The Republican journal., 1904-04-28

Democratic success than himself.
We received last week, too late for
comment in our issue of the 2lst, an
article from the New York Commercial
on the annual election of the Maritime
Association of the port of New York,
then pending. The question involved,
according to some of the members, is :
American interests versus foreign in
terests; Stars and Stripes or Union
Jack? The Commercial says:
At the annual meeting Captain c. B.
Parsons, who has been prominently
identified with the affairs of the ex-
change for more than Is years, was
nominated on The regular ticket to sue
coed himself as president. He is vet
eran of the Civil War, having served
the Union throughout that conflict in
every grade from private to major; a
member of the board of the New Jersey
Pilot Commissioners, and partner in
the Well-known shipping house of B. I.
Petty Il Co., owners of large fleet of
sailing vessels flying the American flag,
trading coastwise and to the West In
dies. Associated with Captain Parsons
on this ticket is F. S. Pendleton of Pen
dleton Bros, "a years of age, represent
ing the younger and more progressive
element of the exchange. Mr.. Pendle-
ton has been identified prominently
with the active promotion of all meas
ures calculated to inure to the benefit
of American shipping and commerce.
The opposition, or "the Union Jack
ticket is headed by George l.. Wool
ley, local manager of Furness, Whitney
x Co., Ltd, large English steamship
firm. He is an Englishman, but says
he was naturalized last June When
asked what was the issue in the contest
he replied:
I've are opposed to the present presi-
dent being reelected, because he favors
the control by American tonnage of the
transport trade. He favors measures
III Congress you know, arranging things
so merchandise can be shipped to the
Philippines only i'll American bottoms.
Now 80 per cent. of the business is con-
trolled by English tonnage and of course
we don't want to have that changed
This fully justifies the assertion of
the Commercial that 'the sole purpose
of the opposition is to prevent the III
fiuence of the New York Maritime AS
ISOLATION from being used to further
the interests Of an American merchant
marine. which, naturally, conflicts with
the business interests of the agents and
owners of foreign steamship lines"
About two years ago the prohibitory
law, which then had for some years
been practically a dead letter on our
statute books, had new life breathed
into it by the announcement from the
bench that hereafter fines would not be
accepted but that Jail sentences would
be imposed on liquor sellers. The judges
decided, and wisely, that if the law was
to remain law, it ought to be enforced
with sufficient severity, so that it might
fairly be tested and so that the people
of Maine might at least see the expert
ment of prohibition tried.-Machias
Union.
The Union assumes that in the posi-
ton they took the judges "were ac-
tuated by the highest motives; and
that eff the people of Maine want
prohibitory law they want it enforced;
and to this extent we agree with it.
But that the law has been enforced as
announced from the bench it would be
we cannot admit; and we think that
this failure has materially lessened the
public respect for our highest legal
tribunal. 1t is true that in many, per-
haps all, of the counties Jail sentences
have been imposed and liquor dealers
have been driven out of business; but
the sale of liquor Las gone on more or
less openly. For example, tue Union
says: There are not so many open
bars in Bangor as there were a year
ago, but there is just as much liquor
sold there as there ever was" Liquor |
is sold in Calais, if reports are true"
In Eastport certain individuals have
continued in business" ''There was
never says the Union, more drunk
enness in Machias than there has been
this year, and while no bar rooms exist
here or have existed for a few years.
liquor has been sold here more or less
steadily"
The situation in Belfast is practically
the same as in the places above men
toned; and we can say now as we did
a few months ago that prohibition in
Belfast is farce, and the conditions
worse than when liquor was sold openly
without let or hindrance. Druggists
were forced to give up their United
States licenses and have been unable to
furnish wines and liquors when called
for in cases of sickness; one or two
saloons were closed. and a few men
went out of the business, but the sale
of liquor has gone right on, and of late
we have heard of young men, or rather
boys, appearing in public places under
the influence of liquor. This is the
worst feature of what is at the best a