The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-10-25
Mr.. SlloreV Replies
BrIdgton. Ma-ne. DC 20 1908.

paper and our people do not see YOUR.
Why not allow me to reply in the LIZ
PORTER to at least your irquJle,?
BRO. shorey" is not "old enough,
either as a politician or otherwise, TO
remember" that the old State Police,
repealed in about 1859, and being upon
the statute books not more than a cou
pie of years, proved injurious to the
Republican party. And were as old as
your esteemed postmaster | still would
be unable to remember, since 1t never
happened. l do recall that while that
force was giving us the first real taste
of enforced prohibition we had then
had, the politicians became very ner
vous perhaps "panic stricken as now,
and undertook to relegate to back and
obscure seats the prehibitory element OF
the party. They were of the Ensign
Stebbins variety, lin favor of the law
but agin' it's enforcement" thus hoping
to hold the vote of the rum sympathiz-
ers and of the prohibitory element as
well. Even to this day there are de
scendants of this guild. l notice my
friend, Howard Owen, of Augusta, is
their spokesman in recent publication
advocating the prompt repeal of the
StuIgis law.
AS to the state Police suppose We
take this opinion of Nelson Dingley:
I'm the repeal of the constabuiary act,
it seems to me the cause of temperance
has received it's severest blow; scarcely a
day had passed after that force WAS
abolished, before liquor shops were
opened in places which had known moth
ing of the kind for months. NY own
observation, and that of others. satisfi, d
me that liquor sellers looked upon the
constabulary as their special fee, and
freely declared that If this force should
be put out of the way. they would find
no fault with any law against the busi-
ness"
l can bring you hundreds of names in
whom the public oonfide, confrmatory
of these views William z. Frye was
one of its most enthusiastic suppoi tiers.
1t did excellent work Had our law
makers 1.-The sand" to repeal "sheriff
enforcement" and the Sturgis Law and
re-enact State Police this coming winter,
it would in my judgment be the best
way out of present difficulties
Bur, as | said, the elements so anxious
for 1.-The rum vote" however they
might feel as to the liquor itself, got
control. They wiped out the State Po-
lice. repealed the compulsory imprison-
ment amendment of the law which Lad
but just been referred to and ratified by
the people, a la the referendum idea.
and like the bull in the china shop held
high carnival with measures regarded
as sacred by the friends of law and or
der.
hat happenedp The friends of p,o-
hibiuon always in this state the domi-
mating influence in the republican party
when they assert themselves, became
thoroughly aroused. Their State Ex-
ecutive Committee called a State Con-
vention at Auburn the last week in jan
uary, 1870, and organized for action.
Squarely antagonized by the republican
organization the ring" we were accus-
toned to call it in those days, with GEN.
sus maIshals from each town under Sc
bastion ). Marble and the entire guild
of federal office holders-they appealed
to the people. The contest was ex.
ceedingly animated, | am old enough
ITO remember" that; indeed, was Tin
it and we beat the -prohibitory
combine out and out By vote of 6o7
for Sidney Perham for Governor to OPT
for his opponent, we nominated that
sterling temperance man as the candi
date for Governor; and we elected him
by a margin just about that of Gov
nh oil haf ia
party at any time.
There was no party defeat, such as
you have charged; no break anywhere
until the Greenback craze struck US,
some years later. We all rejoiced this
year when the news came to us that
Skowhegan and Somerset were "stand-
lug pat" as to republican doctrine on
the eve of the State Convention. PRO
hibition Enforced No Modification, No
Resubmission By this sign we con-
quered and won handsome victory !
And what ever is the matter with you
now?
Your townsman Gen. Dyer might tell
you of an unaccountable panic which he
witnessed in the army on the Red River,
In Western Louisiana 1t was second
edition of Bull Rum Nearly verybody
Wdb eoiZou Win phuiCi uolhole c4"
ception was our "Old Battalion He
was immovable Coolly sitting upon
his horse when the stampede struck, he
gave an order that was magical in its
effect: "Fix Bayonets, Men; Push
Through That Crowd at All Hazards =
We forced passage; we formed line
of battle under terrible fire of the
enemy and We budged never an inch
when the enemy's solid battle lines
bounced upon utl
Some such courageous action as that
is all we need today. Have We no
leaders with sufficient discernment to
speak the needed word that shall allay
this senseless panic; and, once given,
might result In carrying our banners to
heights they never yet have attained?
mo Surrender" "We propose to
fight 1t out on these lines II 1t takes a
series of years" Enforced Prohibition
No Notification That Is my motto to-
day as it was on the eve of the State
Convention And if the Republican
Party of Maine assume any other atti-
tude, woe betide II.
have answering faith in the inte-
gritty of the Republican party. 1t will
do the right thing in the right way! II
will repeal the Sturgis Enforcement act
when il gives us something more effici-
ent to take its place-not before
Sincerely
n. A. SUoREY.