The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-15
BOSTON HERALD AND MAINE LAW.
Rev. G. Munger Writes in Reply to that
Papers Articles on Prohibition.

ed by the trade in Chicago last summer.
The parts of that plot were to write down
prohibition, make it unpopular in every
way possible, then clamor for re-submis-
sion and license. All to protect the
liquor trade. The rum party fights
everything that obstructs it's purpose, the
destruction of prohibition. Its policy,
like the Internal machine, is to kill by
deceit. 1t has been at work on a the still
hunt" policy, till it seems quite sureof
victory, and so it opens fire. In the
Herald's articles we even the boom of
it's first gun. The people need to know
the aim and methods of these conspira-
tors. Their history reveals these. When
the trade was fighting prohibition in Ne
braska (1890) there was vast amount OF
correspondence, asking and giving ad-
vice, as to the best way to kill proh1bl-
ton, There was also much practice and
many tricks which they never intended
should see the light.
But that terror of the Rumocracy, the
Voice, unearthed enough to fill several
of it's columns. OF course they denied
the Voice having the documents which
would be accepted in the courts, offered
a thousand dollars for the proof of their
charge. But none accepted the offer,
simply because the evidence, sometimes
court records, was incontestable. From
| that testimony quote few samples.
First letter and reply:
Lincoln, Neb., Mar. S, 1890.
| Dear Sir: There is a prohlhltlon
amendment pending in this State, and
| ! would like to have your advice as a
| member of the trade. You have had ex-
| perience in fighting prohibition, and you
| know what the best plans are: lt ID my
| opinion that if the Nebraska dealers Will
| talk high license, and show its advantages
as revenue measure, and plan LOT
regulating the traffic. ETC., they Will get
the support of the best people and even
some preachers. Do you know
| of any documents that will have weight
| against prohibition among religious
| people? How should campaign funds De
| distributed? I think that the
trade will accomplish more by spending
the bulk of the funds among the news
| papers. Give me your best plan for
working through political machinery,
and especially how to silence the pulpit
and the press.
WIN. E.JoHNsoN.
Reply: oo
VIM. E. johnson, Esq.
| !. Il always was high license
man. and tl1inkgit the only thing to pre-
vent prohibition. My idea from expert
| ence IS: Favor the passage of a high
| license bill with as many restrictions as
| possible. also large penalty and
| Imprisonment for violation. That
will get you, as it did us, the support OF
the best people, preachers and polite
ians. If you get the politicians on
both sides they influence the papers, and
| they and the papers can win any hghG.
| Make your fight on the grounds of
high Incense and revenue Argue that
prohibition does not prohlb
HARRY P.CRowELL
Mr.. Crowell ia the grand sachem of the
| Pennsylvaia liquor trade. He invited Mr..
johnson to come and get more lnforma'
| tiop, Colonel Cheves went. and got
| lot of the secrets, some of which are
| these: We RAISED over 100000, which
was expended by the State COMMITTEES.
Resides. local committees in every COM
munity raised and expended large sums
| during the campaign and on election
day. We paid it out to the newspapers,
/
| speakers. We would go to the
leaders, Republicans aud Democrats, and
saw You cannot afford to be
against us. It you do we will .remem Der
| you at the next election. but it you will
help US we whip you literally. :, We
| had all the workers on our side and the
machines of both old parties were with
as. We bought the newspapers
by paying down SO much cash. e.
always found out good man in the
church who could work the preacher
with but little trouble, for half tue
| preachers are towards. We talked
high license all the time. Never defend
the saloons, if SO, you lose the influence OF
| church mem bers and ministers, but talk
about revenue, cider, taxation and espec-
| tally prohibition don't prohibit, and
| cIamor for high license. 1t was that and
| that alone that saved us. Get
| up good literature and send it, especially
to the farmers. Make plea for high
| license and the battle is yours, that is
| if you have the papers and politicians
with you, and you can get them if you
| have money.
| Here is a bit of advice from Texas:
"Try to gets some one to work on a
| good minister. Get him to make SER
mon on temperance-not prohibition.
| Have it published in the papers and puff
| him, ana others VIII follow for the no
| tOrloGy bney ger. ,..
| From Pennsylvania. "We paid politi-
clans at every polls to work quietly for
our cause. We took Repu blicsns and
Democrats and gave according to inf1u-
ence from $40 to $50 each."
From Worcester, Mass. "We advise you
not to hold any public meeting, as the
prohib,tonists won't attend, and you
will have the hall filed with a gang of
)oafers, which will make you look like
| States Prison birds"
FROM Brewer, Ohio: "The greater
part of the funds was paid to the news
1apers for arti cles against prohibition.
From Dakota: ITO advocate high
license is we'll. The people like the idea
of having the liquor men pay their tax
es. Buying up newspapers is one of the
best ways"
In 1920 the liquor firm Moore & Sin
matt of Philadelphia, brought suit TO
recover 1922, 500 loaned to the liquor men
to carry on the fight against prohibition.
They filed in the court of Common
Pleas statement of the sums paid with
dates and names, amounting to SO, 49,
81. nearly all Of which was paid to a
oxen newspapers.
These are the methods by which the
t;ouor party has defeated prohi bition
in A dozen States and it is supposable
that tactics, so successful elsewhere will
| h 1sed here inst as far as posi- ble But