The sun., 1908-06-07
SHALL MAINE STAY DRY?
rROHIBlTION AN ISSUE IN THE
CANVASS FOR GOVERNOR.

Is stIiI S0ld-Attenpts to Have the
Question Of Prohibition Again Voted On.
BANGOR. ME-, June e.--The liquor ques-
tion mas again come up in Maine. 1t is per-
haps the chief issue In the contes now in
prosreev for the Republican nomination
for Govnnor.
Tho convention meets on June 80. The
canvass has been In progress since mid
winter as between two Of the candidates.
William T. Haines OF Waterville and Bert
NJ. Fernald OF West Poland. The third can
dldate. Frederick e. Boothby Of Portland.
did not formally announce his candidacy
until April Mr.. Haines and Mr.. Eernald
are both wealthy. Mr.. Boothby is the gen.
eral passen ger and ticket agent Of the Maine
Central Railroad 1t 10 admitted that any
Of these men would be good Governor.
For fifty years and moro Maine has been
trying to legislate the saloon and drunken
ness out Of existence. Prohibition prob
ably has kept the saloon out Of many small
towns and at times has forced the liquor
business to cover in the cities and larger
towns; yet II Is asserted by opponents OF
prohibition that the operation Of the law
has In most cases affected not the quantity
Of liquor sold but the quality Of 1t and the
conditions attending its sale.
In Bangor, for example. where since
august last numerous squad Of the
special Stlrgis enforcement deputies have
been operating, there is great abundance
Of all kinds OF liquors and police statistics
show that drunkenness has increased In
the year ended March 81 there were 2asl
arrests for drunkenness in this city Of
perhaps 2s,O00 inhabitants.
In place Of the open saloon there now
flourish the club. the fake drug store and
the kitchen bar-these last being very
numerous The total number Of places in
Bangor where liquor OF some kind is sold
is estimated at from $50 to 22s.
There are several drug stores whose
stock consists chiefly OF cheap blended
whiskey, much of it sold by the bottle
and at e1travagant prices. In the clubs.
Of which there are several, almost any
kind Of liquor, malt or spirituous, can
he had by those holding membership cards,
and the cards are not at all difficult to
obtain. One club. commonly known as
the battleship." is protected by heavy
oaken door, sheathed with boiler iron,
which in case Of a raid will resist the batter
ing rams Of the raiders long enough to
enable the men in charge to spill or remove
to a safe place the stock OH hand.
In the old days when every thing was
wide open the average saloon keeper was
in no danger Of getting rich quickly, but
since the effort at enforcement began the
proprietor Of one OF the clubs, who had
beea earning SIS a week selling cigars, has
cleared between 10000 and $4,000. The
club has steady run OF the best trade
and sells inexpensive liquors at an advance
ot from 80 to 100 per cent over the regular
rates Most Of the hotels sell liquor on
the quiet. and there are so-called lunch
rooms where drinks may be had at any
hour Of the day or night.
Kitchen bars flourish in many parts of
own, especially in Ward /, where are con-
gregated the woodsmen' 8 boarding houses,
The Russians, Hebrews, Poles, Italians and
ur whiskey which Is a decoction of alcohol,
prune juice and brown sugar. All have the
reputation OF making whiskey while you
wait. and the effects OF their industry are
seen In scores Of men who are taken to the
police station In a condition more resem-
these dens. In Hancock street. one night
the police found fifty men drink ing.
One OF the woodsmen q hotels has become
famous for subterranean bar known as
the bull pen The proprietor in order TO
accommodate the rush Of business when the
throngs OF woodsmen came to town this
spring fitted up the cellar of the house
with a rough bar built a deacon seat" of
pIanks around the sides Of the apartment
and padded the floor with sawdust six
inches deep to deaden the sounds OF con-
fct All entrances to this place were pro-
tected with heavy doors, and it was hard for
any but bona fide customers to get In.
II is said that as many as seventy-five
men have been seen drinking in the bull
pen" at one time, and that while the woods-
fight occurred. The proprietor Of the place
was arraigned at the February term Of
court on two search and seizure cases, and
instead Of being sent to jail was fined $3.50
in each case--a total Of 81 100. 1t was re-
marked that this was a heavy fine. where
upon another liquor dealer observed that It
was nothing, that the owner could make It
np in two or three good Saturday nights.
Such in brief is the condition Of things
in Bangor to-day with respect to the liquor
high prices IN a more or less secret way.
Where are the officers" it will be asked.
Well. so Tar as the Sheriff and his deputies
are, concerned, they have simply stood by
and watched proceedings since the Sturgis
deputies we're sent here in August, 1907.
They feel that this invasion OF their field
~ action. or inaction, is an affront to them.
and they have left the enforcement Of the
liquor law entirely to the Sturgis men.
the city police making no liquor raids
except upon specific complaint OF dis
Apd what haye the stursis men done
At frst. in the summer of 1907, they made
many raids and seized large quantities Of
liquors, forcing tho traf1c to rather more
secrecy than had been observed before their
coming. During the early winter there
we're occasional raids. but toward spring
the activity OF the Sturgis force dwindled,
and nov very little is heard Of them, al
though they are still here. their numbers
varying from five TO fourteen day by day.
drawing each So day and expenses.
Now these are facts, and yet they will be
disputed by many persons. Denial Of the
acts has always been Q characteristic Of
discussions in Maine on the subject Of liquor
law enforcement. Many good and we'll
meaning men and women devoted TO
statutory means Of promoting total absti-
nence refuse to believe that prohibition
Is not a success. They have no personal
knowledge OF how things are going and
are inclined to regard those who tell un-
pleasant truths as enemies Of the law.
Then there are those who defend prohi-
bltion for purely political reasons, great
many who are Indifferent in the matter and
pTe satisfied to let matters drift aa thew n ra