Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-03-01

part ana pafCel oI lnlS Std't' pu' ~
came to pass. And now ! have been
here more than % years. most OF IL III
the study and practice of the laws.
appeal to the intelligence of this House.
and pray tell me how far out OF the
way that old saying in Canada was
that the law had to be bought in order
10 sell liquor in the State of Maine:
Members opposed to this minority re-
port ask for petitions. What need oi
petitions when ii has come to pass III
this State that it is no more of Il crime
to sell liquor and not even Il SIN 10
commit perjury: Constabes sheriHS
and deputies have accumulated for-
tunes while playing To the people who
believe in prohibition. An English ladH
read somewhere that III the State oi
M.linp, one of tie United States VI
America. the people had arrived at
such Il state of perfection that there
was no more an appetite for liquor ana
therefore no sale for liquor. w nat Il
naradise, She was Il woman of energy
and of character. she had for IL nus
band a man she loved and Il boy grow
ing fast to manhood. She inpiortd ne.
husband who WAS addicted to inteln-
,.r:nce TO leave the native land ANA
come to tins only spot on earth where
rerfectiou almost existed. No liquor
sold or drank. Appetite regulated by
statute What Il heaven on earth. They
came. | will not tell the rest OF the
story. The poisonous stuff sold in
Maine sent the husband to drunk
ard'S grave much sooner than if they
had remained ut home, drinking Eng
lish beer
You. Mr.. Representative from Pal
myra. ask that woman. if prohibition
prohibits. Ask that lady-she was a
lady-if tie appetite of men can be
regulated by statute.
Ask the boys in our colleges. if their
daily habits can be regulated by :ules
and by law.
Ask the lawyers, the doctors, the
business men. the farmers. how pro-
hibition prohibits. Ask them if it is
possible by law to regulate their appe-
tite. or the appetite of any man.
Speaking to this House.
How will YOU vote today? | do not
know. But this | know. that if YOU
will vote according to your daily lives
and habits this minority report will be
overwhelmingly carried. and resubmis-
sion given to the people daughter
and applauseD
Then why not be honest with God
and the people. For again you can reg
Glate the number of pounds to a bushel
of potatoes. but 10 these 80 years you
! have not succeeded in regulating the
appetite of men and never shall.
| 'all me what YOU will. rum guzzler
or traffickar. The appetite for alcohol
of the drink of liquor in some form or
other. exists ard forever will exist.
| The gentlemen from Palmyra cannot
see the difference between the drink
ing habit AMI stealing. How can we
| enllghten him. Why cannot we violent
IL vote an appropriation to give to
s1ch Of you who clinSs to the prohibi-
tory law the opportunity to tend
| abroad and learn the way Of avoiIisa-
| zion and of the world
With all due respect to the members
Of this House I say keep the law as It
is. make it still more stringent, passed
The Oakes bill to punish the county
attorney and the sheriff passed the
Sturgis bill if you will and then tell
me that you have regulated the appi-
tite of men.
Yes we make laws against stealing
1t is wrong 10 steal; we know it; we
feel it: to steal is to invade the rights
| Of others of the public and it is to ter
rify other evil and to protect other evil
does. to protect the public and not to
reform the thief. thai we funish the
| theft, although we hope it will effect
the reformation; and SO of other
| crimes.
But in the case of our prohibitory
law so dear to :he gentlemen we are
not providing the violation of the
rights of the public i'm furnishing the
seller of liquor: the act of selling is a
| business contract; no matter if it is
poison--and while We can wisely re-
strict the sale of it. We have no right
to say that it shall not be sold. there
| by repelating the habits of men Pro-
| hibitory laws are unjust and unwise
and any measure tending to stop us
Of the same in The State should be en-
courage sovereign state should not be
admended according TO the standard
of any state. or does maintain as fac
ton of citizens. The experience of SEN
tences should be Incorporated in its
government system. not the idea. nor
the bgoty of any coture Of choice spir-
it in the furtherance of their pet
sheme.
| But further, to such q degradation
has the prohibitory law brought some
| md so ind!frrantly do they gaze on
the crowds OF ju i%es in the State thac
there seem to be no more respect for
law whatever and if all this precaution
end incarccration and tremendous eX-
prnSe to the stat" had only caused less
| Ium drinking Why then we would fold
dyr hands and rejoice that one little
insignificant state in the Union which
arrayCd against the Judgment and wis
dom of nearly all thu world had final
lv solved this problem Of how to make
mci temperate. But great almighty,
what do we see and contemplate, and
sacredness OF an oath is bartenel
away by interested parties in our com
munitieS. laughed at and ridiculed by
respectable mon in Ou:' midst and al!
alleging as an excuse that it is no sin