The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-10-18
MAINE AND ITS PROHIBITION
THE DRY" LAW HAS PREVAIL
ED IN STATE SIXTY YEARS.
Gen. Dow Was Father of Movement.
Agitation for Repeal Started Be-
cause of Wholesale Violations.

cause Oh w nOIeSSIe NIOlaIlOnSs
Prohibition in Maine is sixty years
old. The recent election, in which
the "wets" appear to have won, al
though there will be a contest in the
courts, was the first time in twenty
seven years that her citizens were
called on to vote on this subject.
Brigadier- General Neal Dow was the
father of the movement. 1t was he
who in 1851 drafted the first severe
ly prohibitory law of the state. He
was in the forefront of the fight over
all succeeding prohibition laws,
which eliminated in the cOnstitu-
tional amendment of 1884, repeal of
which has just been voted on.
That the amendment came up for
consideration after Maine had tried
state wide statutory prohibition for
over quarter of century. 1t was
proposed by the sixty-first legislature
and submitted to a test vote on Sept
8, 1884. It was overwhelmingly ap-
proved, 70,783 persons voting for it
and only 3,81t against it. Govern
or RUDE Robe issued a proclamation
in regard to it on the following Dec.
3, and the amendment actually went
into effect in January, 1885. 1t pro-
hibited the manufacture and sale of
intoxicating liquors, not including
cider, but legaliZed the sale of, liquors
for medicinal and mechanical pur-
poses and for the arts. The article
in full read:
q NJ fa nj 1Ipn Nf iy+ ~
liquors, not including cider, and the |
sale and keeping for sale of intoxi- |
eating liquors are and shall be for |
ever prohibited, except, however, |
that the sale and keeping for sale |
of such liquors for medicinal pur-
poses and the arts and the sale and
keeping for sale of cider may be per-
mitted under such regulations as the
legislature may provide.
The legislature shall enact laws
with suitable penalties for the sup
preston of the manufacturing, sale
and keeping for sale of intoxicating
liquors, with the exceptions herein
specified"
This clause of the constitution was
lnquestioned for twenty years. In
d |
strict enforcement of the prohibition
aw. When he ran for reelection his
shrank from $4,000 to T.
300. With the swinging of the state
his year from the republican to the
democratic column state leaders fig
lred that perhaps a majority of the
voters were not in favor of mo IL
,ense,"
The history of prohibition in
Maine is declared to have been mark
ed by wide violations of the law. Sc
cret bars are said to have f1ourished |
everywhere. The mail order liquor |
dealers are said to have smugg1ed |
liquor into the state by trainloads,
while moonshine distilleries flourish
ed.
Finally the legislature enacted the
Sturgis law, authorizing Governor
Cobb to appoint a commission to
search homes for forbidden bever-
ages. The legislature repealed the
Sturgis law in 1906, but Governor
Cobb vetoed the repeal. Then arose
the movement for a re-amendment
of the constitution.
The campaign just closed was hard |
fought on both sides and attracted
the attention of temperance workers
all over the world. Mrs. Lillian NJ.
n. Stevens, national president of the /
Woman's Christian Temperance I'm
ion and herself a Portland woman, |
took charge of the fight for the pro- |
hibition element. Campaigners were
enlisted from all over the country. |
The international Prohibition Asso-
citation flooded the state with litera-
ture containing interviews with the |
prominent men and women from all |
over the world. The National Tenn |
perance Society, the Anti-Saloon |
League and the Good Templars also
were active