Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-14


But when we have them upon the
statute book the people do not intend to
enforce it, and then l ask myself
what have been the fruits of the pro-
hibitory law in the State of Maine:
What is the lesson? What is the object
lesson which appeals to a temperate
man? l stand aghast and appalled, at
the Hypocrisy of the people. AS q
temperance man 1 believe I'm the best
regulation of the question of the sale
of Intoxicating liquors. If you are IN
favor of the Drohibitory law say So
vote as you think. If you are not III
favor of it, why then vote as you thlnk
| do not like to see a man coming into
this Senate to vote for the prohibitory
law when he has two inches of raw rum
in his stomach. 1 do not believe that
| is frankness l believe 1T is Hypocrisy
and deception, and l despise Hypocrisy
| and deception wherever L f1nd 1t. For
| so years we have been living a lie upon
| this question of prohibition. The peo-
pie of Maine by a majority do not prac-
| tice prohibition and they do not be-
| lieye in prohibition. l venture upon
This floor. Mr. President, tO assert that
the majority of the Republican party
of the State of Maine, if they will vote
according to their convictions, do not
believe in the prohibitory liquor law.
They do not believe that the prohibit
| tory liquor law has been conducive to
| temperance and the best interests of
| the State of Maine. l will not discuss
| it upon the question of whether our
property interests in the State of Maine
| T arfl
| it as folly to discuss it from that
standpoint. 1t would almost be sacre-
| ligious. There is something more inn
portant, Mr.. President and gentlemen,
| for / am talking upon this question,
| this morning, in absolute sincerity. [
have seen the iniquity of the law. L
have seen it destroy the best type of
manhood, ruin homes. destroying the
love that the son had for the father.
| 1t has caused the breaking up of fami-
| lies, and caused rivers of tears to be
shed: and still we carry on this farce
| for political purposes. 1t is a disgrace,
| a shame. a stigma upon the good peo-
| pie of the State of Maine. The other
side would have you believe that any
man who desires to stand up and vote
| for resubmission, or for high license
and local option is a crank. l am in
| favor of it. 1 am in favor of anything
| but the prohibitOry law, that has de-
| bauched the young man, and ruined so
many as the Drohibitory law. Why
should I ask for high license and local
| option? Because for so years you have
| tried prohibition, and you have had
spasmodic execution of the law. Every
fua fnr bn CT 90 in State
| of Maine, you have had the same
spasms that you are having today. Do
you doubt, my Republican friends, that,
as the election of 1904 approaches the
| flood gates of intemperance will be
opened? and that liquor will be sold in
| the State of Maine openly, as it has
| been for the past two years? 1t is not
| always safe to judge the future from
| the past. L know, and every Republic
can politician in this State knows that
| it has been used for political purposes
| for the last 80 years in the State of
Maine. There is something wrong,
when I find upon the petitions for re-,
submission that have been presented to
the Senate and House not one man en-
gagged in the sale of intoxicating liquors
can you find upon it, but you find the
best element in the State of Maine. |
dney that it is the rummies who want
resubmission. l contend it is the tenn
perance men who want it: and they
want it because they believe it can be
regulated in a better way. 1t is not
that they want more rum. If we must
have the curse. let us regulate it in the
best possible manner. We have, today,
only three states in this great country
of ours who have upon the statute
books the prohibitory law. The grand
old. conservative state of Vermont, a
state that has had it forced upon her
statute books for a number of years
what has she done? She has stricken it
from her statute books, and has local
option and high license. New Hamp-
SHIRE also, passed the constitutional
amendment the other day. l am told
that New Hampshire will follow the
lead of Vermont; and that leaves only
three other states in this country that
retains prohibition. Now, l wish to
place myself right upon it, because it
has been intimated that those who are
in favor of local option and resubmis-
sion are the rummies of the States. L
am opposed to the prohibitory liquor law
because II is q measure Wdlleu ny lHe
rumsellers of the State of Maine. The
prohibitory law has operated as low
Incense law to those engaged in the
sale of liquor in the State of Maine. Let
us be consistent, gentlemen, because
consistency is a Jewel. / apprehend
that many of those men who voted in
the House the other day against re-
submission are the very men who will
vote to keep it upon our statute
books. The liquor commission has been
in the past the greatest rum shop in the
State. If you mean business, abolish
your State liquor commissioners,
abolish your town and city agencies. l
will vote with you to do it.
I would like to annihilate it from Gods
green earth. 1t is the greatest curse
that ever befell mankind. For so
years we have had this law upon our
statute books. Haven't we tried it
long enough? You all know that the
prohibitory law never has prohibited.
Is there anybody insane enough in this
body to tell me that the present idea of
enforcing the law will be carried out?
Now Mr.. President. let us heed the
demands of the people. You never