Prohibition Fails

[ - - ; Poutland, Mi:., Muy 21.- The ngita tion In West Virginia over a proposed prohibltory amendment in that State lias led several persons to writeto prominent temperance men in Maine, asking for an exact statement as to the practical working of the liquor Ikw here. A great many replies have been sentdetailing the excellent effect of the Constitutloual amenUment, telling in glowing teims liow rum has at last been banished trom the pioneer prohibition State, and saying that uot a glass of liquor is now to be had for love or nioney. The letters were read in public at several temperance meetings in West Virginia, aud had a marked effect uutil a New York paper reaclied theie some weeks ago with nu accurate and circiimstantial account of the discoverles of a correspondent who was sent through Maine to flnd out exactly how the liquor law works. Thi astonishing revelation of onen bars, free rum, and unrestricted liquor traffic induced Charles IJurdette Halt, editor of the Wlieeling Intelligencer, to come to Maine on a tour of investigatiou for lilmself. Mr. Hart arrived here with Ure belief that the paper must be mi9taUen, but before he had been In town twenty-four hours lie concluded that the correspondent had made a trnthful and unbiased report. Mrs. Hart, who accompanied her husband, was enthusiastic in her support of the prohibitory law, basing her belief in the letters she lmd read. Mr. and Mrs. Hart reaclied here one Saturday Qljght and reniaiued over Sunday at a lirst-class hotel. At dinner, to their profound astonishment, a gue3t seated opposite them ordered a bottle of wine, and the waiter, in a matterof-fact way, drew the cork and filled the glass. Stiil thinking that an exception to the law had been witnessed, Editor Hart started out the next niorninjr for a 9troll about town. In two hours he returned and told his wife that he had vi9iled over forty saloons where liquor wagsoldopeiily by the glass. Tboroughly surprised at what had been discovered the Virginia editor deteiinined to probe the matter to the bottom and took his departujr v!:'i liis wife for Augusta. The ürst thing that Mr. Hart did o.i rriving in Augusta was to gu to the State Library In the Osjiiiol, with the expectation that it wa9 well stocked with prohibition literature. To his further astonishment, a search from floor to ceiling failed to unearth a single volume treating of prohibition or dcallng with the forbidden trafflc in any way. In a tour abont town he fouiid. witliout much difflculty, some practical illustratlons of the workings of the prohibitory law. He had been informed that there were several places in August where it was possible for the weary traveler to slake liis tliirst, aml a Urge number of saloons were visited and liquor purchased in nearly every one of them At one part of Water street, in a lenglb ofabout four luindred yards, he fouml nine bars where liquor was sold, and purcliased liquor hiinsilf or saw it bought at every one oí tliem. He visited twenty shops wbere liquor was sold openly during the two days be was in Augusta, and ascertained that upwards of tbirty special licenses had been taken out by Augusta dealers. But thia was not all. He called on oneof'theleadingcitizens, a prominent temperanee' man, and asked him if he was awiire of the extent of the liquor trafile in the city, am! that ium was being sold openly on the streets. The Augusta gentleman professed amnzement, and Raid the autliorities would not allow lt. The West Virginian, in liisturn, was surprised, and informed the Citizen of what he had seen witli lm own eyef. Kditor Hart continued his traveU to Bangor, where the condition of affairs was even worse tlian in Portland and Auffusta. The hotel he stopped at was equipped uitli a flrst class barroom, and Kuests had only to press the electrlc buttoD, and the bell boy promptly served the belt brands of liquors and wines which money could hu y. Uere again a formidable array of open rumshopg was discovered and liquor tlowed freely on every ham]. Air. Hart also visited other cities in the state and in nearly all fouml the same condition of affairs as in the others. He leaves the State with no very flattering opinión of the effleacy of prohibitory amendments, and is at a loss to account for such a condition of affnirs in the bauner Prohibition State. W. G. Doty, Grand Generalissimo of the Grand Commandery of Mirhijruu, lias received an invitatlon to be present and assist in conferrlng the order of Knights of Malta witti f uit ceremonies, by Cincinnati Coinmandery, No. 3K.T, at Cincinnati, on Friday evening next. So far as can be ascertaineil, thls wil] be the first occasion on which the full ritual of the order of Kaights of Malta as prescribid by the Grand Eneampment of K niirhts Templar of the United State?, accompanled by full accessoriosand illutrated by complete puraphernalin, has ever been rendrred. 'l'he work will be witnessed by the most Eminent Grand Mhster of the Grand Enotmpment of the United State, Charles Roome, of New York. The paraphernalia for thls occasion will coat thousands of dollars and thls exemplification will be the great event of the year in Templar Masonry.