The independent-reporter., 1909-11-04
The w. 6. T. u.
II Prohibition q Sueress In the ssair
of Aalnei

The following is leafiet published
by the National W. {. T. L. and wrii.
ten by Mira. LILLIAN N. n. stevens.
presiden. National and Maine W. {. 7.
l.. and vice preEident-at-iaree OF
Worlds W. {. 7. l..
Undoubtedly more false statements
are made In the endeavor to show
that prohibition in Maine is a failure.
than are made in connection With
any other subject or regarding any
other locality on the face of the
globe.
Maine is one of the most prosper
GUS states in the Union. Its prohibit
| tory law has been and is great fac
tor in building up the State on a
substantial basis. Prior to the ennct-
ment of tie pronibi.ory laH in 1851
1t was one of the poorest states
poverty. degradation and crime
abounded After the enactment of
the prohibitory law conditions i'm
mediately began to improve. In 1854,
thirty years later, the law was placed
in the Constitution of the State by a
vote cf hree to ONE. The entire
liquor interest of the country tried to
defeat the measure. Those who wish
ed to sell liquor, those who wished to
get IL easily to drink mi the lawless
and criminal classes voted against
prohibition.
In 1851 the claim was made by the
liqnor element that prohibition would
injure the business of the State. Time
has amply proved that prohibition has
not injured any desirable business.
A Portland paper Ill August, 1908,
stated that 10000 was a conservative
estimate of the number of tourists in
Casco bay resorts, near Portland, dur
ing that one summer Prohibition
does not by any means keep the visi-
Tors away from M inc If ;he sum
'ner visitors in Portland vciIity
alone, on almost any day of the vaca-
tion season, could be marshaled two
by two, the line would extend along
the principal business streets of
Portland to the parks and some of the
residence streets, and during the en-
tire line they would see no saloons
Wherever one goes, on the island
boats at the landings, on the cars
in the railway stations end on the
street, he sees happy yacationers who
have come to Maine for the summer
He hears of land rising in value,
and notes the substantial character of
the new buildings. Hotels and board
ing houses are taxed to their utmost
limit and Maine has its full share o
fine hotels. From fifteen to eighteen
million dollars is left in the State
each year by summer tourists. who
evidently enjoy a saloonless State,
and barless hotels.
The valuation of the cities, towns,
townships and plantations Of Mime is
constantly increasing, and at the rate
of $10,000,000 annually. The State
bank examiner of Maine states that
at the beginning of 1908 the total
deposits in the Maine savings insttu
tions amounted to s146.14 per capita,
representing 225,346 individual depos
itors. nearly twice the number of
voters, and one-third the entire pop
ulation, including women and chill
Gren.
The prohibitory law of Maine rs as
we'll enforced as are ether criminal
laws. No building in Maine bears
sign of liquor selling.
In considering the number of ar
rests for drunkenness in Maine it
should be borne in mind that Maine
has long line of seaboard. Several
lines of steamships run to Maine
ports from foreign countries. These
ships, as well as many American
ships runninc to Maine. have bar
rooms. These bar rooms, according
to law, have to close when the ships
are within three miles OF Portland or
any Maine port. Very often the IL
quor they carry finds its way to the
men employed about the docks and
on the Nharves. About seventyifve
per cent of the arrests for drunken
ness in Portland are along the water
front.
1t is claimed that the prohibitory
law creates hypocrisy. This may be
seid of all laws. The murderer and
the robber and incendiary are not
very open and frank in their ways.