Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-08-07

ADDRESS OF HoN. NELSON DINGLEY, JR.
AT THE TEMPERANCE Mass MEETING
AT LAKE MARANocooK, July 2STH
1888, NN.y Moe :
Mr.. Dingley said in substance One
year from next September the people O
this State are to vote on a prohibitory
constitutional amendment. For severa
reasons the result of this vote will have
an important influence on future legisla-
ton bearing on dram shops. s-.-~
IMPORTANCE OF AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE
The reasons which led many thousand
petitioners to ask the legislature to sub
nit this amendment were first to strength.
en- the principle Of prohibition BY max
ing it the settled constitutional policy Of
the State, and secondly to lift the prohib-
itory principle above party issues and
complications by making it part Of the
fundamental law of the State beyond tn e
sphere Of partisanship.
Whatever difference of opinion nigh,
have existed as to the expediency of SUBJ
hitting the amendment, now that it
must be voted up or voted down every
prohibitionist must reach the conclusion
that the continuance Of our laws prohib-
,,ing dram shops is largely dependent
upon decided affirmative vote. Practi-
cally the vote on the amendment is poll
of the voters Of the State on the question
of prohibition or license. The signif-
canoe of the vote both at home and
abroad lies in this fact. II decided
majority vote in favor Of the amendment
i, will be regarded everywhere as the
settled conviction Of the people Of Maine
that the prohibition of the dram shop BY
law is a wiser policy than license, and
the result, will greatly strengthen our
prohibi,ory laws and give new impetus
to their enforcement. QUO = "a
II. on the other hand, the majority
vote against the amendment, it will lie
claimed and held everywhere as an ex-
preston of the people Of Maine against
prohibition. and give such an impetus to
license sentiments tina. nothing can sue.
cessfully resist tie demand that will at
once come up for the substitution Of IL
cense for prohibi.ory laws.
1t is because Of this fact that it be.
comes so important to secure decided
majority of the popular vote in favor Of
the amendment. The form Of the
amendment is, for this reason, Of little
consequence. The prohibitionist who
votes against it because be thinks it does
not 20 far enough, or because he doubts
the expediency Of constitutional pro-
vision on the subject, or for any Other
reason, will find that the practical effect
of his vote is for license. With thi;
view Of the situation clearly in mind, nc
one can fail to see that q strong affirma,
tive vote viii greatly strengthen the
policy Of prohibiting dram shops
and tend to lift It toa position where it
will be regarded as well settlsd as tht
policy Of prohibiting gambling places
while on the other hand negative vote
win stamp prohibition with popular dis.
approval at once nulify it, and probably
lead to Its overthrow.
It is important, therefore, that the
friends Of temperance in Maine should al
this time promptly meet the assaults or
our prohibitory policy which have recent.
| ly multiplied in view of the approaching
poll of votes on the question Of prohibi
ton and license, and should oandidly ant
thoroughly disou,s the relative merits o
the two policies Of dealing with dram
shops.
y FONTS or AGREEMENT. Vg
Happily. said Mr.. Dingley, in ap
preaching consideration Of the .dfinl
problem. there is entire agreement be
tween all good citizens. all men who cal
lay any claim to friendship for temper
ance, on two points First, that tn
evils which arise from drinking practice
and from the dram shops which pande
to drinking habits, are ofoso immens
magnitude as to loudly call for the co
operation Of every true man and womal
in the use of every possible means of pre-
vention or mitigation. And secondly
that while these evils cannot be entirel,
overcome, yet they are in large measur
preventable or remediable by huma