The Republican journal., 1896-10-22
License and Liquor.
F.w. Gowen on the Liquor situation In Maine

insert the following clipping from re-
cent issue Of the Portland Herald, touch
inc upon the matter of a license law re-
ceivirg passage through the coming ses-
sion Of our Legislature. The Herald says:
Notwithstanding the next Legislature
CT Name will be almost unanimously Re
publican it is greatly feared it will pass
license law. Yes, license law by that
temperance party. Truth is, indeed,
stranger than fiction.
] believe. friend editor, that the Rerub
lican panty which has upheld temperance
and prohibition for SO many years in dear
old Maine will not be found passing law
licensing a traffic V hich is overshadowing
cur land with misery and pauperism; for
this wicked traffic is costing our govern
ment, dire city and indirectly, every year
81, 216, 45o, 113 as against only S137, 263,
9133 of net government revenues from
liquor. Hence one can see very readily
that We are receiving in license money
only about one tenth of what the drink
II; tfiC is costing our people. Again, we
are paying out every year over 81, 900, 900
more for rum than the entire expenses
dWing the civil war of the Northern
States, tleiI counties, cities and towns. l
desire to say that have upheld the great
cause Of prohibition side by side with sew
aIal OF our successful candidates to the
Legislature. and if | mistake not they will
be found 6enouncing on the floor of the
House and Senate the coming winter with
splendid courage this rum evil, ten times
mole evil than ten civil wars The SUI
pleme court of the nited States has
three times affirmed that, mo legislature
can bargain away the public health or
public morals. Government is organized
with view to their preservation" If
Qua lawmakers this winter were to pro-
ttct business fol a price which is neither
fo. The saRe Of justice nor for the public
velfale. it would be to abaIdon the very
erd> foI which government is instituted.
as declared in the constitution of my
coullH But, to be fair, would ask who
Is gong To- expect the Republican party
cl any o1Lel political party 10 uphold the
l1irUU les q prohibition much longer
Wien tive majority of the ministers,
Christians and moral people in this
conn ouwealth seem to care nothing
about prohibition, OF whether we
have rum everywhere in the State OF
no12 III is shameful. this apathy and
Indifference of the Christian church on
this great question Of which | write |
sometimes wonder what we will come to
as a nation if our Christian and moral peo-
pie do not rise up and meet this great
issue face to face like true men and wo-
men. OIL beg our citizens of Maine, IL
respective of church relations or political
affiliations, 10 wake up and in the name of
Almighty God demand better enforcement
Of our prohibitory law. | realize that
the state OF Maine cannot put policeman
Oh every corner and into every home, but
it can stop, if we all say SO, these secret
dealers IN insanity, with a Thou shalt
not. finn as our granite, bright as the
hayonet, potent as the cannon and awful
as an army with banners.
From boy have been deeply interest
cd Ill the temperance reform an. can well
remember of assembling my little sister
ard blotl Ell and playmates together in the
quiet town of Montyille for the purpose
Of addressing them upon the question ever
mean my Aealt. Little did | think then in
my bo}ish enthusiasm that | was attack
ing he greatest foe, of the age, which is
causing g much sorrow and heartache in
the homes of our land Only since | have
lettfootpIins in many States in my efforts.
with Others, to bring about the downfall
OF this giant foe have ! fully realized that
the legalized liquor tn; fife sustains the
most immediate and important relations
10 oHr problems OF crime, pauperism, in
sanity jlliteracy and municipal mis- gov
emmett. in the years that are gone
can remember Of listening to that good
man, ihGN' IADtutZel hnONIJO0, laundering
from the pulpit Sunday after Sunday
against this terrible curse, and with his
eyes uplifted toward heaven and his
cheeks wet with tears, he would say with
deep feeling, our country will vet be pure
and clean from this awful stain. We need
more such clergymen to-day, who will
preach that whatever is wrong for the in
dividual cannot possibly be right for
well regulated State. If the liquor traffic
is eight, then all words, acts, and all laws
against it are themselves wrong and
should be silenced and swept away: but
we challenge the liquor men to meet us
on the question of whether the great prin-
ciples OF prohibition wrong the citizens
OF this eommonw ealth; we challenge them
to deny but that the spirit of our institu-
lions aIe designed to promote the elevat
Ing of men. ] have resisted for years. and
shall continue to resist as long as | have
life and reason, licensing of this damnable
outrage of intoxicating liquors, which
Lold Bacon declared 'shas DESTROYED more
Of the human race and alienated more
pICleIty than all other crimes on the
EARTH.