Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-04-06
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| 1t has rot been the purpose Of the
JoeEsAL 70 narrow the field Of discuer
sioa On the Temperance question % Ioss
as /: was carried on By responsible citi-
zeas within The houads Of personal
csutesy. Accordingly our readers have
ben given suite range Of opinion re-
CARDIAC various phases Of this matter.
We should aot, hoseyer, permit cur
selves In the consideration OF minor
points, 20 lose sight Of the main ques-
ton, viz shaa the Ram Shops be sup
pfezseds Shall the unholy traffic In To-
tesicasing liquors be pa. down here Ia
eur mIsisst That IL the vital point at ID
see, and we have sufficient faith In the
moral stamina Of Augusta citizens to be-
ieve they Will answer e with a vigorous
affirmative The war against the rum
traffic II q war against social evil. It is
yaged in the interests, Of society, Of the
home. Of humanity. thousands Of noble
men and women have fought and are still
Aghsing IN the rsakz Of temperance |
and winning splsndid victories. We do
not believe that their efforts are vain, |
Tor they point ~ TO splendid results.
In accordance with thaecncurrenf desire |
OF these temperance workers--backed by
the overwhelming endorsement Of vast
msjofity Of the people Of this State, |
Maine has enacted stringent prohibitory
iegislation- That legislation was pot
upon our statute books at the urgent
solicitation OF the leading tenn
perance workers of the State
men and women who had years Of ac~
tive and practical experience in fighting
intemperance and the liquor traffic, and
who had firmly arrived at the belief that
the suppression OF the rum shop aud the
maintenance Of sobriety among our peo-
pie demanded the enactment Of such
laws. We agree with Mr.. Partridge
| when he says, In his communication
elsewhere in this issue, that Temperance
is virtue older than prohibition.
Temperance has ARRAYS been a virtue
It IL In itself an end most earnestly to
be desired. Prohibition has been
thought by the strong temperance senti
ment Of this State to be the
best means to that end -- hence
It's incorporation into our statute laws
We do not believe that 1t is fraud,
or that under IL the use Of intoxicants
has VIGOROUSLY increased We believe
that 1t has already accomplished great
work for temperance in Maine and that.
II IL is vigorously enforced. it will do
still more for il, especially with the
wise laws to strengthen It's practical
operation that have been passed by the
Legislature the past wiuter We be-
lieve that prohibitory laws constitute the
wisest kind OF temperance legislation
First OF all they strip the saloon of all
respcctability. They make it al outlaw.
1t Is not permitted to ply IFS nefarious
traffic with openness and under the sane
ton Of law. 1t is driven into the dark
corners. Its ways are those Of crime, of
concealment, of stealth. The very odium
that attaches to it is In itself a most
powerful incentive to young men to
avoid such places. II was not so very
many years ago,-older citizens still re-
call the time,--when nearly every
one drank liquor. Now only a.
small minority of our people do so.
Who win undertake to say that the cause
of temperance has not been q progressive
oaef
There is no law that does not have its
offenders, and the prohibitory Is no
exception to the rule. We have laws
against murder, arson, and burglary,
but they have not awaited to rid society
| of murderers, ineendiaries or burglars.
Because this is so does anyone believe
that we should do away with the pro-
hibitory features of those laws and put
murder, burglary and arson under
the wise restrictions of Regulating
laws:' But It may be said that this Is not a
fair comparison. We believe, however,
| that il is. To our mind the work of the
| saloon Is Just as much a crime against
society "a any in the category of human
| oflenses- IT Is, in fact, the direct source
of CREST majority of all crimes II we
would eflectually prevent murder, ar.
son and other heinous ofYenses against
society, We must begin by putting down
the rum shop, which is the cause of the |
larger part of them. The liquor traffic |
is gigantic crime, that works to under
mine society in . thousand insidious
WAYS. Let us see that we never permit |
it 10 wear the garment of respeetability. |
By so doing its power for evil would be
vastly increased.
Mr.. partridge's article is well written |
and he Is evidently outs pokenly sincere |
In the opinions he expresses, but we
cannot believe that the views he pre-
SCENTS are those upon which any prae-
teal temperance movement could be
based
In Philadelphia, the home of high |
license, 5000 rum shops are today doing
Il Gourishing business. A movement
looking in the same direction in Maine |
was jumped upon by the voters of this
State at the last election with an empha-
ais that left no doubt of their firm belief |
in prohibition and the work that 1t is
doing for temperance.
In this issue we have also communi. |
cation from Rev. Mr.. Ross, giving some |
very eminent authorities in support of
the position taken by him in his first |
reply to DR.. Croker. We think our
readers will admit that he makes ont a
strong case
The temperance movement is gaining |
strength in our city as 1t progresses. |
Our best people are very generally sign |
Ing the petitions for the better enforce |