The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-23
Licensed Grog Shops.

To the Editor of the Press:
Some friends of ours, Republicans and
Democrats, do not like prohibition and
are anxious that Maine should go back
to the old policy of licensing grog shops.
They profess to think that to be better,
and speak of it as being in the interest of
true temperance which they very much
approve. wonder if these gentlemen
have ever considered it, that as honest
men they are bound to show what good
will come to the state and people from
grog shops established by law. They
propose to appeal to the voters to help
them in the great undertaking. The
prohibitionists are always ready to show
what benefit will inevitably result from
the absolute suppression of the saloons,
and eagerly avail themselves of every OPP
portunity to do so.
If these gentlemen will excuse me, I
will help them in this part of their work
Grog-shops are factories; they are as
much so as wooden mills on cotton mills
or shoe factories. Like them the saloons
lhuso nave Id" inaOeii@i III oluel " Ourn
out their finished goods. The others
require wool, cotton, leather; these re-
quire boys, men, women, fathers, BROTH
ers, sons, daughters. Without these, the
grog-shops cannot run, as cotton, wooden
and shoe factories cannot run without
the stock upon which all their work de-
pends. would these genUlemen VINO are
earnest-let us hope honest also-would
thew clamor for localized open grog shops
&c IT, ,,1d forasoa +ba+ tbo;r CONC
Il 'i0y ooaAu l o'oc onaO ',loll son0'
prothers, Iathers, SISTERS, uaugh1oIs.
would certainly be a part of this mate
rial In he worked nm into finished goods
bv these localized Saloons?
Manv Of Orr .neonle are IRVING to es-
tablish new industries here: thew want
mora shoe factories nlush factories silk
factories machine works: their desire is
to furnish fl1ll employment for a larger
nonnlation. This will REQUIRE more
hopses and more sbops of MANY kinds to
sunnlv the increased population with the
thinps innumerable. which 90 to make
homes comfortable. pleasant. thrifty and
above ali happy. In all Seriousness. I
demand of YOU friends. that you answer;
can groo shons in anv way in the remot,
est deoree do anv thing in this direction?
To # not true that above all other sources
Of evil thew tend to brutalize the people
and to blast their homes with poverty,
wretchedness and strife? Sober, indus
trious thrifty men: comfortable. pleas
ant. happv homes for the people are the
greatest and most Important things to be
desired and procured If possible, in every
Community. The chief object of gov
ernment should be to realize all this in
the country.
Now. friends. YOU who are so anxious
to Establish legaiized grog shops in Maine
stand ont here that we NAV see YOU and
answer To orr demand. Is not this true
that sober. industrious citizens: peace
full. comfortable, happy, thrifty homes
are above all things to be desired and to
he nrocured bv a Government wishing to
nrovida for the prosperity of State and
Nationp Very we'll then. are grog shops.
whether LEGAL or ILLEGAL at all calculated
to lead to such results? Are not erog
shons above an other things combined.
Calculated to antagonize ali this: and to
make men disinc]ined to anv honest in
dnstrv and finally to unfit them for it?
T. II moi; among the inevitable results of
the prog shop. that thew convert good
men into had onesP into idlers. tramps.
h1ackomards loafers. begpars. thieves
hnrolars-in short into every sort and
Kind of rascals of every degree of yilliany?