Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-18

all the other states Of the Union.
The New Age explains that The free
alcohol act simply permits alcohol to
be made and sold for mechanical
and fuel purchases free of tax
on and after January l, 1907, retaining
the tax on all Intoxicating beverages
and on alcohol used in their manufac-
ture or for medicinal purposes. To
prevent fraud, that is to prevent the
untaxed alcohol from being used for
making of beverages or for medicinal
purposes, the recent law provides that
under inspeo ton of the proper revenue
officers a certain percentage OF some
poison or other substance be added to
the alcohol after manufacture and be-
fore sale sufficient to render it unfit
for medicinal or tipRling purposes.
which sufficiently disposes of all OBJ
lection in the interest of temperance.
Alcohol so treated is called "denatured'
alcohol. You cannot "denature' al
cohol by taking anything from 1t, but,
like water, the only way in which IL
.an he rendered unfit to drink is by
adding to it,.
me large type is ours and we have
empnasiZed the words 50 printed 10 IN
n,.ss the fact that the New Age,
anxious as it is to mislead the pupllc
in this matter is obliged TO recognize
tho fact that the National Free Alcohol
law expressly limits the use oil ae-
natured' alcohol TO "mecnanica' anu
fuel purposes and specially safeguard
ed AGAINST the possibility Of its ever
becomina an Intoxicating liquor.
with This point clearly in mind let
nc examine carefully the attempt Oh
the New Age to deceive and misieai
the farmers Of Maine. 1t says;
All The unrnarketabIe potatoes, small
beginning to rot or frost Dllten' an
unmarketable apples, the green cops
and core stalks from which the sweet
corn has been taken to be canned NV
IN mention other farm crops can anu
.;most every state except Maine.
why not in Maine? Why is Maine
closed IA this great industry? why
can not dollar be invested IN this en-
tarnrise in Maine? Why must the
! Main. farmer send out OF the state "
| h,,v the alcohol to run his wood saw or
| .rr.sbins motor and at the same time
| let the waste products of his farm rot
on the ground?
Simnlv because the fifth amendment
of tho Constitution of the State OF
Maine in the following language. tine
manufacture of Intoxicating hquoi >
not including cider. and the sale ana
keeping for sale of intoxicating liquors
are and shall be forever prohibited
absolutely prohibits the manufacture OIL
alcohol.
So long as this remains part OF our
State constitution not one gallon Oh
alcohol can be distilled in Maine LOT
mechanical or fuel or for any purpose
whatsoever.
In the foregoing statement, which
attempts to make the farmers OF Name
believe that the provisions OF the Free
| Alcohol bill do not apply to this state
the New Age quotes only the first SEN
tence Of the 5th amendment 10 the
constitutions Why didn't it quote the
who'll, Of it? Because, if it had done
81 the falseness Of its absurd and IN
,,tenable assertions would have been
promptly exposed.
| W. u;u nuote the constitutional
amendment in full. 1t is as follows:
"The manufacture of Intoxicating
liquors. not including cider, and the
sale ana keeping for sale of intoXlcat-
ing liquors, are and shall be forever
prohibited Except however. that the
sale and keeping for sale of such Id
luors for medicinal and mechanical
purposes and the arts, and the sale ana
keeping for sale Of cider may be per-
mitted under such regulations as the
Legislature may provide. The Legs
llature shall enact laws with suitable
penalties for the suppression of the
manufacture sale and keeping for sale
Of intoxicating liquors, with the eX-
ceptions herein specified"
1t will be observed 1st that denatur-
ed alcohol is not an Intoxicating
LIQUOR within the meaning OF the
amendment. It's very character rem
ders its use as beverage impossible.
| "Denatured" alcohol is an entirely
different thing from pure alcohol. The
word "denature" itself means to change
the nature Of. 1t is a compound whose
nature under the strict provisions OF
the federal law has been changed 10
such an extent that it can no Longer
be used as an intoxicating liquor,
snd hence does not come at all WITHIN
the meaning of the constitutional use
of that term which applies solely 10
liquids that can be and are used TO-
Intoxicating purposes. Alcohol enters
into the manufacture of thousand
larticlcs that are sold in Maine, with