Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-10-04
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.
Resubmission should not be a Re-
publican Issue.

Editor Democrat:
The Lewiston Journals Augusta cor
respondent reports that resubmisSiOn is
much talked since election, and may
possibly come before the next session OF
legislature for action as question Of
referendum. He goes on to say that the
prohibition resubmissionist' is the
man who is doing the talking, and that
in nine cases out of ten he is a Republi-
can.
Now, while this may be true in Au-
guSta. il certainly is not true of other
sections of the state. The rank and file
of the Republican party believe in prohi-
ton as being the very best policy for the
state from any point of view, and they
are not sking or urging resubmiSsion.
From business or manufacturing stand
point, or from an educational or moral
standard, there is nothing so good for
the welfare of the state, or for the in
habitants thereof, as to keep that great
est of all evils, the use, or rather the
abuse, of intoxicating liquors down to
the lowest possible limit. Is there any
thoughtful person who thinks the cause
of temperance would be strengthened by
trying to bring forward the question of
resubmission now?
In the election just held, the Demo-
cratic party and the voters OF whatever
party, who believe in, or want, an easier
method of obtaining liquor and freer
use of the same, were successful in elect
ing their candidate for sheriff in several
counties. This does not necessarily in
dictate that the people of those counties
or of the state are clamoring, or even
asking for resubmission.
In Cumberland County it simply indi-
Gates hearty cooperation of the Demo
cratic voters, wholesale liquor dealers,
and those voters mentioned above, who
wish for more freedom, in securing the
election of Mr.. Pennell, and an unwise
but perhaps unavoidable division Of the
voters who believe in prohibition.
In Androscoggin County, where the
Republicans had the cleanest, most alert,
vigorous, fair minded sheriff in the state
for their candidate, it is hard to see any
reason for the success of the opposition
candidate, and there is no good reason;
the real reason evidently being that the
liquor interests of the two factory cities
were able to outpoll the Republicans.
In Oxford County the election of a
Democratic sheriff indicates no lessening
of the prohibition or temperance senti-
ment of the county. 1t was the result
of an unfortunate combination of in
fluences. The two most important of
these were the personal character and
popularity of the Democratic candidate,
combined With a free use of time and
money in his campaign, and certain
determination on the part of large
number of Republican voters to punish
their party for some mistakes of the past.
Now is there anybody who for an
instant entertains the idea that it would
be possible to ever secure fair unbias-
ed vote on referendum Of resubmssion?
There is no doubt there would be a
'fulP' vote on the question, but which
side would be most likely to use I'M
scrupulous, illegitimate means to secure
votes? Does anybody doubt that the
wholesale liquor dealers outside of the
state would furnish almost an unlimited
amount of money to overthrow our
present prohibitory law? This fact alone
ought to cause any friend of temperance
to weigh the matter we'll in his mind be-
fore he asks for resubmission.
Let the issue of resubmission come
from its proper source-frOm those who
are dissatisfied with prohibition, and not
from the Republican party, or from any
friend of temperance.
EDWARD Z. WITT.
Norway, Sept. Goth, 1904.