Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-23

back. Why. yes. of course | have read
it and il is one of the greatest sneeches
OF the age 1t is so frank and ahov,,
board that il must attract great deal
of atten: ion and anything that attracts
attention invites examination and
nearly always receives just criticism.
! In that speech it is claimed that dur
| ing the past year affairs have gone
| rather uns;rCJthly for the saloons md
| barroCnis of PcnobscOt county and this
testiie:, to the efficacy OF the present
| laws in acknowledging that it has
! teeth that bite those who run m
! against it.-good for US. That is what
; law is for. 1t was also said that tbs
legislature that enacted the jail sen
tencc pert of our present law simply
cid SO az a joke. What a compliment
to q state legislature. Just think of it
"a State legislature putting upon our
! statute books a law to imprson men
ana doing SO simply as "a huge Joke
! l heard Of a case once where the voters
ut Il town meeting elected Il foolisi, fell
| low as superintendent of schools as n
| joke but they decided that the Joke Was
on them Wren the fellow refused to re-
| sign and held on to his job for the fun
year. They haven't played any more
jokes at annual toWn-meeting in tl1t
place since. If the legislature OF 40
/ years ago iolled When the Jail sentence
| clause was enacted the joke is not on
| the people surely but on those. who are
subject to its rather corrective in
| fiuenCt. LEGISLATORS should No. JOKE
that way. Those who. | notice. votp,i
in favor of resubnlission wear ago
seemed TO have been very much dis
satisfied with even the "BGngor plafi'
| but DOW as referred to that system is
something very fnc-compared with
| what County Attorney Smith and the
| Honorable Supreme Court Justices are
giving the respectable" saloon men
now.
! l;ut | promised in my letter of a wcei,
ago tlat l would consider whether the
| prohiipitory constitutional amendmen:
should lie submitted again to the peo-
PIE Of the StDhe to be voted upon. r.
a"yH here's near onc-half of the people
desire TO vote upon this question they
should have the privilege as a right of
course. But how are we to find oct
how liany desire the privilege Of again
voting. If we study . little history, it
may help rs out. Maine had a license
law up to 1851. Since that year except
during 1886 to 1858 there has been
| nrnhihitOry law upon our statutc Dool 8
III 1876 the prohibitory law. so-called,
| WAS repealed and u license law was
| enacted but the people Of the State
were not satisfied and the legislator
| CT l@1S under pressure of public opinion
re-en2ctcd the prOhibitory law but the
matter Was referred to the people al y
| CT Al al. ion,
| cast in t;tvor Of license ani z. SEA votes
were thrown in favor of a pruhbitory
| law. You Will notice that the ma
ioiity vas nearly FIVE to one in favor Ct
| the prohibition of the sale Of LIQUORS.
| The law has been strengthened from
time 10 time by the State Legislature
ana always by good republican vote.
| The Imprisonment section ana tina
| section to the effect that the holding OF
= United States special license should
| be prima facie evidence that the pro
priet0r is engaged in the sale Of liquor
| have been enacted in response to 4
public sentiment. It is natural to
| think that law Of this kind should
! haze opposition and Il determined olc
too. All good laws are opposed but II
tho man free from the drink habit. the
|pi0hiritO'y law works no hardship
These principles have gradually worked
| themselves out. Finally in 1854 the
plChibtcry amendment was submitted
IT, tN" "r.'t. rH'' 1OrnNal or dican-
pros FIX. !ilr amendment WaS approved
| ~ majority OF 1872 Of i total vote
| Of 1t,1%3. Thus we trace the law up to
1881 an! from that time we must review
| the ch1nges that have taken place ana
| iii my next | Will give YOU some facts
| rs I" the character Of the petitions
| that have poured in upon the legisla-
| lures III fINor of and against reSub-
| hitting the ma tier for an expression of
! the electors Of the State. If in this re-
VicW we find that considerable part
Of Names population desire to express
| themselves again at the POLLS we must.
of course, recognize the right OF refer
eihIUm.
| Let me recommend that you picl: up
| all ia" ideas yOu can uNDn This qups-
| ton for it calls for 4 careful consider
alton % many PRINCIPLES and if 0ur
young rlen WoIld master these vital
questions Of civil government they
would more fully rXempiify the ability
! to gov IN themselves ana not shift that
| re. possibility upon their neighbors.
Yours truly.
UNCLE JOSH