years, amounts to
the enormous figure of eight billions nine hundred and forty-four
millions one hundred and forty-one thousands of dollars--almost
nine thousand millions of dollars! For twenty years the amount is
twenty-five billions two hundred and forty-five millions six
hundred and eighty-one thousands of dollars. Twenty-five thousand
two hundred and forty-five millions of dollars and more; actually
as much, within a fraction, as the entire value of the personal and
landed property of the United States! My friend of Raymond may
well be credited in the statement made to his fellow-townsmen.

Now, as the result of the Maine Law, in Maine, the wealth and
prosperity of the people have greatly increased. This can be seen
in every part of the State, and is obvious to the most casual
observer who knew what Maine was before the law of prohibition and
knows what it has been since and down to the present time.
Evidences of industry, enterprise and thrift everywhere, instead of
the general poverty, unthrift and shabbiness of the old rum-time.

The share of Maine of the National drink-bill would be about
thirteen millions of dollars, and but for the Maine Law, we should
be consuming our full proportion; but now I feel myself fully
warranted in saying that we do not expend in that way one-tenth of
that sum. A mayor of the city of Portland, in a message to the City
Council, said: "The quantity of liquor now sold is not one-fiftieth
part as much as it was before the enactment of the law." The
difference, whatever it may be, between the sum we should waste in
strong drink, but for the law, and that which we actually squander
in that way, we have in our pockets, in our savings banks and in
our business, so that Maine has suffered far less, financially,
during this crisis than any other part of the country.

I have said the drink-bill of Maine, but for prohibition, would be
about thirteen millions of dollars annually, in proportion to that
of the whole country. Now, this sum, with annual compound interest
at six per cent., in ten years will amount to one hundred and
seventy millions three hundred and nineteen thousand five hundred
and twenty-eight dollars, and in twenty years to four hundred and
sixty-three millions eight hundred and fifty-four thousand four