The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-10-17

of the basic law of the state on pop
ular vote. X. ~. ... -. MI. ,ss;j
This act marked the end of about
all the real work Tor temperance Tor
whiich Maine was: noted. The lee
tureships and the temperance organ
cations gradually became thing OF
the past: Moral suasion lost Its
force, and the leatlier-bound volume
in nthe archives of the state bearing
the names Of the Legislators .of those
days affixed to a:';tetal !; abstinenc.asH
pledge is a mute reminder OF the days
in Maine when mems higher natures
were appealed to- ~
One significant fact in the effort
to secure. constitutional prohibition
must not be overlooked. 80 The hardest
worker in the interest was the dive
keeper. Although a mere boy then
marveled at this until !; friend said:'
The dive keeper is wiser than you.
lie knows that If the rum question
gets tucked away into the constitu
ton of the state the fanatic will go
to sleep and he can then do thirty
ing business" and the dive keeper
was right, as I will show you later. :
Another significant fact. for you TO
bear in mind in this discussion, for it
has a great Significance in ~its|. 1r'eI;;.--
ton to temperance. Previous to. con-
situtional - prohibition, beer. wine
ale and the lighter non-alcoholic
drinks were sold. After these be-
came outlawed it was easier and
more profitable for the saloon to deal
almost wholly" IN distilled, liquors
and whiskey Of his own manufacture.
Fhus was dealt to the cause of tenn
perance,i morality and health a stag
gepi1g blow. ~ ...
Ataimes the reign of illegal option,
Tor that Is what we he'd, was we'll
nigh unbearable. The holes,, the
owes the pocket ,peddling, the rum
progresses and mail order business
thrived, and Maine began to wake lip
to the fact THAT n ss 81 tlational prohi-
billion was failure. a ,. -
Do you t.beltye, it? I. present the
record. Every: statue law which the
mohds Of astute attorney could de-
wise was passed >by he legislature to
back, up the - constitution. Common
Nuisance Search and Seizure, Con-
demning Of Property where Liquor
was Sold Spotter Evidence, .Imprison-
ment on second, offence and more
recently Authority placed in the hands
Of the Governor with the Treasury OF
OF. the state behind him to supercede
the"authority of the sheriffs who had
been elected by popular vote Of tho
people,
Snch was our prohibition law, gem
tie men, and such were the attempts
to make the lay effective by drastic
statutes. Is its existance in the bas-
is law, Of our state warranted, and
has@ft one single good result to It's
credit?
The right answer to tnese questions
concerns you people Of Charleston TO-
night. In 1901, seventeen years az
ter constitutional prohibition was en-
acted, notification was practically at
h1gh-Water mark. The Internal Rev
enue Department ar Portsmouth, n.
H., showed 1913 liquor license held
in Maine, one to every $50 ol4tile. pop
ulation, which was just about the
same proportion as IA Me
and other local option states. Only
seventy-nine out Of $40 towns in
Ma.Ae1 were without license. At this
time the average arrests per year for,
drunkenness were, in Boston %. in
New. York 10, in Chicago 90, and in
Portland Maine, 10 to eoch 1000 Of
population " =. ., .:.~ -
: D'brlhg >4he7 twsshy -Ssseyea1%- years ofl
constitutionaf%pyohibition the Number,
Of LICENSES in Maine have run from
1000 to 1900 per year, the year 1911
showing 1918. During these years
the agency system. until the time If
its adjustment in 1905, had a recor
In sales OF liquors aggregating s.. 900
900. These are facts gentlemen,
and from sources watch are not dis
puted.
Now, what are the present condi- !
lions in Maine? ] will give you the
answer to this qutstion from our pro- /
friends Themselves tho
Maine Civic league and the Temper !
ance Press of the State; and in so do
Sas 1%shall atzlaast escape ys,eharge
OF vilifying my state or Of misrepre- /
seating facts. Let me first give you