Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-05-18
The Great Growth of Prohibition.

shown a greater vitality or has
made itself more strongly felt in all
ports of the country than that which
aims at the suppression of the saloon
Nowhere has this movement assumed
greater proportions or exercised great
er power than in certain states in
which are located large brewery and
distilling interests, and where the
saloon was supposed to be specially
well entrenched and powerful. This
movement is still sweeping on with IT.
risstable force, and the area given
over to prohibitlon of the liquor traf-
fic grows constantly larger. There is
no occasion for surprise in this. 1t is q
conflict between the elements that
stand for what is best in human life
progress, against those that pander to
human appetite, that rob men Of their
manhood, women of their rights, and
children of their opportunities. This
conflict is irrepressible. SO long as the
saloon exists so long will the better
elements of society be arrayed against
it and the long train of evils that fol-
low in it's wake. Maine is a prohibi-
ton state, and, as such, finds herself
in a constantly increasing company.
AS the present rate Of progress the
outlook is that the next five years will
find more than half the states of the
Union thus arrayed against the saloon
and it's influences. Here III Maine, the
Democratic party has always been op
posed 10 the rrohibitory principle
and it's voters very generally when
questioned on the subject will avoW
a belief in local option and high Ii
ceEse as the best possible solution of
the liquor question. This policy has
the support of most of the Democratic
newspapers. The Journal has many
times pointed out the weakness OF
such a policy from the standpoint of
practical temperance. 1t does not be
leve that the State of Maine, or any
community within it's borders should
liquor traffic. The old Pine Tree State
will never be so poor as to need
revenue collected in such a vay-a
revenue representing the long train OF
evils that follow in the wake Of the
open saloon--the degradation of man
hood, the want and misery of helpless
hopeless women and children.
Local option can never make for
practical temperance. 1t is of little
use to one town to prohibit the liquor
traffic if it is permitted to flourish
in an adjoining one. The value of
State prohibition lies in the fact that
it puts all communities upon the same
basis. 1t is q poor argument against
prohibition to say that here and there
the laws are not properly enforced.
Where such cases exist it is up to the
people to elect county sheriffs who
will keep their oaths of office and en-
force the laws without fear and with
out favor
1t must be admitted that the advo-
Gates of resubmsson are of two
classes.
1. Those who desire it in the hope
of making a step towards local option
and high license.
2. Those who believe that a popu-
affirming of the prohibitory law, and
do away with the agitation of the
question for some years to come.
The first group will be agitators SO
long as the policy of prohibition con-
tinues in force in our State. The sec
ond class are not as numerous today
as they were two years ago.
First. Because of the pitifuly weak
showing of the resubmission move
ment before the last Legislature.
Second. Because they recognize that
the Initiative and Referendum will
furnish simpler and farer method
of securing popular expression upon
the question of retaining on abandon
ing the prohibitory principle in case
10000 voters can be found in the State
who desire it.
The fact must not be overlooked
that the advocates of resubmission
have always had precisely the same
means of making their wishes known
before the Legislature that the oppo-
nents have, viz, through petitioners to
the peoples representatives There is
no reason to believe but what if
majority of the people of this State
earnestly desired the adoption of any
particular policy by the Legislature,
they would not fail to make their
wishes known in clear and unmistake-
able terms to their representatives at
the Capital The people of Maine are a
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