Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-09-11
VOTING IN
MAINE TODAY
Liquor Question Again to be
Decided by the People.

Portland, Me, Sept. II. While
former Governor j. Frank Hanley of
Indiana was speaking for prohibition
in a pubic park at Lewiston q riot
broke out which 1t took the police to
quell; 5000 young men marched
ing vote mo" banners and the biggest
prohibition rally of the campaign ad-
dressed by Congressman HObson of
Alabama In this city-these were the
chief features Of the closing Of n of
the most exciting campaigns on the
liquor question in the history Of Maine.
The prohibitionists conducted an au-
tomobile invasion all over the state.
Special attention was given to Cumber-
land county. In the meantime the
workers for the repeal Of the prohibit
tionary amendment are resting on the
effect of the vast amount of campaign
literature that has been sent out by the
Maine Non-partisan Local Self-govern-
ment league and on their belief that
the desires for a change will obviate
the most strenuous efforts Of the pro.
hibitionists.
Secretary Fassett today reiterated
his statement that the state would go
wet" by from 10000 to 10000; Mrs.
Stevens says that 1t will go dry" but
names no figures.
The storm that has ragged through
out Maine for the last two months was
a long time brewing. Prohibition was
adopted IN this state sixty years ago
as a result Of an attempt of the Wings
to GUST the Democrats from power. In
adopted by the Republicans to
strengthen themselves in power, but
year after year the Democrats have
cut into their opponents ranks, until
last fall 'the party of rum" as the
Democrats for years have been known,
swept 1.-THE party Of prohibition" out,
and the next United States senate will
present the remarkable spectacle Of
two Democratic members from the
Pine Tree state. OF course, national
issues figured prominently in the turn
over.
The rum question is NJ longer a pc
litical one. 1t has become In this state
an economic question. The Demo
Gratis and Republicans are split to an
extent unbelievable to people not on
the ground. The campaign for and
against repeal Of the amendment has
not been conducted along political
lines.
Those who seek the retention of the
amendment do so on the ground of
the welfare of the people of the state.
Few people outside of Maine realize
the task that has confronted those off,
cials who really undertook to enforce
prohibition Some years ago a man
named Pearson was swept into the Of
fee Of sheriff Of Cumberland county by
one of those periodical waves of re-
form that have always followed a time
of corruption SO glar1ng that people
simply couldn't overlook 1t any longer.
At that time .'ortland, Names largest
city, had 200 saloons, many Of them
as wide pen as any In New York or
Philadelphia. Pearson started out to
close them. He worked day and night.
He filed the courts so full Of prose
cutions Of rumsellers that the judges
complained of the extra work. he
pursued the lawbreakers from their
open saloons up into the alleys, into
kitchens, barns, out into the woods,
He tried to break up the pocket" traf-
fc, the selling Of a drink from a bottle
which the vendor carries about with
him. In the end Pearson threw up his
hands, defeated, retired from office SO
broken in health and spirits that he
oon died.
Soon afterward a man named Pen
nell, Democrat was elected sheriff of
Cumberland. Remembering Pearson's
experience, Penneu went after the
speakeasies and devoted all his atten-
ton to this class of rum traffic, while
forty open saloons were not molested
80 long as they were conducted In an
orderly manner.
The rural districts of Maine have al
ways been prohibition. The amend
ment has been strictly enforced and
there are few saloons or speakeasies
off the beaten lines of travel. But
there Is one mail order liquor house In
Boston which annually sends to Maine
by express S100,00O worth of it's wares.
And there are scores of these mail
order liquor houses in Boston and other
Massachusetts cities.