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

| I am glad to see the people of this
state waking up. do. not know wheth-
er the Democratic majority last fan,
or the large vote they gave was due
to resubmission or not. 1t was not in
my county. / don't know but 1t may
have been in Kennebec county; but,
Iecause there are other issues, we say
| that we as a party are in favor of the
enforcement of the liquor law as long
as YOU have it upon the statute books.
But it does not prohibit and we want
| to do something to alleviate the condi-
tons that are forced upon us.
] / am surprised, as ! go to the differ
ent towns, to see the young men VINO
are being ruined. Go back thirty-five
years and you do not find the condition
which you find today. 1t is fact that
| if the young men today would stop at a
regulated place under local option and
get a glass OF beer to drink, they would
be satisfied. He cannot do that but
| four or five of them get together and
they send to Boston or Kentucky or
some other place and get three or four
gallons and club together and pool their
issues, and what is the result? They
have q debauch for three or four days
II
a temperance man for long number of
years, never witnessed. 1t is a serious
question. 1t is not a question which
YOU and | should for moment consid-
er from Il political point of view. 1t
is human question. a great moral
question. 1t is Il question which we
owe it TO tie young men who are grow
ing Up in the state to solve and save
n 1a-
this prohibitory liquor law which does
NOT prohibit.
l believe in local option. ] do rot
say it simply to have the referendum.
l say l will substitute something else
and if local option does not work 50
well as the prohibitory liquor law l
will vote to repeal it.
/ have stood here q number Of years
and advocated il, for two sessions l
stood here and voted alone in favor of
resu omission. / see the dawn coming.
A bright light is shining. l see in the
Republican party today one Of the
most noted men they have. a good man
and 1 think he is coming around and
getting on the right track and it win
not take but q little longer to make
good Democrat of him, and that is the
same platform in regard to resubmis-
sion 6 the senator from Knox does.
If we gain in the same percentage as
we have in the last four years the re-
submission sentiment of the State of
Maine will carry the grand old State
by forty thousand majority. Bat that
does not make any odds. II I were
only advocating this from a political
IA
lican party: Keep it on the statute
books but that is not it. ! an q tenn
perance man and believe in it, | have
examined this matter and have felt il
in my own vicinity moro than you have
perhaps and with all the force I have
and all the feeling have, beg Of this
Senate to submit this question to the
people and let them vote on it. Have
We in this State more morals than they
have in forty states in this Union? Go
into forty states of this Union and YOU.
find a better condition OF affairs than
you find in the State of Maine upon
this question of prohibition. Two years
ago / had the pleasure Of travelling
over sixteen states Of this Union and in
every city which | visited | spent con-
siderable time and pains to ascertain
the workings of the liquor law in those
states. They We're either high license
or local option and l found that there
was no intemperance such as we have
in the State of Maine. In the city of
Chicago where l stayed ten days l did
not see an Incorporate man where
saloons were open on every corner
under local option and high license and
l struck the State of Maine on my wav
home. It vas sunday evening and |
stopped in one Of the cities of this
State at a certain hotel and such de-
bauchery l never saw in my life. T
said: Is it possible that / am in pro-
hibition Maine? Let us not be hypo ,rit-
1cal i'll this matter, but be fair and
open. | appeal to YOU for the Young
men of this State. not as a Democrat
for political purposes but in behalf of
tho young men Of the State who are 10
come after US. Tho greatest curse uDo,
the stat" Of Maine is the violation Of
the liquor law ami the license under
which it is run under the rrohihitorv
1uuor law. l will Join any party that |
VIII convince ME they viii annihilatn |
completely or partly the liquor trait
IN the State of Maine / have felt IFS |
curse. 1t is a curse.
L nave not any doubt that the poor79 |
of this State believe in rosuhmiss;on !
ana L have not any doubt that if an |
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