The Somerset reporter., 1909-02-04
Prohibition Again.

There is more to be said on the sub
leet of prohibition Notwithstanding
the fact that it has been in the fore,
front for many years, and on the
rostrum and through the press has
been great centre of thought. no.
tice in the REPORTER as well as other
journals frequent illusions to prohibi-
tion with assertions that it is the rul-
ing sentiment in Maine and that a
large majority of our citizens are in
its favor. Allow me to say, and l say
it boldly without fear of successful
contradiction, that there is not rod
of territory under the American flag
that is strictly prohibition so far as
the liquor traffic is concerned There
is not hamlet nor even a single home
in all ouNbroad land that can claim to
be perfectly free from the liquor
curse, nor will there ever be SO long
and permits liquors of all kinds to be
shipped to individual customers for
their own special use.
Y.
admit that the traffic is somewhat
checked; that in measure tho pro-
hibition of the sale of liquors is help
full and cuts in on the full swing it
might otherwise have, but to be salts
fed with municipal or county or state
laws and say nothing about national
completely with the business; to keep
quiet in regard to methods now in
full force of allowing its manufacture
and importation and transportation
from The great wholesale houses di-
rectly to the homes of the people, is
nothing more nor less than trying to
kill the upas tree by clipping off the
twigs and allowing the roots to run
out and get firmer hold.
We may talk about local option and
this county going dry and that city or
town voting out the curse and feeling
as though the end of the traffic is near
just because a few states vote prohi-
bition, the sad fact remains that in
every community there is constant
evidence of more or less drinking.
Right here in Maine, known far and
wide as the great prohibition center
of the world, can be found "Keeley
Cure" and victims are constantly
going from our own cities and towns
to that institution for treatment
Right here where SO many boast of the
beauties of prohibition, our sheriffs
and municipal officers have q hard
time in their conflict with the LIQUOR
curse and in this called prohibition
state we have to hire Sturgis Com
missioner with long list of special
deputies, outside of our properly au-
thorized officers, to protect ourselves
and our homes from the evil, all
because this great government of ours
of which we are a part sanctions the
traffic; gives it legal standing with
all other honorable, legitimate busi-
ness: allows express companies to
handle it and railroads to carry it,,
and virtually says to every citizen, if
you pay the direct or indirect tax
imposed you can have the privilege
of getting drunk and smashing things
as often as you please and your
national government will not inter
fere.
| repeat again that under present
condition prohibition does not exist.
1t will never come to us in its fullest
sense until we, as all intelligent people
get above the narrow boundaries of
our own municipalities or counties or
states and deal with it on the broad
lines of national action. The people
of the entire country need to rise in
the majesty of their strength and
carry this all-important question up
to national action and demand that
uniform laws shall be in force in every
part of our national domain, and that
the manufacture, importation, trans
portation and sale of alcoholic liquors,
as beverage, shall forever cease.
just so long as great distileries and
breWeries are allowed to send out the
products of their established plants
into every part of the country in def
ance Of all that is pure and grand and
inspiring, just so long will we be per-
picked and troubled and overburden-
ed with the drink evil. Go to the
fountain head and shut off the supply
Get up on the front line of action and
train our guns or the enemY's main
works. the licensed distileries and
breweries and wholesale houses.
These great strongholds must be cap
tured before we are free from this
whitening, blasting curse and it is the
bounden duty of all who stand oppos-
ed to evil to move out on the firing
line and capture them.