THE EFFECT OF PROHIBITION IN MAINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2475, 11 March 1893, Page 3

THE EFFECT OF PROHIBITION IN MAINE.

In connection with the controversy concerning prohibition, the following letter from General Neal Dow to Miss Frances E. Willard, which that lady handed to the Pall Mall Gazette, will be of interest, as showing exactly what its advocates claim prohibition has effected : “ Portland, Maine, “ Bth December 1892.

“My dear Mias Willard, —Your note of the 25nd November has this moment reached me, and 1 lay aside all other work to reply promptly to your inquiries. “ 1. There is no tendency in Maine towards the repeal of our prohibitory law. It is generally, if not universally, conceded here by all parties that it has become a fixed policy in our state. It was enacted in 1851 by a majorty of 18 to 10 in the Senate and 86 to 40 in the House; and in 1884, after an experience of 33 years of its benefits, it was added as an amendmet to our Constitution by a majority of 47,075 of the popular vote, the affirmative being three times larger than the negative. And now after a trial of it for 41 years it stands in public opinion, as we think, stronger than ever before.

“ 2. Prohibition in Maine has reduced the volumne of the liquor traffic to onetwentieth of its former proportions. In more than three-fourths of our territory, containing more than three-fourths of our population, the traffic is practically unknown. An entire generation has grown up there never having seen a saloon or the effects of one. The drink habit is nearly or quite unknown among the people. I have seen many of them, men and women grown, who have never seen an intoxicated person. This is among the villages and in the rural districts. Liquor is yet sold more or less on the sly in some of our cities, owing to certain defects in the law which will be corrected in the near future. In Portland, the largest city in the State, it is far within the fact to say the quantity of liquor now sold is not one hundreth part so large as it was before the law, the city being now twice larger than it was at time. In all the region around Portland, with many large villages, no liquors are sold.

“3. I think a successful attempt will be made in our Legislature this winter to pass a resolve to submit to the people a proposition to amend the Constitution so as to admit women to the franchise on equal terms with men, including the qualification of reading and writing, which is now required of men. Such a proposition, I think, would be cordially responded to by our people,,—'Very truly yours* "Nbai. Dow.’ 5