Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-10


by good conditions was that those sa-
looms, were well regulated, that they did
not sell on Sunday, that they closed on
holidays and that they observed the 10
o'clock rule at night, and conducted their
business as proper and well regulated
saloons should, and therefore he thought
for that reason, that conditions were ex-
cellent in the city of Portland, so far
as the enforcement of the prohibitory
law is concerned.
Mr.. Lewsen throws another side light
upon the kind of testimony and the
source from which the defense was draw
ing it, to convince this convention that
Mr.. Moulton had been properly enfore-
ing the law. 1t seems that Mr. Lew
sen-and they say they enforced the law
because when complaint was made, the
sheriff closed up the place-Mr. Lewsen,
1t seems, made complaint and a seiz-
ure was made in the Lafayette hotel.
Mr.. Lewsen allowed that he had visited
one other bar room in the city of Port
land, and that was the Preble House
bar, and there they were selling in a
fairly open way. 1t was not open on the
street and for that reason, he did not
consider it any of his business to make
complaint in regard to that bar and
he never made any further. examination
as OF the other places where it is ac-
knowledged they are selling beer and
whskey
Then they bring in three or -four law
yers who testify here as to the number
of cases they had before the municipal
court and the great difficulty they had
in getting their clients off or not SEN
fenced to Jail. There have not been such
a tremendous number of Jail sentences.
Most OF the Jail sentences were due to
the fact that they could not pay their
fine, and considering the manner in which
they were enforcing the law, the kitchen
bar room has not been very profitable
So that the 4act is that they could not
pay their fines and got into Jail that way
These lawyers undertook OF tell YOU that
the sheriff had been enforcing the law
because he said all ther clients were go
ing to jail. In practically every instance
the clients were Italian women or kitch-
ell bar rooms. If Mr.. Hollywoods place
well known bar. or the Preble House
bar, or the Temple street place, or the
place at Exchange street. or Pat SuIli-
vans place-it would seem to me that If
they We're brought into court. thai the
attitude of the sheriff's office would have
been shown by the prosecution of these
places.
Now with reference to complaints they
undertook TO impress upon this conyen-
tion that if a complaint was made. the
sheriff was willing and anxious even to
listen to 1t and close up the place. Mr.
Lewsen says that he made a COMPLAINT
to the sheriff and within a few hours the
place was closed up. And Mr. Carleton
says he made complaint and they
closed upon the place. Mr.. Maher says
that he made a complaint and it was
not two hours before the place WAS
closed up.
1t appeared from these complaints
and the proceedings under them, that
1t was not such a difficult matter TO
close these places when they wanted
to- 1t did not take but two or three
hours to close up the Cotton street bar
room. 1t was very significant thing
very unfortunate thing for the city
of Portland. that nobody made any com
plants of these. open and well-known
and notorious rum shops that have been
testified to here
They have undertaken to criticise this
kind of evidence. and the Governor be-
cause the name of the city marshal of
Portland was included in the petition
or House Document. and because we
did not bring him down here to tell the
conditions of Portland. AS a matter of
fact. 1t did not seem as though we
needed any more testimony from Port
land or anywhere to convince this con-
vention of the conditions in Portland
| want to read to You briefly what the
charter of the city of Portland says
as to the police department of Portland
and it may account for the lack of ae-
tivity in that department.
Section . of the charter of our city
says that the executive department of
the city generally and the administra-
ton of the police and health department.
etc, except as modified by this act, shall
be invested in the mayor and aldermen
of the city of Portland. They came
down here, the mayor and one of the
aldermen. and testified as to the condi-
lions in Portland. The mayor said that
they are the best that they ever were.
and Mr.. Jordan comes in and is very
much surprised that any such condi-
tons exist in Portland as have been
testified to.
The enforcement. he told this conven-
ton has been charge upon his mind
by reason of the fact that the statutes
of this State place fine of $50 upon
him If he does not do his duty in this
respect that he has been investigating
these conditions, that he has had in
mind that he would lock out for the in
fractions of the lianoislaw in the State
of Maine and city of Portland-and he
tells this convention that in all his tray
ell around the streets of the city of
Portland, in the discharge of his duties
as alderman in that city, in going about
i'll the discharge of the duties of the va
rious committees that he has been on
that he never has seen in any of these
places any signs of violation of the lio-
uor law in that city in the last year
and three months: and that he, although
he had this keen interest in the citys
welfare-and he feels it, and it was APP
parent by his testimony-that he never
has undertaken to investigate to the
extent of entering any of these we'll
known places. Well. now, | don't APP