The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-07
CURRENTCOMMENT
Prohibition in Maine.

After q week we do not yet Know "Hetiftr vi
not the citizens OF Maine have decided to re-
tain the constitutional amendment which abso-
utey prohibits the sale in the State of alcoholic
beverages close is the vote.
We would have every saloon in the State
closed. They are curse and nothing bur
curse. 1t Is a blessing to any community when
it banishes this more than misehievous institu-
tion drunkenness is cultivated fostefed and pro-
vded for by the saloon and drunkenness causes
more poverty, suffering, cruelty and crimes. ruins
more homes and hastens more deaths, than any
other form of vicious Indulgence. Beside alcohol
opium is comparatively negligible because
sional Tobacco is even innocent and tea and eor-
fee innocuous stimulants. Till men, and
srable rule.
The question is, to the extent Of prohibited
territory. The the better of course; but
the principle is the whether We have
sututional prohibition in State or local option
in town or county. What is prohib
ton that Will prohibit. prohibition supported by
d voting public spirit which will punish nfrae-
tons. III the State OF Maine public sentiment
has not prohibited, but has defed the consttu-
ton and the law in the cities. The law has been
VIGOROUSLY ineffective. and the city officials
been parties condonins the violation of law.
Now by d vote OF the people-that is OF the
/ lHen-for we believe the women would have
/ voted direrently-it Is made clear that they
have prevailing desire for prohibition The
vote Is evenly balanced 1t appears clear that
any policy on which the people are so uncertain
/ half one way and half the other, should not
| DC liked by the constitution, but left to the
] laws A constitution should represent a settled
general conviction such as 1t did when the
present constitutional provision Of Maine was
! approved BY an overwhelming majority. Now
there Is no visible majority for 1t, and 1t is I'm
possible to enforce it for that a new
population has come into the cltite. and they
| haze and should have their rights. With regret
We discover this fact, and believe that un-
der the circumstances 1t should be left to the
lt ha HIM af fh,a
State, and that this should be by local option
law. SO that a town or county can exclude the
saloon with the certainty that infraetions will
De punished Local option is of the same prin-
ciple as Statewide prohibition. only It prohibits
IN smaller territory. In towns cities which
prefer TO have saloons the tax-called falsely
a license-should be made very high. SO as 70
limit the number of saloons and shut out the
which Is better than none.
What the saloon does appears In tho case II,
coatesVllle Pa A man went to saloon and
got liquor enough to make him drunk There
upon an officer of the law tried to him
and was shot dead by the drunken Then
the vicious element OF the town. Its hoodIums
and hooligans. the very men who had freQuented
the saloons, caught the drunken murderer and
burnt him alive. and put indehle stain on
the reputation of the state Of Pennsylvania.
The responsibility rests tho saloon. and on
the respectable men who signed the petition
vouching for the character of its keeper ana
asking that he be allowed make his living in
this way,
one must ask why IT is that from a vo.e
vote on prohibition With who i've in the
cities we presume the reason Is that they are
dtsgusted with the failure to enforce the law
and they do not want law that Is not en-
forced: but these comparatively few. Most
who believe In prohibition want the law &C.
tanned and have not lost hope, The main cause
for the change IL the change of population. In
the larger towns and this cities, manufacturers
have brought in a class OF people not yet as
simulated, and amenable to the religious
and moral ideas Of the older population. The
foreign immigration has been very great par
ttcularly of French Canadians and fear they
have not yet been brought under that influence
for abstinence which is being exerted over the
second and third generation of the Irish immi-
, grants. The churches ought to be able, If united
and earnest, to control all moral conditions and
establish q nearly uniform and permanent pub
lie sentiment, but that is yet secured.-New
| York Independent