Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-18
The Liquor Traffic Never obeys Law.

portland Express Advertser.1
Obedience 10 law IS a virtue which the
liquor traffic never cultiyates. The re-
verse is true. Whatever the law, the IL
quor traffic eultivates disobedience. 1t is
not wise to blame a law because the men
whose conduct ii is calculated to restraint
refuse to obey il. Only in certain cases
is such a mental attitude taken toward
given laws The very men who condemn
prohlbitory laws because men do not al
ways obey them, would not think of con-
demning a license law for exactly the
same reason
The law IN the state of New York for
bids the sale of liquor In the saloons for
beverage purposes on Sundays The law
is not oheYed. In this State where pro-
hlbition has been the policy for many
years. even the most ardent advocate of
the saloon would not be so insane to
go before the public urging the adoption
of license law in which all restrictions
as to the sale on Sunday. were elimnat-
ed. Yet there are men in other states.
where the saloon fiourshes, who use
something the same arguments which
are used against prohibition in Maine.
and declare that because the saloons viii
not obey the Sunday closing law. there<
fore that law ought to be repealed
The matter of Sunday closing has just
been attracting considerable attention In
Gently offered sic as reward to be paid
from his own pocket. for evidence of the
traffic of liquor on Sunday in any bar
room. Whether the Mayors purpose was
Sunday, or whether he believed such
evidence could not be obtained and
thought to silence the critics who de-
clared that the law against Sunday SELL
ing was dsregarded, we have no means
of knowing. At any rate. he made the
offer and regarding II, perhaps, as
challenge. members of the Men 8 Cfub OF
Grace Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn
undertook to make an investigation TO
find out exactly what was the condition
of things as to sunday selling in that
part of the metropolis
The report of their investigation was
made last Sunday and was printed the
next morning in the New York World.
According to this report the commute
went into "a saloons and found 81 OF
them doing business. This was between
10 O'Clock in the morning and noon. In
two of the saloons men were drinking at
the bar In some of the places drunken
men were seen and from many OF them
persons were rushing the growler
while the church bells were ringing.
This incident, reported In the New
York World. illustrates perfectly the
character of the liquor traffic l. VIII
no more obey restrictions under ftcenss
law than il will under prohibition' IL is
useless for men to hope to improve the
character of such a traffic by removing
restrictions from it and giving 1t greater
liberty.
of the city of Philadelphia. as reported
in the Philadelphia North American
threw up his hands in despair over tHe
situation in that city, declaring that the
administration of law and that the very
large number of licensed saloons IN that
CITY were augmented in the evil work
which they are doing by more than hait
as many. speak-eaassies ana n l. oiihu 'isef'
running in opposition to law
Tha history of the sa loon everywhere
is a history of disregard for all restrlc-
tive law. no matter what It's character