Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-08-25
FOR THE AMENDMENT.
Hon. John b. Fitch Delivers q Telling
Address In Granite Hall.

Hon. John B. Finch of Nebraska delivered
logical and convincing address in favor of
temperance and the prohibitory amendment
in Granite Hall, yesterday afternoon. The
attendance was rather thin. The meeting
was called to order by r. W. Soule, ESQ,
who, after prayer by Rev. Mr.. Skerle, in
troduced the speaker. Mr.. Finch is Young
man, of medium height and expressive coun-
tenance. He spoke without faltering. and
for two hours held the undivided attention
of the audience with his eloquence At times
his utterances were Of great power and keen
ness, and his illustrations were well chosen
and told with much effect.
Nr. Finch referred to the influence the re.
suit Of the voting on the prohibitory amend
ment would have in other states. Let Maine
| repudiate prohibition, which she will do if
| the amendment IS not accepted, and it will
dishrarten the friends Of temperance through
out the great West and ignore the cause on
every hand. The amendment has heen sub
mtted to the people, it mttter. not how or by
whom, The question is not whether it was
wise to bring the amendment before the ueo-
! pie, but squarrly whether the voters will ac-
cept it or not. The speaker said that il was
| a contest between prohibition and license
Law, and II the amendment fell then good bye
/ to prohibition in Maine. He answered Ell
| fectualv the oft repeated assertion that the
constitution ought not to be tempered with
| People under certain forms of government
and in certain conditions have been obliged
| TO resort to revolution and bloodshed to ac-
/ complish changes which were refused bv
\ their ruler. In America no napr.la Oh
! rulers, and the trainers of the government
wisely made a provision that the people
should have the privilege of adding an
| amendment 10 the constitution by their bal
/ lot. Furthermore they are allowed an
/ abundance of time to consider their course
OF action. All | ask Of you my friends, is to
/ reflect upon this great question of the amend
ment and 90 to the polls on the Sth day of
| Sept mber and vote as you please. The
question of license law was discussed at
length, the speaker taking strong ground
/ against 1t, said the law had been on trial in
Nebraska for four years and had proved a
complete failure. 1t is practically a dead
letter and will not regulate the sale OF liquor,
although it il the best law of that kind in the
country II you should, said Mr. Finch, be
in jury box and bring in a verdict that a
man was innocent when he was gully, then
!
committed by that man. So it is in this case
The liquor question is before the people and
II you believe the grog shops guilty then it
Is the duty of every honest man to vote
against them. He who would vote otherwise
Is traitor TO his country. He said it was
simply a question of whether the grog shop
was blessing or not Take the Methodist
church for instance. Surprising that filled
the country with crime, ruined men and
women, blighted homes and firesides, how
long would it be tolerated in the community
! What If the dry good store should be an in
strument for evil in our midst and fill our
prisons with criminals, what, think you
would be their fate? All that | ask is that
the same laws be applied to the liquor seller
as to any other man in the community. The
grog shop had just as good a chance so or 60
years ago as any other business. 1t was re-
spectacle then to distil and sell liquor. To-
day the rumseller was practically an outlaw
/ from society and decent people want nothing
to do with him. What alls the liquor traffic ?
Why, society is simply defending itself
against the entertainments of the monster
which is filling the world with violence and
. crime. The difference between an enforced
pruhibtory law and license was shown. After
relating several vrrv III citing incidents the
speaker closed with an earnest appeal for
voters who hold the key to the position, to
cast their ballots for the amendment in
/ September.