The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-01-23
Maine in Prohibition.

Maine is the pioneer prohibition
State. Many years ago, while in the
States which are the present theatre
of the greatest prohibition activity
no restriction Of the liquor traffic
was thought Of, the good people OF
Maine conceived the idea of Danish
ing thirst by legislative enactment.
Then they passed a prohibition law.
They attempted to enforce it and
found it difficult matter. These ef-
forts to enfocre a law determinedly
resisted by others who did not ap-
prove it kept the State in perpetual
turmoil, to the injury of its other
interests. Then it was thought to
end all this by making prohibition a
part of the State constitution, but
even this did not end the strife,
which continued to be disturbing
factor in the State. And now, after
years of attempted prohibition and
law evasion, after all this wrangling
and unenviable notorieyt, special
committee of the legislature reports
that prohibition is a failure, and
recommends that the sale Of liquor
be made a State monopoly.
In commenting on the above the
Augusta Herald says, Here is what
may be expected in other States that
are now adopting prohibition. They
are fifty years behind Maine, but
they are certain to travel the same
road, have the same experience, and
finally reach the same conclusion,
that prohibition is not practicable.
That it is, not even the most vio-
lent prohibitionists must admit.
There never was prohibition law
passed that did not make exemp-
tions. Drug stores were allowed to
sell liquor, under certain conditions,
if this right was denied to everybody
else. To allow anybody to sell
liquor was recognizing the fact that
the sale could not be entirely pro-
hibited. Then what is called pro-
hibition is not prohibition but reg
ulation, and to call it prohibition is
a misnomer. If this fact were only
realized the various States would be
spared all this prohibition agitation
and attempted prohibition legisla-
ton. The effort would be to adopt
the proper regulation, and where no
false issues were involved this would
not seem such a difficult matter.
1T is to be hoped that our State
will be spared two generations OF
bootless wrangling, as has been the
experience of Main, before we shall
learn that prohibition does not pro-
hibit, and that to try to enfocre
what is natural impossibility is not
only effort wasted but a stumbling
block in the way Of the proper So
luton of this question. We are now
locally experiencing in their worst
form the evils that follow the at
tempted enforcement of prohibition
law. Our courts are loaded with
blind tiger cases. The community
is distracted with these trials and
the issues they raise, to an extent
almost equal to hot political cam
paign. OF course blind tigers who
violate the law should be punished.
but it is almost impossible to con-
vict them. Not 25 per cent can be
and these will think that
they have been badly treated. But
it will not stop the sale. Greater
vigilance on the part of the officers
and greater severity on the part of
the. courts will lead to greater eau
ton on the part of the blind tigers,
and so it will go on, always tur-
moil, but always liquor to be bought
by those who want it and have the
price, and often the very meansest
and most injurious and most danger
Gus kind"