Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-08
The WatervilIc Sentinel On Tweedle-
dee and TweedIedum.

The Waterville Sentinel declares that
forced in Kennebec county, and never.
has been enforced in the same sense in
which the laws against larcency, or ar
son, or murder, are enforced 1t adds,
however, that it does not blame Sher-
if Plaistcd because the law Is not
thoroughly enforced, it blames the
law" Liquor was sold in kennebec
county," it adds, when the SturSis
deputies were here. 1t is sold here now.
1t will he sold here SO long as men
want to buy it." 1t is doubtless true
that 10 law against liquor selling will
more than the laws against larceny
have done away with thieves, or the
laws against arson with tire-bugs, or
the laws against murder with assas-
sins. We ina gine, however, that they
come vastly nearer it than would be
the case if a selected few in each COM
munity were specially licensed to steal,
and To burn and to asSaSSinate. The
liquor traffic is the worst kind of a
thief, a fire-bug and an assassin. There
is no reason why it should receive the
sanction Of law. and a thousand rca-
SONS why it should not. 1t is true that
it survives i'll some localities in a fur
tive aud surrcptitious way, in spite of
the most rigid efforts at enforcement,
and So does larceny, and arson, anu
| murder. This TACT, however, is
| mighty poor reason for relieving them
| of the penalties provided by law, ana
| aliording them the right to exist and
| its sanction. The best enforcement OF
| the prohibitory law which kennebec
| county has had in the past thirty years
was given it by Sheriff Frank j. Ham.
| 1t was Il vastly more rigid enforcement
| than we are having today as the Sen
tinel very we'll knows. NotwithStand-
| ing that fact the columns of the Sentl-
mel fairly tccmed with abuse of him.
1t gave its readers to understand day
in ana day out, that it was the shcr-
ms fault, and his alone, that liquor
continued to be sold in this county i'll
spite OF his vigorous efforts at enforce
m..nt, and that if he did his full duty
hcnucbec would be as dry as the GcS-
CIT Of Sahara. Now times have chang
ed. and with them the Sentinel y
Democratic sheriff is charged with the
| duty of enforcing the prohibitory law
| in this county. The Sentinel admits
| that the pr"hibitory law is not being
| enforced in Kcnnebec county, but it
declares that it does not blame Sheriff
| Ilaistcd for this conditions of affairs.
1T blamcs the law" which, it asserts,
lis inherently defective" This ability
| of the Sentinel to blow hot or blow
| cold, with due reference to the politics
of the man in the shcriff's office, is
] certainly amusing. but is scarcely cal
| culatcd to win it Il gold medal Tor con-
| siSttncy. When this Office was filled by
| Il Republican the law was all right,
| and the sheriff was at fault. Now that
| the office is fllctA.by Il Democrat the
sheriff is all right, and the law is at
| fault, 1t is indeed strange that the
| Sentinel should have been so long in
| discovering this inherent defect of
| the law which relieves Democratic
| sheriff of the burden of rigid enforce
| nIcnt; but under the pressure of Il
| political cXis;cnCy the Sentinel never
SHES at little hurdle like this. 1t Wig
| urnusly condemned Sheriff Ham for
| failing to stop liquor selling in kcnne-
bee county: but does not blame Sheriff
| PIdI$tcd for Il similar admitted failure
because since Sheriff Ham went out
of office. it has discovered the prohibit
| tory law t. he "inhercntly defective"
| Therefore instead of blaming the Sher-
iff. as formerly, it now blamcs the law.
| This learned exposition Of the differ
cncc between twccdlcdcc and twccdle-
dunn in tn, shcriff's office is certainly
entertaining. il not convincing.