policy and of the men who
favor it--by an immense majority. If it be conceded that the people
of Maine possess an ordinary share of intelligence and common
sense, this result would be impossible, unless the effect of
prohibition had been beneficial to the State and to them.

While we were earnestly at work in bringing up the public opinion
of the State to the point of demanding the prohibition of the
liquor traffic, as a more important political and social question
than any other or all others, I was startled at hearing a gentleman
of the town of Raymond declare that in his town the people
consumed in strong drink its entire valuation in every period of
eighteen years eight months and twenty-five days! "Here are the
figures," he said; "I know the quantity of liquor brought into the
town annually. I am so situated that I am able to state this
accurately, beyond all possibility of doubt, except that liquors
may be brought here by other than the ordinary mode of
transportation without my knowledge; but the quantities stated in
this paper (which he held in his hand), and their cost are within
my knowledge." This was part of a speech to his fellow-townsmen,
and his statement was admitted to be true. Now there is not a drop
of liquor sold in that town, and there has not been any sold there
for many years. This statement may strike us at first blush to be
tremendously exaggerated, that the people of any locality should
consume in strong drink the entire value of its real estate and
personal property in every period of less than twenty years. But
let us examine it.

We learn from the Bureau of Statistics that the annual liquor bill
of the United States is seven hundred millions of dollars. This
does not include the enormous quantity of "crooked whisky" which
has been put upon the market with or without the knowledge,
consent, assent or complicity of our public officers, from the
highest to the lowest. The drink bill of the United Kingdom, with a
population smaller than ours, is more than this by many millions.
This valuation--seven hundred millions of dollars--is the price, by
the quantity, taken from the figures as they come into the public
office, while the cost to the consumers is vastly greater. Now,
this sum with annual compound interest for ten