Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-17

that this curse Of intcmperance should be
suppressed, said, with some spirit
''surely there is abundant reason for il. .
And do you think it helps the temper.
ance cause:' he asked.
And wig not:T
well, take my own case. / hold a
United States license for the sale Of
liquors. do business in connection with
one Of the leading physicians of your city.
| Within the limits OF my possibilities 1
endeavor to do a legitimate drug bust
ness. II is practically certain, however
that l shall be fined $500 a year for til e
privilege of holding my government Ii
cense. Do you think there is any tempta-
ton for me to meet those fines, by the
profits from an Illicit sale of liquors, or do
you think shall be perfectly willing to
use them solely for my legitimate drug
business, and pay those fines out of its
profits: Isn't the very tendency of your
present law to force reputable druggists
into the rum business Is the cause of
practical temperance advanced by such a
policy
But you are wandering from the
question, said desperately, for l felt I
was getting beyond my depths II don't
with you:''
Well, there are some things that all
fair minded men and women can see. Do
you think it strengthens the law in this
State, for you and hundreds of other
practical temperance people in Maine. to be
forced to come and ask me, and other
druggist friends TO break it for you: See
here he added drawing little red
| &.
have, here, the names of more than 200 of
the most respectable people in this city
who have asked me to break the prohib-
itory law for them within the past two
years, together with what was sold them
and, it, in moment of desperation, or
temporary insanity, I should ever make
it public, l can tell you that 1t would
make the tallest kind Of sensation
For goodness salles"
Il am myself Il temperance man. he
continued
l came nigh laughing in his face
"You SMILE" he said. "No wonder
Under the present condition all druggists
are classed as rumsellers, and temper
apce druggist is regarded as an anomaly.
The title itself is looked upon as contra
diction in terms.
i
myself but a temperate man. This has
never been rum shop 1t has been here
for more than 40 years. Its proprietors
have been respectable citizens. All have
done legitimate drug business. | have
no desire to do anything else. Liquor has
never been sold by the glass here, nor
have l ever sold it to anyone whom had
reason to believe desired it for beverage;
I to- ha - = k.
law, than X at the other end of the street,
who under the guise of drug store, is
conducting one of the cheapest rum shops
in the community. l shall pay into the
county treasury in fines this year as much
as he will. l can tell you, Mrs. Hazard,
and you cannot emphasize the fact too
strongly to your temperance friends, that
the cause Of prohibition is suffering more
| from the existence Of this rank injustice to
the legitimate drug business, than from
the combined efforts of all its enemies.
| 1t is too palpable to escape the notice of
the public, and too repulsive to the popu
lar sense of decency and fair play to escape
condemnation.
| Well, I've given his side of the case just
as nearly as can remember it, and l
don't mind admitting that 1t set me to
thinking. When our circle met | told the
members all about it. Mrs. Killem Pep
per:uueezer said it was all rot. A man
who sold liquor at all was just as bad as
any other man who sold it. She believed,
and it was borne ont by the opinions of
some of the most noted scientists in the
world-shc didn't just remember their
names--that there was no earthly use for
liquors of any kind. The world would
be better off without them. The Amcri-
can Indians the natives of Africa, and
Patagonia, were excellent illustrations
of this. There We're no liquors in Nature $
pharmacopCria. and the histories of all
primitive peoples who had come in con-
tact with our Wanted civilization, had
shown that mankind was vastly better
off without them.
Mrs Peppersqueezer gets eloquent at
times, and it was plain to be seen that her
remarks had created a powerful impress
/ sion. Their force was somewhat de-
stroyed by the remark of that cynical
Tabathy Tibbals-who always likes to say
something hateful-that liquors were not
the only things that primitive people get
along without; that, as matter of fact,
they managed to enjoy fairly good health,
without clothes, or books, or the Chris
tian religion.
Then that frowsy headed Della Simp-
silly, had to giggle right out loud.
l declare / could scarcely keep my
hands off from her. / ached so to box
her ears. The impertinent hussyl It
came very near breaking up the whole
meeting.
When order was finally restored little
Mrs. Amiabella timidly remarked that
she really thought something ought to be
done, to legalize the legitimate drug
business of the State. Fer her part she
would be the last one in the world to do
ANYTHING to weaken the cause of tenn
perance in the State or to undermine the
prohibitory law. She had felt cheap
though to be obliged to ask her druggist
to sell her alcohol for the baby's lamp all
winter, aud once-sbe blushed when she
said it--she had got some brandy Of him
IL was when the baby was very sick. |
though, and they We're trying to hold his
strength up, till they could fird some food
that agreed with him. They worried all
the time for fear he might die of exhaus-
ton. Under no other circumstances
would she have been guilty of asking
anyone to break thu law, and really she
Adm u think her dru ist upbt TO be fined. |