Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-14
Old Figures Just as True.

Icenturv ago in regard to the liquor
traffic, like wine have improved with
lage. They are just as true today, and
we hope they may prove just as use
full. Three or four years ago, Hon
Charles f. Littlefield Of Maine was in
lterviewed by magazine writer con-
cerning prohibition in Maine, and
lamong other things he said:
Stealing is crime in Maine, but
linen steal Liquor selling is prohibit
ed, but liquor is sold The State law
is secretly violated, as everyone knows
who knows anything at all, but he
4 men who violate it are afraid of the
government in Washington and are
careful to pay the license fee which
the law of the nation has established
The last obtainable figures show that
Illinois paid an internal revenue tax Of
$500 per inha In other words
| if the money paid by all the makers
and dealers of liquor in Illinois to the
national government were divided by
the number of persons living in the
state, the tax per person would be
1920. The tax in Ohio is 1885 per
capita, in Kentucky sS.75, and in Penn
sylvania, $3.50. What do you suppose
it is in Maine? Exactly 4 cents.
Maine has s66,000,00o deposited in
savings banks. Maine is not a rich
State, and has sent great sums of
money into all parts of the country
for investment. yet for each inhabtant
of Maine there is 1852 in local saw
ings banks. For each inhabitant of
Ohio. there is s1o.71 in local savings
banks. For each inhabitant of IL
lnois. there is $l3.43 in local savings
banks. For each inhabitant in Penn
sylvania, there is $i672 in local saw
ings banks. There are no saving de-
posits whatever in Kentucky.
"A stranger comes to Maine, sees
two or three drunken men on some
Slitti VI SitS SDtS " iC-
port that prohibition is failure A
statement of that kind is puerile and
unworthy of notice. Against it must
be put the record of half century.
l have seen ships of rum unloading at
our wharves, but such ships are to be
seen no more In Washington liquor
in bottles is displayed in show win
dows like shoes, millinery and dry
goods. There is no such exhibition
in Maine. There are places
where liquor is sold. and men who
drink may guess or learn their loca-
ton, but the whole proceeding is under
the ban and could be instantly stopped
We're the officers of the law mindful of
their duty"
A glance at the above figures quot
ed by Mr.. Littlefield shows that Maine
under prohibition had accumulated
per capita bank account of $95.22 |
while in Illinois, in the chief city of
which are more rum shops or places
where liquor is sold than all other |
stores and shops combined, the per
capita is only sl343 In Illinois, in |
1908. the internal revenue tax was
1920 per inha bitant, while in Maine it |
was cents. Casting aside all refer
anee to the difference in social condi- |
of hn etat
which is represented by the hunger |
and cold of thousands of women and
children in the one, as offset by the |
well fed and well clothed in the other |
II may be readily seen that to support |
a license or local option method of |
handling the liquor question is ex-
pensive as compared with prohibition.
If 1t were no better q state in which |
to bring up children where they do not |
have the example of drunkenness and
disorder constantly before them, Maine |
IS yet better State in which to live |
under prohibition than any of those
others mentioned, for while we are
taxed in cents for the amount of |
liquors consumed other states are
taxed in dollars. Where we have 500
per capita in the local savings banks, |
none of the other states mentioned
have one sixth of that amount.
Are we ready to swap these condi-
tions for those of states where rum
and rowdyism reign supreme, and pay
the difference into the Golfers of the
liquor trust?
Fought the Good Fight.
Few will say that in relinauishing
the right, which would undoubtedly