The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-09-09
E. n. DILLON & co.
FATE OF DRYS
IN maine NOW
IN THE SCALE

Next Monday Maine will hold ar
election to decide whether its consti
tutional provision prohibiting the sale
+ of liquor for any other than medicin-
al or mechanical purposes shall be
continued or shall be stricken out OF
the states organic law. The old Pine
Tree State has never experienced q
more strenuous and exciting politi-
cal campaign than that now ap-
preaching it's close. In 1884 an
was adopted forbidding the legisla-
ture to pass any law permitting the
sale of liquor for other than medicin-
al purposes. This amendment is now
to be resH omitted to the people for
decision as to whether it shall be re-
people are to decide whether they be-
lieve prohibition to be a failure or
farce or not. They are to decide
whether prohibition has been q moral
uplifting force, a benefit to society or
promotive Of law and order or wheth-
er 1t is a measure promotive of hyppc-
risy, deceit, evasion or fraud. For
years it has been known almost ev-
erywhere that the Maine liquor laws
were not enforced by the municipal
authorities and that mayors, Sheriffs,
chiefs Of police and. perhaps even
the courts occasionally, winked at the
sale of liquor. Any thirsty stran-
gers arriving in a Maine town possess
sed of cash had but to make known
his desire for "a nip and he would
be promptly steered, maybe through
devious paths and perhaps subterran-
can routes or subways and would thus
find access to the flowing bowl to his
hearts content. Everybody in Maine
knew that the law was being evaded
nd 70 ont W. a "
as to be farcical This state of
things was some years ago felt by the
ajority of the people to be intoler
able, to be a. dishonor to the state,
and a reflection upon it's good name
and the people in indignation rose
and elected a legislature and a gov
ernor pledged to enact laws with
teeth" in order to make the constitu-
tional provision effective and not a
public laughing stock. Then a law
was passed empowering and directing
the governor to appoint men over
the heads of. county and municipal
officers and empowering the new Of
fcers to go anywhere in the, state.
make arrests for violation of the IL
Iuor law, conf1scate liquors wherever
Illegally sold and IN general to aid
to make the law effective. The gov
srnor elected upon this issue did his
duty manfully and kept the laws
violations of the law. What was the
result? The tide of popular sentiment
turned and at the very next guber-
election the faithful belliger-
emit governor who had tried his. best
to enforce the law was over-whelm-
ingly defeated. And for the first
time in many years a Democratic leg
office pledged to give the people a
chance to vote for the repeal of con-
stitutional prohibition. And the fight
has been memorable and a bitter
fight. A splendid battle against the
liquor element has been waged and
strange to say 1T is woman who is
leading and directing the compaign Of
NJ. N. Stevens, the head of the w c.
T. U. She has had force of fifty
orators under command among them
Governor Glenn of North Carolina,
and Representative Hobson Of Ala
bama. Party alignments are forgot
ten or set aside in this great contest
and there will be no letting up of the
fighting until the polls are closed next
Voters will not be allowed
to forget that the fate of prohibition
is hanging in the balance. Every ar
gument for and against the half CEN
tury prohibition policy of the state
Is being trotted out. Church bells
will be rung hourly by the prohibit
.ionists in every city village and
town corner where there is a church
and continuous prayer meetings will
be held with leaders changing hour
~. Mrs. Stevens has sent out a re-
quest that the horses which are to be
used to carry prohibition voters to
he polls be clothed in white blank
cts. Booths where coffee and food
are to be served will be maintained
Ind women as well as men will work
among voters at the polls. The an
is will be less picturesque in their
bnt at least none the less
PRACTICAL.
The prohibitionists have certainly
made a great fight. They expect to
vim by a small ma jority. If the con-
'titutional amendment which is the
zone Of contention is defeated the
legislature will be called together by
sov. Plaisted and a license law pass
d. Sentiment in Maine regarding |
Prohibition has undergone a marked |
hange since the results of the adop-
ion of the license system in the |
ejghboring states of New Hamp- |
hire and Vermont have been per- |
eived, both of which states were for
nerly for many years prohibition |
Haven Journal-Courier.
Oklahoma City.-Talking in his
eep revealed the fact that Walter
had escaped from the Tex