The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-02-22

II
we snail not give undue weight 70 the
petitions against this resolution, coming
| from localities In the state where the
communities are a unit against liquor,
and consequently know nothing of the
evils our large cities ana towns are called
upon to endure by a non regulation by
law OF traffic which should be made TO
pay well for its existence
We should take into consideration per-
hsps first OF all. the bedrock proposition
on which all governments stand; that
majorities rule, ana any law 10 be effec-
tive, must have more than the manjority
behind it We must II need there be,
learn over again the great truths which
divorced church from state; that you
cannot legislate into goodness By force OF
law, and when you insist upon making
men abstainers by civil enactment and
| not by enlightened conscience, you make
| law breakers and criminals.
We should weigh well the fact that
| states like Maine, Kansas aud Rhode
Island, North and south Dakota, all con-
stltutional prohibition states, furnish
notable examples OF the utter failure OF
| the endorsements Of prohibition upon the
majority by the minority. Rhode Island
some years since, however. resoinded her
action and went back TO proper regula-
tion OF the traffic, and Kansas II we read
recent history correctly will soon be
forced to do the same thing.
We should give due w9ight to such au-
shority aG quoted above, which assures
you that politicians under prohibition
control liquor dealers in their own DO.
litical interests; and this to my mind, is
one Of the eyils Of the prohibitory law
that Is creating more rotteness In the
body polite in this state, than any and
oil other influences combined.
THINK gentlemen OF II for a moment;
the outlaw you have made, for promise
OF exemption from seizure, deposits his
nr4 hWRrN Rsa ks txaN
for the party temporarily In power, be
they Republican or Democrat, and thus
he purchases his immunity from arrest
and imprisonment. lie appears In your
caucuses, and in your ward work. and
even boasts that he makes your city gov.
ernments
Francis Willard gave uttersnee to the
folio wing proposition, as to the basis OF
the demands of the Prohibitionists:
THE degradation OF the citizen Is a ma
tional injury, and the organized liquor
traffic has become an active ana damag-
Ing factor in government, defyinR legal
restraint, th hwarting justice, dominating
politics, and oorrupting elections and
officials"
And these propositions gentlemen, as
truthfully constitute a basis for a proper
restriction OF the liquor traffic in Maine /
today 90 they did before we had experi- |
enced the evils OF the nifty years. attempt /
at legal and constitutional prohibition
You should not lose sight OF the fact,
that any town or number of towns in the |
state which may be free from nuuor
traffic, are not 30 by reason OF constitu-
tional prohibition; nor are they the
product OF any prohibitory law, but
rather; their freedom from quoh traffic is
the result Of their own unanimous choice
regardless OF any law. and for all such
towns In Maine, l can produce similar
towns in license states.
9entlemen. 1 annrahend muoh of the
argument against resubmisston or repeal
OF constitutional prohibition, will be
That those towns are In danger. There
is nothing In 1t, The public sentiment
that Is sufficiently potent to create and
maintain strictly Temperance town nm
der prohibition law, IL powerful enough
to nroducs the same results under q IL
csnse or local option law.
Ao1 should not lose sight of the fact,
that there comes into this state daily, n
Thousands OF dollars worth OF liquors bs-
low standard test liquors that are OF In
ferior quality ana fOIstsd upon dealers In
msny ores, solely because or the probabis
coubt of the de iiers ability TO buy liquors,
Rentlen ca, that In one Gays sale, repre-
sent more perjury, light, and deDauohery
than a month of restricted license Eae in
a city the size OF Boston.
/ Rm told on good authority, that Ger.
tain liquor dealers In tho city of Port
land, since the preient crusade began,
ion, and retailsd In plnts to their GUS
toners at s. co per gallon. Think OF that
for q moment, and remember that 81 20
per gallon win hardly take good grade
Of whiskey out OF bond.
The same conditions prevail In Water
Vile and doubt not In any city 10
Maine. One of our local druggists,
showed me flask OF so-called whiskey
obtainsd from ponket peddlar, since the
Kew. MIR. Berryis raids began In Water
Vile, that without prevarioatlon. think
would, even In homeopathic doses, have
taken the hump OF camel in thirty
minutes and gentlemen, these are the
legitimate results OF foisting n law upon !
he people OF the state, that the people OF
he state Will not uphold.
You should give due weight TO the
the prohibitory law enforces up
n meeting the legitimate and reasonable
demands OF their patrons they make
criminals ana law breakers.
Continuing, MIR. Davis argued that the
aw is drivingEaway desirable elements OF
population, although he said that he
new this position would be controverted.
n conclusion he urged that weight
hould be given to the petitions sent here
" nearly 5000 reputable citizsns of
iaine, who asked that this resolve be
assed. I
Representative Kelley of Lewiston read l
he following letters from President A.
v. Harris OF the University of Maine,
written in reply to a request sent to 1000
daine citizens by U A. Caine. asking
Or opinions on the subjsct. 10 this re-
nest Mr.. Caine received III replies. DIR.
tarris wrote:
Dear Sir Your circular letter OF JAN
AIRY II, making certain nquiries in re-
ard to tine bill now before the legislature
roviding for the resubmission OF the
article Sin the constitution
'as not received until g few days ago l
now OF nothing which Indicates that
here is in Orono any active sentiment in
Avor of resubmissfon. am confident
hat resubn, ission would result in the re-
nactment of the present law. 1 should,
oweyer, favor resubmlssion of this or
ny other part OF the constitution II IL
Ould be shown that a fair minority were
. favor OF such a course, and / am per-
laded that in all matters, whetHer relat.
80 Ak.. - L.