Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-16
PROHIBITION IN MAINE
DEMOCRATS FAVOR REsUBMIs-
SION OF THE QUESTION.
Views Of the People as Voiced by the
Editors Of Some Of the Daily
Papers Of the State.

way this year in their attitude OF open hos
tility to the prohibition laws OF that state ?
Their leaders assert that the party will
make a good showing. while the editors of
the principal republican papers Of the state.
In personal letters to Washington corre-
spondent. do not believe the vote as be-
tween the two parties win show much dif-
ference from previous years
For fifty years the republicans of Maine
have favored prohibitory laws as to intoxf-
eating liquors. The democrats have taken
the opposite side OF the question. sometimes
mildly. sometimes freely and openly. This
year. however. the democrats have made q
hot campaign to resubmit to the people OF
the state the question Of whether to do
away with prohibition. The democratic
The republicans. In state convention, again
stood for prohibition, but there was a
warmer fight In their ranks than ever be-
fore. About one third of the delegates ia
vored permitting the people to vote again
on the question Gov Cobb the leader OF
the Maine republicans. has openly de-
nounced the prohibition laws Of that state,
and, to make them more obnoxious than
ever he has been enforcing them to the let
ter, his handling Of the matter doing much
toward arousing a sentiment FOR repeal of
the laws.
Editor Norton's View.
1t is declared, though, that the repub-
ican ticket will win this year. as usual, as
the country districts of Maine are for pro-
hibition. George w. Norton, editor of the
Portland Express, commenting upon this
part OF the situation in his correspondence
says: Maine is not an urban community
Our largest city has only so. 900 Inhabitants
Inc great mass of the people live in small
villages and upon the farms OF the state
Ihese people have no use for the saloon.
ont tr,,4, to-
Is to be found in the manufacturing city
OF Lewiston
Mr.. Norton admits that there is a strong
sentiment in the republican Darty of the
state for resubmission but he believes the
number OF prohibition democrats who will
vote with the republicans will about bal
ance the license republicans who will vote
with the democrats.
Mr.: Z. b. Burleigh, editor of the Kenne-
bee Journal. takes much the same view as
MT Norton, declaring that the anti-pro-
of Maine. and does not extend to the rural
communities 1T is a mistake" he saws.
to imagine that the sentiment upon the
liquor question that exists in the cities is
iairiy representative of the sentiment in
the country towns"
Mr.. Burleigh says that the democrats
nave always sustained their worst defeats
in Maine In the elections in which the
party lines were drawn most closely upon
the whisky question. He expects to see
the republicans have as large 1; majority
oS l"o years ago
Opinions of the Democrats.
Democratic editors who have expressed
their views represent the people s growing
tired OF prohibition, which, they declare,
means market for patent medicines con-
tanning copious quantities of alcohol; a
home for blind tigers and the sending OF
money away from the state to other New
England cities and to Canada for jugs and
bottles of whisky. One of the Nj: me ed
ltors, commenting upon the situation says:
A serious feature of prohibition in this
state is that 1t Is making the people
sneaks and evaders Of the law, and forcing
those who desire stimulants to resort to the
strongest and least pure of drinks. That,
though. is the rule wherever prohibition is
are admitted by freight and express, while
the light drinks. like beer and wines, are
excluded by reason Of their bulkiness. /
believe the time is coming, Judging from
sentiment throughout the state, when the
rural communities will give their consent to
such change In existing prohibition laws
as will admit the sale of the light drinks
and exclude the strong ones / have hea I'd
many ministers recently express the view
that there would be far less drunkenness,
far less opposition to law, If the mild
drinks. like beer. could be sold everywhere
under careful conditions and the strong
ones kept out If possible. BY this plan
the strong drinks could be knocked out by
the mild ones
This democrat believes his party will
make a good showing in the September
election.