Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-04
PROHIBITION IN
STATE OF MAINE

What Rev. Wilbur F. Berry said con-
corning prohibition in Maine to the
committee at the Boston hearing, has
been so misquoted that the Journai
would Sire its readers a copy OF the
written statement, as follows:
Maine has been held up as horrid
example of Prohibition. I desire to
place the unvarished facts before you.
Prohibition has been in continuous
force in Maine since 1858. 1t was put
become the fixed policy Of the State in
dealing with the saloon.
Prohibition in the past has been
shamefully nullified in Maine. This
notification has been largely promoted
by outside license liquor organizations.
which have contributed to party CAM
paign funds in Maine and arranged
with officials charged with enforcement
for the notification of our liquor laws.
Scarcely sheriff has been elected in
Maine for quarter of century who
has not been approached by an agent
Of outside liquor organizations and
asked on what terms he would permit
the sale of intOXicantS i'll his county.
could name some of our sheriffs who
have yielded to these agents, and give
the names Of some Boston liquor firms
who have bought the right to supply
the liquor trade in county permitted
by a purchased sheriff In 1896 the sale
of intoXicants was permitted in four
teen of our sixteen counties and in all
of our centers except Auburn. This sale
was as open as in New York or Rhode
Island. where the interior of a saloon
must be concealed by screens, except
that there were no signs over the doors
OF the saloons or liquors displayed in
the windows.
The best people Of the state were
aroused to action. and one by one. the
counties were swung into the enforce
nent column. In 1919 eleven counties
were dry and five We're wet Charges
against the sleriffS Of the five wet
counties were placed in the hands of
the governor. who asked the legislature
for authority to remove these sheriffs,
and after a hearing this authority
was granted in the case of four sheriffs
The fifth was not tried as it was
claimed he had been exposed to small
roX and could not be present for trial.
With the appointment of sheriffs 10
the place of those remove we had en-
forcement in Is counties. until one APP
pointed sheriff backSlid In 1915 and 1916
four counties were wet and Il dry. The
saloon was regulated in the large cen
tiers in these wet counties and intoXi-
cants were openly sold. 1 readily made
purchases in these centers.
/ desire, gentlemen of the commit
tee. to call Your attention to the fact
that these open conditions are not the
conditions of prohibition but of IL
cense, for this open condition was by
the license, Illegal as it was, officials
elected to enforce prohibition.
In 1916, IA sherffs We're elected whc
were committed to enforcement. A
Governor was elected by nearly l4.0o0
plurality who is a thorough going
prohibitonist, and who in his pre-elec-
ton utterances proclaimed it to be his
purpose. if elected. to exhaust the re-
sources Of his office in securing the
enforcement of law.
The Legislature of 1917 strengthened
in many particulars our liquor laws.
conferred upon the governor and coun-
Gil the power to remove county attor-
neyS for cause, and submitted an
amendment to the constitution which
was adopted by the people last Septen-
Der, giving the Governor and COunci
power to remove sheriffs for cause.
The saloons in the State were close
on the first of January, 1917, and State
wide enforcement has since continued
The effectiveness of the enforcement Is
clearly indicated in the criminal data.
There We're committed TO Jail in 1916
for all causes 602S and in 1917, 32S9. q
decrease of 2139. or As per cent.
The commitments to Jail for intoxi-
cation in 1916. totalled 1872, and in 1917,
1857. a decrease of 1865. or IS per cent.
There We're 43l prisoners in Jail at the
end of 1916. and POS at the end of 1877.
a decrease Of 223. or 81 per cent. The
decrease of these commitments was es-
pecially marked in the counties which
were wet in 1916.
Take now the chief city Of Maine,
Portland, with a population of 60,oo'.
1t had the saloon regulated in 1916 an l
strict enforcement III 1917. The arrests
in that city for all causes in 1916 we've
6i59, and in 1917. they were only 1888,
a decrease of 80 per cent. The arrests
for INVESTIGATION in 1916 We're 4SS3. and
in 1917 they We're 1896, q decrease Of 90
per cent The arrests in this city for
iEtoxication in 1916 averaged IA day,
and in 1917 they averaged four a day
for the last five months the average
was two a day. and for the last two
months less than two a day
Federal authorities are active in the
enforcement of the Reed law. In the
recent federal district court at Ban
gor, % persons We're found guilty Gi-
der this law. | will not take your time
to farther cite enforcement facts. Bat
let me in conclusion say Maine. tEe
daughter of massachusetts,. asks M $
sachusetts to restrain her citizens 1r"n
promoting the infraction of our la""'
contempt for our constitution. the 'Hl-
ruption Of our officials and the ut
struction of our citizens, by the ra'ii-
cation of National Prohibition.