Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-01

Today we are in position to go into
| the contest with assurance of victory,
Dut what Of the morrow You say it
| IS your opinion that in the future we
VIII be equally strong. Upon what can
! you base that assurance At the last
| sci tomtcr election, we won by Il bare
| najority ana every one knows that the
question uppe!most in the voters mind
| was reSubmiSsiOn. Thousands Of Re-
| publicans voted the Democratic ticket
then for the first time, not, if | may
| judge from the statement of the many
| with whom l have talked, because they
wanted license, or We're antiprohibi-
| tioniStS. but because they wisely, or
| foolishly thought that the voters should
again vote on resubmission. l believe
| that those same thousands with large
" Increased numbers, will again vote
the same way until this question is
submitted to the ballot. This is a mat
Ter Of opinion. as 1 said in the begin
| ming. Your judgment may be better
than mine. and [ pray it is. and that
| may be 4 false prophet. I can only
| Judge by what see and have seen,
| by what / hear and have heard on this
question.
We have the power TO keep the voters;
of Maine from deciding this question
two years hence. but will we retain
| th2t power" Do YOU not fear that il
those voters who went over to the
democratic party last year. and who
viii vote with them two years hence,
either because of continued alliance or
because they resent our lack of conf
dCnce IL their judgment, may remain
with the PARTY, adopt its policies ana
advocate its principles? My obServa-
| ton disCloses the fact that converts to
| q political faith are even more strenu-
nus in their newly discovered principles
than the original members of the party.
If there i; truth in this suggestion, we
are losing ground daily by delay.
Yes. AMI we are practically acknowl-
cdging To an aggressive nd intelligent
body OF opponents the fact that by
tenaCiOusly remaining behind the pro-
lection Of the Fifth Amendment. which
is apparently the fortress of prohibit
ioniStS. VIC are seeking the shelter Of
a minority or our citizens. If it is not
so. wouldn't the opponents of resub-
mission ard the advocates of pIO,ibi :
ton come from behind their offences
and wage the battle openly. believing
in their principles ard strength? | say
the fact that some advocates of prohi-
bltiOn refuse t" submit the question to
the people is a tacit acknowledgement
that they fear the rcsult,-that they
believe the p-ohibitory advocates
arr in the minority in the state
This belief is growing stronger every
day among our citizens ana it is
a powerful ala to the opponents Of
prohibition. I do not believe the pro-
position is true. AS Il firm believer in
the principles of prohibition as the
proper law to restrict the sale Of in
toXicating liquors, and as q sincere be-
lever in the Intelligence and honesty
of our voters. | am firmly convinced
that when this great question Of how
to restrict the traffic in intoxicating
liquors is presented to our citizens,
when the workings of other restrictive
measures in comparison with the pro-
hibition law are considered by them,
when the great consequences of Il
change of laws regulating this sub
ject are brought to their attention, they
Will pass a vote Of confidence in this
law. But if the reverse is true, the
majority of the voters will register
their will. and this is a form of gov
eminent where the majority should
rule-whether it is on a question Of
tariff, finance or temperance, and l
question the good judgment of the adj
vocates Of any public measure who
are unwilling to abide by the will of
the majority. That majority will as
Sert its power in time, and when they
acquire that power, may not use it so
kindly. if restrained unfairly in ac-
quiring it.
But it is said we. as party. break
faith with the Prnhihltionists ly now
voting for rcsubrnission; that We nrac-
tically assured them b. our acts i'll the
State convention. prior Ia the last cleo
ton. that we would oppose resubmis-
sion. l co not admit the charge or the
promise. | was in attendance at that
convention ana then understood the
chairman on resolutions to say. whom
he asked us to vote down tho plank in
the platform calling 70: rcsubmission.