Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-13
Uncle Josh on Resubn,ission.

MY dear 10y.
SO it seems that you are to discuss
The question of resubmission at your
| lytcum or club or whatever you NAV
. call it, and you ask your Uncle to post
YOU Somehow the idea came to me
| that perhaps the readers of the kenne-
bee Journal might take an interest in
tie matter also, and the editors have
consented to furnish space for my part
of the rresponGence.
lii the first place, it will be necessary
for you and the Journal readers to
hitch to q few elemental facts,-just
| rs necessary as fol a boy to hitch him
self 10 addition and subtraction in the
study If mathematics and to keep
hitChCd to these facts all the way
along. l. Non enforcement of any law
| is not prohibition but notification. 9
| Enforcement of law results bcneficially
| even sometimes in laws repeal il
! it he an obnoxious one. g. No license
and prohibition are exactly the same
! thing as far as results are concerned
| I. Non enforcement of a no license law
| ard non enforcement of prohibition are
| exactly alike as far as results 20. 5.
| License and prohibition are exactly on
rositcs-the first lcgalizes the saloon
and gives the saloon keeper the title of
businessman. the other makes the
saloon an outlaw and its proprietor a
criminal. 6. All law is enacted to
benefit the many at the Inconvenience
(often times imasineD OF the few, to
protect property, insure peace and
good government and to better the
HON" and society.
The above six principles are simply
aXioms-self-evid truths. but they
must for al that, be demonstrated to
YOU and perhaps, to some of the
Journal readers because you have not
advanced sufficiently in elementary
| CivicS to recognize them as being self
evident.
| Some people miSname non enforce
| mcHt of the prOhibitory law and call
the non enforcement prohibition. But
it is not anything of the kind-it is
simply notification and that always
has led to most disastrous results.
Non enforcement upon the part of an
cifio er shows disregard Of his solemn
oath. This disregard being so con-
spicuous. encourages disrespect to all
law on the part of that lawlcss element
for whose restraint statutes are always
enacted. 1t is al easy ana Il natural
thing for saloon keeper, say, to think
that if an officer is naturally d little
slack without suffering any inconveni-
ence. he may be induced to be more
slack in the discharge of duty even if
there is something in it" for both
! officer and saloon keeper. This disease
of disregard is contagious and con-
terminating always. Men and women.
that they may be honest men and
women must do their duty the same as
= good soldier does. All laws are ex-
! rressions Of the will Of the people I'M
der Our form of government and. if
urom being honestly executed. they are
found wanting or unjust, then the peo-
pie should look after their repeal.
i Now il is plain I hope, that we do
not have prohibition unless we have
enforcement. We should have en-
f----. --~r>4 r"sn-l~c of. ers take an
otth u enforce the laws to the best OF
t;:,ir ability. w" ai3n SOC thu the
very elements Of society to he re-
. strained by laws are the very persons
I who are directly interested III non en-
forrcment and it is easily socn FROM
this that with the same officers non
enforcement or Il llccnS" law Woui't
come as naturally rs non enforcement
Of prnhihitory law. III fact VIC are
prohibited from doing wrong. All law,
religious. social and statutory is
simply j. "Thou shalt not"
| We have considered these elements
and mlply next letter. I will treat more
directly whether the prohibi+o ry COR
a.itutionaI amendment should b" re-
slhrsittcd to the people of tn" State to
be voted upon. Yours truly.
UNCLE JOSH.