Ellsworth American., 1906-08-15
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Vote Right.


Mt. DESERT, ME, Arg. l3, 1906.
To the AdttoSof The a s,e,ican
The time Of our State election is draw
ing nigh. And there is much reason for
anxious thought and earnest work on the
part OF weil-disposed people, that the
voters OF cur Stats shall be thoroughly
aroused to a fall ua5srstauding ot Ihe
great importance of this eies9ioa.
For this great question OF this campaign
is whether or not our State shall be flied
with legaiizc3 grogshops. Aaa the sitaa-
says: No. And a vote for Candidate
Davis as plainly says: Yes.
Which way are yol going To voter
Surely /. is yoar intention to vote for
your own interests, snd for the best in
tercst OF the community in which you
live. And il you really believe that grog-
shops are help To you and your COM
uunitv, then yeu are consistent IN voting
for them.
But you do not believe any sach thing.
You know that they are no help to you
or to any one else except those who keep
them. You know that grogshOps in
community are no help to taose who
patronize them; on the contrary. they take
many dollars and cents from ths pockets
OF their customers customers who in
most eases are not a ole TO waste their
money in such way.
II your business is such that you EN-
pioy men. you know that rum-shOrs in
your vicinity would often make part OF
your men unfit for service. II you are
selling goods, you know that il saloons
are near you that they viii get much OF
the money with which your customers
should pay their bills. II you are raising
family, you well know that the WORK and
influence of saloons will be no help to
them.
IL you feel an interest in the welfare of
OF your neighbors, then your heart viii
often be made sad as you witness the sal
havoc which rum brings into their homes
and families.
But pointing out the many ways in
which saloons cause trouble is only re-
hearsing an old story with which everyone
is already familiar. For everyone ss,nows
that the effect of the liquor traffic is bad
| ali the time and everywhere. IL does not
even the smallest amount OF good as a par
tial offset TO the great amount of evil
| done.
But perhaps someone will say that even
| IL all the rum shops were put out OF busi-
ness, men still would get liquor and drink
| II. Yes, some men would. MANY would
not. No thoughtful person ever supposed
that prohibition would entirely prevent
/ the practice of drinking. but that il would
greatly diminish it; and believe that it
does so. believe that wherever the law
has been we'll enforced that the result has
been full vindication of its effectiveness
as means OF preventing the use of
| intoxicants; that il has proved that pro-
| hibiti IN is the best thing yet devised to
protect society from this great evil.
One function of government is to pro-
tect its subjects from danger and harm.
The liquor traffic is both dangerous and
harmful. II makes drunkards. And
drunkenness IS is temporary insanity a loss
OF reason. What greater crime could one
commit against one of Gods rational
beings than to deprive him of his reason?
And the proposition that the govern
ment, whose business is to give protection
should license men to engage in a busi-
ness which depriyes men of their reason
is simply abominable, Ii Involves crimi-
nal Inconsistency.
i do not see how any benevolent, con-
seientious man can consistently support q
party which is trying to get into power by
upholding such proposition.
Vote right II. l.. GRINDLE.