,,.t. Per a.1gy Ieoo.ooo ss es
 Population. Iowa.... .sf ..ss 4v4 eSi Kansas .. .. ....1,300 1.S61 Crime increased per cent. in Iowa and { per cent in Kansas. in this de- cade. during half of which prohibition was in operation.
 The reports of the Auditors of all the counties In Iowa for each year from 1882 to 1886 rendered authoritative by the seal of the Secretary of State, hirn- self e prohibitionist. show that the number of convictions in that State not only did not decrease underA prohibi- ton, but that there was an actual and serious increase in crime.
 Prior to July {, tS4, prohibition was not enforced in Iowa. On that date the stringent statutes went in effect. The result as shown by the reports was a growth in the number of crimi- nalg sentenced. with corresponding increase in the cost to the State of criminal prosecutions. Not only. did inc percentage of crime increase un- der prohibition, but the character of offenses became more degraded and se- rfous. During the two years and half nrior to the date the law took effect SIS persons were sentenced to the pen itentfary. Within the same period af- fer the law become operative SIT cons victs were consigned to that institu- tion. Under prohibition the Auditors renort shows an increase of 26 per cent. In crimes growing out of the relations of the sexes, while crime against prop erty, such as theft. burglary. fraud