The Somerset reporter., 1904-05-19
Mr.. CObb's Position.


In reply to a letter addressed to him
by Rev. c. Z. Owen of Waterville, OF
the Maine Civic League, Hon. VIM. I.
Cobb wrote the following letter, which
was made public for the first time In the
Kennebec Journal on Monday, the 16:h
In stant.
RocKLAND, Ne, April Io, 1904.
REV. c. E. OWEN, Wateryille, Me-:
My Dear Sir-I beg to acknowledge the
receipt of your very courteous letter OF the
18th of April From that quote as follows;
al hope you can give to such men the
comfort they need, not for publication, but
for straightforward, honest treatment to loyal
Republicans
| do not know how much comfort my
views upon the particular issue named in
your letter may carry to those who ask for
them, but when any citizen OF this state
wants my opinion upon the matter in ques-
ton, and asks for it in the temperate and
fair-minded tone that characerizes your in
quiry, it appeals to me beth as duty and
pleasure to state my position fully and with
out reserve But | do not discuss this for
publication. From the beginning of my at
have held the conviction that it was unwise
politically, and contrary u my own sense of
propriety, for a candidate for such nomina-
ton to single out any one law and declare
for its enforcement, and | have endeavored
to act consistently with this belief. Such
conclusion was simply personal matter, and
| acted in accordance with my best judgment
| presume, too, that all other candidates did
D n tf1aH
this may have been an error. Some of my
best friends and strongest supporters have
urged me to do otherwise, but | thought it
right then, think so now, and do not mean to
change. To alter my course at this late day
would create the suspicion that | was timid,
shifty and catering for factional support.
The above explains my reasons for refusing
to publicly discuss the temperance issue, so
called. AS to the question itself, however,
have decided views | have been total
abstainer all my life, and am one now. | be-
lieve that every citizen Of this state should
stand for and insist upon an honest, rigid
and uniform enforcement Of the law, and any
influence | may possess now or hereafter will
be exerted to that end. 1t is waste Of
time, in my judgment, to talk about resub
mission now. The people of this state have
and they are surely entitled first of all to
have prohibition thoroughly enforced. While
this has been done thoroughly in some coun-
ties, it has never been done thoroughly and
uniformly in all counties, and until it has
been so tried, until everybody knows it has
been so tried, why discuss resubmission1 1t
is time enough to talk about that when
very considerable number of our citizens
Ial. Las.
be enfored, but l see no signs Of increasing
sentiment on those lines. do not assume
to speak for the Republican party, nor do
know who will write its platform for the
Bangor convention, but | believe that plat
form must contain plank declaring, without
evasion in the slightest degree, for the con-
tinuance of the prohibitory laws and for their
enforcement. The Republican party may
never fully realize its ideals, but it must al
ways have them, and it must steadily and
honestly strive to attain them.
quote further from your letter. as follows
"Mr. Cobb said to him that they did not
want the law enforced. he believed it
would damage the trade Of kockand'
This statement attributed to me seems al
most too silly to require denial True and
stable prosperity abounds under conditions of
law enforcement, not OF law breaking. en-
close herewith a copy of petition that was
signed by the business men Ct Rockland and
presented to the city government in Septem-
Der, 1901. | wrote that petition, and it was
generally known that I was its author. /
signed it myself and caused il to be circulated
and presented. If you will read it carefully,
am sure you will detect no signs Of my hav-
ing been afraid that enforcement of the laws
would injure business, but on the contrary
that my belief was then, as now, that business
was injured by non-enforcement.
| have written at length the only letter in
which have attempted to discuss this mat
ter in detail during the whole campaign.
reply to you because your spirit seems to
be fair, and you approach the subject in a
way that appeals to me. | would be graft
fed, of course, to know that you do not alto
gether disagree with my views or my political
method, but however this may be, you GER
tainly know now what they are. am
Very truly yours,
(Signed) w. 7, COBB.
r plving TO Nj. Cobb, Mr. Own do-
clarrs his position with reference to the
reten ! and enforc, ment Of the pr hib'-
I,.,a Ia al ttaf.