Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-15
ESTABLISHED 1sN
Thursday, November IS, 1906.
Mr.. SkiIIings VS.. Mrs. Stevens.

Mr.. SkIItIn9S va. Mrs. oteve"S'
The Rev. Henry l.. Skillings. former
liuuor deputy under the late Sheriff
Pearson of Portland. and who rejoices
in the title of "the fighting parson," is
reported, in a recent speech, to have
sharply criticised Mrs. L. NJ. n.
Stevens, president of the National w.
c.. T. u because she had failed. as the
Associated Press report puts it ito as
sail the internal revenue system" Mr..
Skillings, as reported. denied the
right Of the government to collect a
revenue on liquor and questioned the
honesty of temperance advocate5 II
they fail to protest against what he
termed the copartnership of the United
States government with the liquor
saloons.
The cause of true temperance has no
worse foes than the sincere friends OF
abstinence who are impractical and
visionary. and who carry their views
to the point Of absurdity. The tenn
rerance question is not theory. 1t is
a condition. The thoughtful citizen.
accustomed to live in practical every
day world. will have some difficulty in
seeing how the United States becomes
a "copartner" of 1.-THE liquor saloons"
by placing an extra stiff tax upon their
stock in trade. 1t would naturally
seem to him that the taxing Of an
article several times what would other
wise be it's market value would not
tend to stimulate it's consumption. 1t
would seem as if it might well serve
as a check to consumption. SO far as
We have observed this has always been
the view taken by practical temper
ance workers. Certainly "the liquor
saloons" would be exceedingly glad to
dissolve the "copartnership" with the
government which imposes upon them
the necessity Of paying an internal
revenue tax and makes public records
of such taxes that are exceedingly
been almost from the birth of our Re-
public, the policy of the government to
PIT specially heavy taxes upon those
articles that minister chiefly or wholly
to apDctites, and which fill no essential
need in human lfe-hence the heavy
burden of taxation imposed upon alco-
nd
the Rev. Mr.. Skllings thinks are not
crcditable to the National government,
"a view of the situation which will, I'M
doubtedly, command the cordial and
unanimous endorsement Of the Rum
Trust Yet it must not be supposed for
a moment that the Rev. Mr.. SkillingS
has any desire to work hand and glove
with the liquor interests. or to do any
thing to promote their welfare. I'm
doubtedly he is sincere in his devotion
to the cause Of true temperance; but a
mistaken zeal has practically carried
him into the camp of the Rumsellers
who desire nothing more earnestly than
tnty co tilc Icpceti VI ei| A'''Ni ii'-'
Revenue tax.
Mr.. Skillngs is reported to have
denied the right of the government
to collect a revenue on liquor" This
will, doubtless, be news to the thou
sands Of citizens all over the country
who have paid many millions of dollars
into the national treasury under the
impression that the government DID
have, by the provisions of the federal
law, perfect right to collect it. Now
the Rev. Mr. Skillings rises to enter
an emphatic denial. Men of his tenn
pcrament not infrequently proclaim
"discovcriss' that escape the attention
of their fellow citizens; nevertheless
we cannot believe that Mr.. Skilings is
any Columbus in this matter. He has
doubtless been led astray by the COM
pelling force Of his own dogmatism
Mr.. Skillings denounccs Mrs. Stevens
because she does not follow him in his
cratic and somewhat amusing gyra-
tions: but Mrs. Stevens has generally
been credited with being q woman of
sound common sense, and there is lit
tie likelihood that she will ever become
a follower of the Rev. Henry l.. Skill
linSs.