The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-01-24

try. There j. "A long catalogue of wrong
arfs which 4 man i prohibited by law
from doing. ANY person who will can.
didly and carefully examine the law.
with mind unprriudiced and the discrim-
+ ;n,ting iutelliopnra will concpde thar
there i nothing prohibited. that bene-
fits society generally and mankind in
diyiduallv.
The enactment of This law marked Il
new era. in the history of Maine. IL
j wax thr daWning of n 'livbt which was
destined to illuminate the state. social.
lv and morally. i'm sen of radtrnt bril-.
lianey. This law was hcralded from the
Canifol. and taken M and borne ON the
breeze Of Heaven. through the valleys,
and Ger tho hills Of Maine in Clarion
tones ~ the voice of intelligent human
itv II told In fathers and m ,thrrs HAT
the future nf their sons was TO he less
dangerous that one great evil and temp
taiion was removed. II told to society
that fhn man whose influence has been
lnsf for good was To become one of it,
resneetpd citizens. We arr told by the
enemies of lhis measure. that the law il.
violated.
+ thnre section of criminal law upon
the statute books of this state covering
the entire eafaloyue of crime bnt what i
Frequently brokrng Your pnhlic paprr.
ure till4d with rho aerounts Of the viola.
zion of criminal law. Now would if not
he inst AS reasonable to ask for the re-
peal of the entire criminal code because
sections therein arr doilv hrokcn. ~ to
ask for the reneal of This particular law.
,,ohibitinp the free sale of Intoxicating
liquors. because il il eynded ana broken?
at il stand unon tbe statute hooks
I.et il be a crime To sell rum. and let the
man who violates il bv selling and
bringing misery and suffering TO his
fellow.men. he nointed at. summed and
n,inishnd AZ n criminal. Oblige the man
who will sell liouor. to keen II i'm back
alleys and sccrrr out of the way places.
10 nrocure and transport it during the
darkness of night. Oblige them to con
duet their ncfarious traffic secretly, with
,he narrowing fear of punishment and
rntrihution eonstantlv before them. inst
as the thief secretly enters your dwelling
in the dead hour of the nipbt and bears
AWAY your propertv. And do not fail
brothers and sisters TO be as active in
bringing the culprit 10 iusticp. In the
former case. as soon AZ in the latter.
Again they tell us that the law i nor
enforced and cannot b.. enforced. BE-
cotise a law il not strictly enforced if
does not follow necessarily that il is "A
failure. All laws provide for their en-
forepmcnt. and if the public or the pub
lie officials allow n law to stand upou
the statute books unpnforcpd. it il no
fault of the law.
Go hock 10 the time when luuor was
sold oprulv nnd freely within vour own
VILLAGE. BEFORE il was banished by law
from the grocery store. When Your
grocer realized as much revenue from
the sale of liouor. ms from his entire
procerv. Bring forth from its recess
where it has been laid for years, that old
ledper. and find pallon after gallon of
rum charged upon its pages. Call TO
mind The DAYS of musters, town meetings
and other public occasions with their in
evitable drunken fight. Compare those
DAYS and eyents with the present and
see if the law has not b.en enforced.
The principles taught hv the prohibi.
tory l.iuuor Inv. are surely spreading
and making their influence felt all over
the land, so in the cause of Temperatures.
the proud hgend-,sl direct"-engraved
upon the shield of the state is TO be veri.
fled by actual and living fact. If the
people of Maine would rally to the sup
port of the glorious law prohibition, i'm.
pelled bv the feeling of duty, united for
the right, move to the onset the rum
powef would very soon meet its Gettys.
burg.
This law which was convinced n ii
constructed down here among the pines
of Maine. Is the leaven which is destined
ultimately TO leavcn the entire sister
hood of states. The sons of Maine are
working and spreading throughout the
country, spreading the principles. and
implanIinp the doctrines of the Maine
law. Ministers are teaching the princi-
ples of the law from the pulpit and ora-
TORS from the platform. The sun has
risen in the east. and though SLOWLY. vet
surely, is approaching the zenith. When
il will iIlunine the entire country from
the Atlantic to the Pacific in the universal
liyht of temperance. OF course there
are people who AS vet take no interest in
trmnerauce IN this country being entire
liz cngrossed with their individual affairs.
but the principles of prohibition are DIES.
tined TO prevail lust as surely as Justice
! lives
Look in vour imaginationsdown across
/ the stretch of wears living between YOU
and the distant future, behold This
country which YOU love so well, peopled