Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-06

/ zyl[S T.
mission were ignorant prejudiced
bigoted and lived at the end of the
road. IN order to enforce the state
nent of the gentleman l ask your. in.
! diligence to read word or two from :
| paper | hold in my hand.
| Tho deliberate adoption of this
policy by Il people naturally careful and
conservative in their judgment was The
! inevitable result of q moral evolution
which recognized the demoralizing and
| far-reacning evils of intemperance, and
sought to eradicate them from the
community. ard embodied the conyic-
| ton that traffic which took men from
the ranks of productive industry, rob-
bed them of their sober faculties, de-
stroyed their salf-respect and made
them burden and menace to those
Who had a right to look upon them for
support and protection--;l traffic which
filled the pdorhouses. prisons and asy-
luns with human wrecks, and imposed
its greatest misery upon the innocent
and helpless--N3S hostile to the public
Interests and wholly contrary to the
spirit ana purpose of a Christian civili-
cation.
Fifty years ago the so-called Maine
Law prohibiting the sale of intoNica ting
LIQUORS was placed upon our statute
books. where il still remains. While it
has not accomplished all its advocates
-anG supporters hoped for. it has been
II powerful force in tho development
and promotion Of a healthy temperance
sentiment among the people cl our
State. ..
To-day in Il large ma iority of our
country towns there exists practical
prohibition, and the law against th,
liquor traffic is as well enforced as
agairst other forms of crime, Even in
our cities and larger villages. where the
liouCf interests are the most active
and aggressive and where the law is
the most persistently violated, it has
not failed TO exert Il restraining and
salutary influence, and it has been a
power in stimulating and promoting
that Intelligent and vigorous public
opinion which is the support of all eff
fective Law. and without which any leg
islative enactment must fall far short
of its purpose" .,.....
The honorable gentleman from whom
: have quoted is 10 less than His Elk
cellency Jonn i. Hill, who lives at the
end Of a road where many of us would
be pleased to reside. daughter ana
APPLAUSE.
Now. Mr., Speaker, a word more and
! close. | have no set speech to make
upon Ihis question. / understand that
nGny gentlemen desired to speak who
could better voice the sentiments of the
people of this State than any words of
mine could do. But after having spoken
thus briefly upon the fundamental idea
that / believe the people do not call
for this thing and do not want it, but
are starting out upon the idea of en-
forcement. l believe it would be the
most foolish and most foolhardy and
most suicidal thing we could DO at this
time to undertake to annul their YER
lict as given at the polls iasc Taii by
telling them that we are going back to
some form of Il license proposition
without their asking for it and against
their protest ] say it would be suicidal.
md it VIII be suicidal for any party
hat undertakes that thing. Right here
wish to refer to the political aspect
If the case. AS the Honorable David |
B. Hill once said in q speech in IL ma
iCnal convention, and which remark |
las become somewhat historic, Il am |
/ Democrat i stand here, today to |
:ay that ] am a Republican and have |
tlways been. That has no particular |
significance except in the fact Of my |
,ride in the traditions of that party ] |
believe is well founded. / have seen Il |
rom my earliest days coming down |
through the last half of this century |
,Spousing ana carrying forward every |
great, grand and noble work that has |
been brought forward by the different
which have arisen, and / |
rave seen ii gTandly and proudly car
'ying forward every time to compile
ion every work that has been thrown
.pon its shoulders to do; and | hope
hat 10 such scarccrow as that which
he gentleman from Waterville brings
lp here viii deter any Republican from
hat ii viii disrupt the Republican
arty. He has given us six years of ex-
stence daughter). / have to thank
lin for the last four: ] did not suppose
lie would yield us but two. daughter
no dppl1HSei. III SeeIflS tiidt WINE the
Gentleman may expect to be- nominated
lext time, he really does not expect to
re elected. daughter and applause)
Speaking upon the political line for
moment, ! want to say that this pro-
ibitory law has not been hunting
ound very much for a father for the
asst 20 years-with all due Difference to
he. gentleman from Wateryile. In
very platform which the Republican
arty has put out to its fellow citizens
t the State of Maine for the last 20
ears there has been on unequivocal
lank upon this question and that
arty has been Endorsed and rein
orsed elected. and reelected; and the
cry last platform that our party put