Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-02
THE DRUGGISTS BILL.
Final Hearing before the Com mittee-Au-
guments ON botn sides.


Hall Of the House, last evening
Dr. " S. Harlow of Bangor, was the first speaker
lie sand the intention of the apothecaries had beer
not TO have Mge number OF petitions, but only
u prt NATIVE men, believing the committee could
decide better fIom Arguments. lie defended the
apothecares against the charges against them
The object sought is to have the right to prose
cute branch of their business, which would meet
the approval of the community. Prominent tenn
pCrance men in Bangor had given their assent to
have druggists keep liquors for medicinal pur-
poses, among them Hon. D. $. Wbeelwright,
who had promised to defend the measure
before the committee. Obi, ctIons to the petition
had been made by persons who knew nothing of
the character Of the petition. We do
not ask for the privilege of selling
liquor; only the right to pros, cute an hon
or Bile business. Under the pharmacy act the
gsts are willing 10 submit TO any restriction.
he be 81 classes of our citizens come to the
dlug2is-s every month of every year for the
article, which if they sell they break the law.
lhis Is hue ot nearly all the prominent temper
ahce men IN hi city. Unusual care is required
To dispense ihe-e poisons, and who 10 the com
muulty Is mole competant to deal out these than
arothecaies If rs Druggist he had violated
the! law, 1t had been With the concurrence and
consent of the municipal officers ami people Of his
city. The thing we ask foI does not release us
at ali fir m the an of the Maine liquor law.
Dr.J e. A. Halves sand thai af er the dennncia
uoas al a lOlmer meeting against apOthecarIes, 1t
might seem pfesumpiuous for tax pay or aud a
clizen to petition and ask for a law that Is just
and light Under the law we ave not, AS had been
asserted the legal right to keep alcohol. lie
showed the moons stencies of those who clamOr
against apOthecaries, aud then call upon them to
asH them to break the law. The best people of
the place call upon apolhecares for liquors, be-
cause they believe they can get the best there,
ADD have tue medicines carefully compounded.
With the almost universal pract ce OF medicines,
liquors are recognized as medicines. lie showed
the Inconsistencies OF those VINO camored agains 81
this bill, and still went for town and city agen-
cits. The present law is Inconsistent creating
hypocracics, evasion in common practice II Is
object,dto the proposed law that 1t will fill the
State with drug store. those who made 1t do
not know what they ask for. All who enter the
business must pass rigid examination. He
would like comparison of the petitions and re-
-tances, and would be gratifed at the result.
Prof Markoe of Boston, spoke of the progre' $
Of the knowledge of pharmacy, and the organlza-
toa of pharmaceutical societies There now eight
regular schools of pharmacy IN the country. The
educated apothecary STANDS between you and the
physician. The pharmacist cannot properly per-
form bis duties without the use OF sprltuous llq
uOls. He cannot carry on his business without
it, The vast majority OF people demand these
liquors Il medicine. If the apothecary is well
trained for Ills duues he Is the best man to be
trusted with so potent drug alcohol. He
had, when an apothecaiy, been disg1 aced with be-
ny classed with common criminals. He did not
think this would further the cause of temperance
by sugmatziug men OF an honorable and phlIan-
Thorpe profession Ii j, well the profession of phar
macy is 80 guarded. If the pharmacist disgraces
his profession, he would be deprived of his right
10 practice.
Hon. Joshua Nye replied to some the points
made. lie thought the last speaker did not
d,r-t,nd the laws of Maine. There is nothing in
oLr laws that prohibits the compromising of med
icnes by our druggists. No spothecary can be
convicted unless he sells illegal v and fer imptop-
or purposes. People have b. en- deceived 10 sign
ing the petition. lie had read letters from apoth
ecari,s themselves saying they already had all
the law they needed, showing that all the drug
slsts cf the State do not ak for the privilege Of
selling On physicians prescriptions. 1t ad been
in,lnusted hy Dr.. lia~es that the remonstrarces
We're manufactured by the Wholesale He be
lleyed that the women and children, as well as
the men, had the right TO iemon,irate against
this great evil 1t has been said that temperance
men mad bought of apotdecarles, and therefore
they ought - be licensed. What an argument
Agent, for the legitimate sale Of liquor can now
established in every town and city IN the State.
The agent is placed under severe restrictions lhe
liquor is examined by an assayet, and pure
liquors are uaiauteed. Three quarters of the
people Of the state believe that liquors neces-
saly .or medicinal purposes, aud he would not de-
pIsr them of an opportunity of procuring llqaors.
He r,terod to Mir. Nheelwfight of Bangor as OPP
believe apothecarles knew about the quality of
liquors better than tue town agents
If II had been known to the people of this State
month ago that such Il law asked for,
hnndrtd thou and names would have come in on
these demonstrates. The Reform clubs, Ladies
Unions, Good Templars and thousands who do
lot belong to any temperance organization, are
opposed to this OIL. If submitted to tie people
OF the state 1t would be voted down with crush
lng majority. He knew honorable druggists and
pl,x h..f "a;
class.
Urmandal Smith, Esq, made a statement in re-
gard 10 the remous rance that had been signed in
one handwriting. The original had been produced.
From the loca.iiles with which he was familiar
he knew that the best men in his locality, and the
men and women who had Suffered from the effects
Of strong drink, bad Il ned tie monstsnce.
a. {. Gus, Esq. OF Winthrop, had cnde tvored
to had out whether this movement was ia the in
terests OF apothecaries or IN the interests of hui
manity. y week ago be did not believe that the
apothrcafles were boldly violating the law; but
these high toned apUthecaiits stand up here and
boldly say they have. Ii is well settled that
aputheca1es have the right to keep and retain
a the Liquors for solVeuts and tinctures and other
purposes Now they wait the right to sell the
liquor IN every form whether pure or mixed. The
saloon keepers, tue hotel keepers have as much
reason To cry out for "their rights as the apOthe
cailcs. If apotlecaries are only competent 10 dis
pense the olsop why not appoint an apotheCaIy as
Town agent lie law Is all sulllcient IN tnat Ill
rtctlou.
The chief motive of these men seems to be dol
lars and cents, aud nothing else. II seemed to
him TO be lie believed that intellige men
had signed both petitions and circumstances
The mothers and children have tue right to sign
the remOustrsDce, as they those who suffer
from the rum traffic. VII ttever those on the
other side may a vance in theory let us keep be-
fore US the practical facts that aie worked out in
real life Ii those druggists sell now, in utter
disregard Of law. what will they do when the
strctIons are taken OFF,
Hon. Joseph Baker the next speaker. lie
said when he signed the petition he did not expect
TO ake an active part in this discussion but lis
tcniug to the abusive remarks the other evening,
on the other side, he felt that his position had
been assaIed, his motives impugned, and it was
high time that the rights of a petitioner to the
legislature were understood. lie alluded TO life
long temperance men who had signed the petition,
aud who had been assalled by those who hadsbeeu
drinking men all their lives, and by their own
conie. 1t had been asserted that it the
propo, ton of the apothecares to open the flood
gates IF rum. To show the error, he would read
the bill, which the petitioners proposed 10 submit
The bill is as follows:
An Act toanend section of chapter 2O4 of the
iaws of 1877.
Be Il enacted, etc;
Sect. l. section of chapter 20f of the laws
of 1877 Is amended as TO read as ows