Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-14
jan9eodtf

The Hon. William NJ. Pencil of
brunswick sheriff of Cumberland coun-
ty also spoke strongly in favor of re-
submission. quoting the figures of the
Portland police court to substantiate
his statement that the prohibitory law
has simply scattered the liquor traffic
among the homes.
He spoke of the difficulty of securing
the signatures Of the temperance adj
voCatcS TO complaints and stated that
in his experience as sheriff he had but
one and that man was forced into it by
personal abuse.
Sheriff Penncll accused the Republic
can party of trading on the question
for years and asserted that that trad
ing had gone on long enough. He
argued that public sentiment made the
law and under "a local option law would
simply put that public sentiment pc
hind the officials.
Bangor was held up as an example
of the city where the law Is not en-
forced and the enforcement commits
sion was accused of being remlss IN
their duties in not attending to II.
Il believe it is q fact that whenever
a man has gone into this question with
an opcn mind. he has not come out OF
IL II pIOillDlltoilISt' was -hi' i N'A"~,'"
closing argument.
Waldo e. Emerson of Portland thea
spoke as follows:
1t seems entirely fair in any dis
cussion Of this particular amendment
to the Constitution OF Maine 10 as
sumo that any law or regulation of
such character is near the people. III
is OF this account that what has be-
Tot, hlS
for half century been discussed
more and more often, in season and
ont. in political campaigns and out,
III all places where men congregate,
than any other statute ever put III
the books of this or any other State.
THE agitation. of this law has been
| called one of the contributions To oir.
Rlaine's defeat in 1884. and no less a
witness than. the late Gen. Neal Dow
has testified that the operation Of the
! Maine law in considerable degree
| has assisted to determine the political
complexion of Congress. General Dow
said in 1898 when asked how he ac-
counted for the non enforcement of
the Law: They (the brewers and liquor
dcalers) have sent word, if you do
ANYTHING more to crowd our friends
in Maine we will defeat you in Ohio,
Michigan. Indiana and Illinois, l can
go still further than this without reai
| Of contradiction. Not the law itself,
| but whether or not is shall be en-
| forccd-is still principal issue and
| very often the dominant issue at cleo
tions in nearly every city and county
in Maine. And thus this great moral
| question. which ought not to have any
| politics at all, has become 50 perme-
| atcd with the politics Of the State that
great parties trade on it and the in
! dividual citizen seldom removes it
| from his mind as he goes to express
| his will and opinion at the ballot box.
Nov comes IA large part of the cit
izCnShip % the Commonwealth re-
uuesting Of this Legislature, nay even
demanding as one of the rights of the
people an opportunity to express
themselves again, after nearly a quar-
| ter of Il century on this matter. This
| demand comes first of all from men
| who do not believe in the policy of
prohibition. 1t comes with no less GER
| tain sound from men who do and do
not believe in prohibition but who
| think also that it has no place in the
| constitution.
II believe firmly in the history, ira
| ditions and good work Of my party.
| believe it can rule this State and
| nation better than any other party.
| have always voted with it and hope
| always will. but nO'citizen is a worthy
| citizen who does not keep down in his
heart always the belief and the cour-
age to act on it. that good government
| of a State and the rights of all it's
people are of more Importance than
that it should be governed by one pol
itical party
| THE problem before this Legislature
is one of the simplest character. It
can and should be disassociated from
the more complex question, Of prohibi-
ton and license. 1t is this and this
| alone, shall the voters Of this State be
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