The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-01-01
WHAT CAN BE SUBSTITUTED FOR
PROHIBITION?

The November meeting OF POMONA
Grange was held at Searsmont Village,
and as the roads were good, and the
skies bright, there was large assembly;
and among them quite number OF rep
resentative men and women from differ
ent sections of the county.
The question presented for discussion
was. whether it was desirable to result
nit to the people that clause in the con-
stitution of Maine restricting the legis-
lature to prohibition as the only method
of dealing with the sale of Intoxicating
LIQUORS. The debate was able and ami
mated; but in my judgment some
things were left unsaid, and If you will
grant me space in your paper Will add
somewhat to their remarks; but pre-
vious to that will try and give brief
SYNOPSIS of the remarks of the different
speakers and in doing so will give their
names. as it will lend interest to the
matter, and as feel assured that can
do so without offence. But as have
to rely wholly on my memory-which is
not as good as it once was-1 may in
some instances get the lines of their ar
guments crossed, and if so, and by that
means | do injustice, | here and now
ask their pardon, as it will be wholly
unintentional.
Fx-S ate Master Hunt of Belmont
was ca led to open the debate. lie sad
that he was entirely unprepared, as he
had not known that the question was
to be brought up, but he was in favor of
resubmission, as he believed the present
method bad in practice leading to fraud
and hypocrisy, and one of its greatest
evils was that it was foot ball III poll
tics.
Bro. jefferson F. Wilson of Belfast
declared himself in favor of reSubmls-
sion. He was in favor of temperance, but
did not believe that the present method
Was adapted to ever attain that end.
He wished to call attention TO the fact
that should the prohibitory clause IN
the Constitution be repealed it would
bring us high license with local option,
like the Jaw of Massachusetts; which, to
his mind, was the best law eXtant for
the control of the liquor traffic as it
gave the country towns prohibition if
they wanted it. and the cities high IL
cense. 1t was the only way, i'll his
Judgment, that the liquor traffic
could be controlled in city. The great
mistake in the present method was in
having the same system apply alike to
country towns and cities, whereas diff
ferent methods were required. prohlbl
ton has now been on trial for nearly or
quite fifty years without accomplishing
its aim. and with little OF no advance,
and it was row time for its withdrawal
and that something else be tried.
Senator-elect L. c. Morse of Liberty
was called upon and said he much la
mented that he was compelled to be-
ieve that The people wanted rum 1t
was lamentable thing to believe, but
he was compelled to believe it. Many
good men and true seemed to favor
resubmission, and among others was
Gov. Hill. He had no doubt but
that they all had what seemed to them
good honest reasons for their belief;
but so far it had not been made plain
to him. If resubmitted he had no
doubt Of its being rejected by the peo-
pie Of the State by a large majority
What he should do if the question came
up this winter he did not, at the pres
ent time, care to say, us he was not
welded to methods so much as he was
to results, and could he be fully con-
WINGED that some other method would
advance practical temperance he
should sustain it. He was emphatical-
~ temperance man, and whatever he
might do would be to strengthen that
cause to the best of his ability.
County Attorney Foster was called
for and presented many OF the obstruc-
sions met with in enforcing the prohib-
!tOrV Jaw. IL Was d lcNeldIloll w ilHi
to find so many, and unlocked for, men
opposed to its execution. He said that
no one without experience could i'm
agine the difficulties of the situation.
Brother J. o. johnson OF Liberty
thought laws were made for the people
to use. and where they failed to use, or
failed to help enforce them, they be-
come. to greater or less extent, dead
letters. 1t was wrong to lay all the
blame on the officers of the law for non
enforcement, as it was the duty of the
people. including himself, if they want
ed it enforced to step forward and do
their part. which they VIGOROUSLY fail
ed to do. All laws were broken, more
OF less, and possibly the present liquor
law is enforced as well as any other
of its kind, where a large proportion of
the people We're not interested in the
enforcement. The present law was as
satisfactory to him as any other was
likely to be; and if resubmitted to the
people any change was likely to be
voted down by large majority.
Bro. Chas. Howes of Liberty wished