The Republican journal., 1909-01-28

youthful indiscretion that would be re-
pented later Now that he has commit
ted second offense it is impossible to
remain silent longer. The Maine bard
and novelist, whose ''King Spruce"
redolent of the woods, realistic in depict
ing woods life and vigorous in its char
acter drawing bids fair to become a
classic, has made a mistake-if not in at
tempting to solve the prohibition prob
lem, at least in his treatment of it. If
he had come to Maine as the representa-
tive of the Retail Liquor Dealers Gazette
assuming that there is such a paper
he would have written as he has done.
We do not believe there was inten-
ton on his part to misrepresent, or to
give aid and comfort to the rumsel-
Ter; and we repudiate utterly the insinu-
alton that any pecuniary conditions in
duced this stand. Mr.. Day is evidently
personally opposed to prohibition in any
form, and while he presents some facts
and some half-truths, which differ little
in effect from plain falsehoods, he fails
to recognize as fully as he might the evil
dence that prohibition has been good
thing for Maine. In his second article
Mr.. Day unwisely assumes the role OF
prophet and predicts the repeal Of the
Sturgis law, with nothing substituted
for it, and a return to notification. His
article was of course written before
Governor Fernald's address, which gives
assurance that it will require two
thirds vote of the legislature to repeal
the Sturgis law, unless some effective
measure is presented in its place; and 1T
is practically assured now that the Stur-
gis law will remain on the statute books.
The centenary of Edgar Allan Poe was
observed in many parts of the country
last week with unusual honorS. The
only discordant note was that from Will
liam Dean Howells, who presumes to sit
in Judgment on those who have now
permanent place in literature and whose
writings will survive when his are for
gotten. He says he does not care for
Poe as novelist, large or little, that
1.-The art in his fiction is the cruder art of
the past" and asks, "Would the best of
Poe's tales be accepted now by one Of the
leading magazines, or one OF the next
following magazines?" He scores there,
for Judging from the silly, sickly senti-
mental love stories and the otherwise
absurd fiction published in many Of the
magazines the stories by Poe that live
today would be rejected. To offer them
would be casting pearls before swine.
Perhaps it is not worth while to pay
further attention to what Howels says;
but he declares that Poe was las lacking
in imagination as sincerity, and speaks
of him as prodigal and drunkard; ac-
cusations based on unwarranted ISLANDERS
and long since disproved. What the
American people, the reading people, the
people of culture, think of Poe, was man.
ifested in the observances last week and
in the comment of the leading newspa-
pers. The Boston Transcript said: ''No
American man of letters has eXerted so
much influence on the literature of other
lands as the strange genius whose fame
we today celebrate. Two such opposite
characters, of two so different countries,
as Tennyson and Baudelaire were moved
to passionate admiration of Poe, at
time when to many of his countrymen he
was simply strange, bizarre. Tennyson
admired him; Baudelaire translated him
with fidelity that turned the most ex-
quisite English into the most exquisite
French" The London Academy, high
literary authority on the other side of the
water, says: Edgar Allan Poe was at
his best a very exquisite poet and prose
writer of cunning and poignant power.
He is, on the whole, the finest product
that American literature has given to the
world, and if that is not saying very
much, one may add that he takes his
place definitely with the masters of En-
glish letters" The New York Herald
says. editorially: "The memory Of the
brilliant genius
whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster
may be denied niche in our petty local
Hall of Fame, but has more enduring
one in the hearts of millions of admirers
in his own and other lands
Section Al, chapter 20 of the Revised
Statutes reads as follows:
Whoever by himself, clerk, servant or
agent, sells any Intoxicating liquors in
this State, in violation of law, shall pay
fine of not less than fifty dollars and
costs, and in addition thereto be impris-
oned thirty days. In default of such pay
ment he shall be imprisoned thirty days
additional, and on each subsequent con-
viction he shall be punished by fine of
two hundred dollars and in addition there
to be imprisoned six months, and in de-
fault of payment of said fine and costs,
he shall be imprisoned six months ad-
ditional. Any clerk, servant, agent or
other person in the employment or on
tho pronicoc Of orotbor who 1,iolotoc ~.