Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-07

| Well, gentlemen say that these apothecaries
| are not to be trusted. Who are these apothecar-
| les One would suppose from some of the dec
| amations we have heard here and the abuse tha,
| has been poured out on them, that they were
| demora lzed set as one gentleman stated, "They
are demorslzed, and they have the effronterv to
come here! Aud they are a fraud They are a
| lie! And their whole proceedings here are based
| upon self interest dollars and cents, and that il
| all there is of it,"
| Now ii i, ve'y easy for gentlemen of one busi-
ness or prof sson in society to turn round and sav
| that any other whole profession business ar,
| denoraized and a fraud. 1t is the easiest thing
| IN the world. But Is there any truth in il 7 | sm
| very happy to bear some of these gentlemen say
that apothecares are very respectable class oi
| men. And am sure that all who have presented
| themselves here before you have manifested that
they are an intelligent and respectable, upright
| cla-, of men. WE'LL who is it that asks to sell 10
| toNlCallng liquors Tor a mediclnef 1t Is only
| those who are registered rs apothecaries. Now
| what does that mean The law of last winter
| has redeemed this profession aud purged it, and
the foundation for all these charges against apoth
| ccaries that have been heaped upon them here in
this discussion, existed long before there was any
such law as this to help them up and place them
| upon a higher ground.
| These charges were against a class of men who
| would sneak 10 at tue back door of the business.
| and conducted the business only as cover. Thal
| class OF men are out of this case entirely Now,
| the Governor appoints three suitable men to be
| commissioners, who examine the apothecares
and they are under oath TO discharge their duties
| faithfully, and to crit else every who comes.
| not only as to his capacity, but | haven't the
slightest doubt that these honorable men appoint
| ed by the Governor and intrusted with a great
pubhc trust ike this, will discharge their duty
faithfully and the men who are registered a,
| apOthecarie- are honorable, high minded men.
Now tins registration, 1t seems to me, is a very
| important element in this If had pre-
sented this matter before, the profession might
| have been subject to some of the censure, which
! has been cast upon it. But now we present these
| men, having passed through this examination by
| the Governors own commis iouers, men who have
no interest in this matter. What next have we
| There is pharmaceutical association in this State
| like the one IN the nation which has been spoken
Of tonight. And nearly all the apo,hecaries who
| are registered belong to that association.
1t Is an honorable profession. an honorable busi-
ness, and made up OF honorable men. And they
have character to sustain. And of course they
Will look sharply after the character of their mem
bers to that they bring disgrace ON that as
sociation. And if they did bring disgrace upon
it, how soon would they be cast out.
| Then we iud that before any man can be regis.
tered, he must have passed three years in az
apothecary shop or he must nave graduated from
some medical institution. And he must be skilled
IN this business undeI standing the nature of al
| the medicines which he deals out intoxicatinA
| liquors as well as all others. And he becomes an
experienced business man, more acquainted with
human nature than these old fogies that have bee
generally appointed as town agents every where,
men who could not do ANYTHING else aud do not
| know any better; men that could he deceived and
were deceived continually. and sold intoxicating
liquors not for medicine alone, but to any person
that wanted them.
rather to-day have the seven apothecary stores
in the city Of Augusta authorized to sell intoyi.
eating hqaors, under the pains aud penalties OF
this bill Tor medicinal purposes than to see one
agency appointed here. L believe the public in
tercst would be better subserved by this class oi
intelligent men who are acquainted with human
nature aud nave been engaged in business foi
more than three years, and 50 me of them twenty
years and understand how to take men, and Will
not he imposed upon.
Well, gentlemen as has been remarked here
before toni gh, allow me 10 repeat 1t for it is i'm
portant-we trust these apothecaiies in every
thing else. We 20 to our physicians, we take a
prescription, we 20 to the apothccary with 1t. We
have the medicine put up. We trust our lives
I aud the lives Of our families IN their hands. We
90 with perfect faith and confidence TO the apoth-
ecary store and have prescription filled which
may death ISit wrong, may be lie if it is right.
" do not hesitate TO trust them. We trust them
to sell poisons. We trust them to sell opium,
which Is as deadly, and used for ntoX icatng pur
poses Just as nuco as intoxicating liquors. We
not ask any bonds or penalties of them for tn,
sale of that article.
Why don't these gentlemen propose to estab-
lisn an independent agency for the sale of opium.
because apotnecares cannot be trusted 2 | tel
YOU there is something fatally intirm and weak IL
these Arguments. | eau hardly give them ciedir
when they say we cannot trust these apothecaries,
wnen they are trustiGg them with their lives and
the health OF their families every day.
There Is another thiag. 1t seems Tome there
is a peculiar Appropriateness IN deposlting these
medicinal liquors with other medciae. 1t is the
approl rate and proper place for them; not put
ting them in an independent pace, but putting
the IN with medicines. Educate the public minu
with the idea that they are medicines like othe
medicines, and should be kept with medicines and
used for medicinal purposes, and that they stand
precisely on the same level as any other medicine.
But 1t is said by these gentlemen here, You
must not have any self interest IN this matter
Agencies have no Interest; they have nothing at
stake; they simply have salary and the profits
20 to the people of the town, and not to them.
But these men are going to own the liquors,
aud to sell them, and reap the profits of them.
Well, let us about that. Why don't they sell
now tor drlnking purposes
Mr.. Nye-rhey do.
Mr.. Baker-They do, the gentleman saws.
Mr.. Nye- fhey acknowledge it.
Mr.. Baker, heard no acknowledge any
such thing.
Mr.. Qis-Acknowedged their liability to be
deceived.
Mr.. Baker-So the very elect may be. But
why don't til, Sc apothecaries open rum shops
now If sef-lnterest is the sole moving cause OF
this measure that IS asked at YOUR hands, and if
they are gong 10 open the 'U0ou gates oil lntoNl-
eating liquors" for drinking purposes, why don
they do II now There is the same motive press
Ing upon them, and ii this act passes there the
same penalties and imprlsonments hanging over
them, the very moment they step the dead
liue. This law says to them, you may sell for me-
dicinal purposes, and other. While you keep to
that you safe you protected But the instant
you step your foot ever there, you are an outlaw.
\ GU are subject to all the penalties and impr,on-
ments of the Maine law in its full force. You are
TO be ranked with "Pat Mctilinchy" and all the
rest OF that class OF men.
Now isn't the same danger existing to day that
there will he then ? Where is the distinction 7
And here is where the gentlemen on the other
sde have confused things. We only ask that
these men NAV be protected in this sale for medi-
cal purposes, for useful purposes for it is ad-
mitted on all hands TO be useful. And the instant
they sell for any other purpose they haven't a
shadow of protection from the law; DOT one shad-
ow and never can have; and what is more than
that, when they have been once convicted they
are out of the reach of it fore yer. And ii You
choose, they may have their registration cancelled
and be deprived of their business. For the mo-
ment their registration is cancelled, that instant
they cannot be apothecaries by the laws of this
State. Now, gentlemen, have said as much in
/ regard to that as | think the requires.
But it is said that apothecaries Will be multi
piled all over the State, if this law passes Well,