The Press., 1909-09-29

from eminent men against prohibition.
has nothing whatever to do with the
Iquestion of license or no-license.
The advertisement went on to assert
that prohibition Is tremendous fail
ure everywhere, etc. We are not
arguing that question II we were.
we could produce page after page of
proofs that prohibition does prohibit.
The best testimony, however, comes
from the brewers who recently sp-
prared before the tariff revision com :
mittee and said that whiskey and
beer, owing to the rapid spread of the
prohibition wave, could not stand an
inceased tax. When the production of
distilled spirits decreases by millions
OF GALLONS and the production of beer
by millions of barrels, as government
statistics and the National Brewers
association tell as, it looks as If
were prohibiting and
restricting.
But bear in mind that it is mo
license in Stafford" not prohibition
in Maine' or elsewhere. that is the
question.
The advertisements said: "Should
the voters of Stafford Springs adopt
the policy of prohibition for the COM
ing year, the net result can be only
increased taxes. loss of business.
money ordinarily kept in circulation
here diverted to Rockville and other
license Cities, and general business
depression. Well. how many men
have been seen coming home from
Ro, kville saloons loaded with grocer
les, provisions and clothing for their
families? Have taxes been increased
because of no-licen nse? Has there been
general business depression due to
o.lioe nse?
Now we care little for mere theories
on either side of the question. What
we all want is the facts Either no.
license does, or it does not. restrict
the sale of liquor. II it does, then
men are not going to the expense of
trip to Rockville for what they can
get at home just as we'll. If it does
restrict the sale of liquor, then it
does lessen the evils of intemperance
and it makes our streets safer. Why
should people go to Rockville If they
could get in town call the liquor
they want?'' The system that has
lessened crime and drunkenness, and
increased prosperity, is the system to
continue. It has benefited all. If
it has not stopped the sale Of liquor"
it will not injure the liquor men.
Facts Vs. Theories.
There is nothing like facts to dis
prove theories. After year of no.
license Stafford has proved that, what
ever prohibition" may or may not
do elsewher no-license has i'm
mensely decreased che sale of liquor
and tremendously decreased the evil
of intemperance in Stafford. The
falling off of arrests for drunkenness
S3 per cent and the falling off in
jail commitments 81 per cent. prove
this statement.
On the same page was an article
Relative to License. 1t said :
| "Few of as have the time, or perhaps
the inclination. to study this serious
social problem, but we cannot go far
wrong if we are guided by the judg-
ment of men whose opinions are OF
the greatest Importance and are not
hastily formed or hastily expressed. :"
The article then goes on to drag the
name of Abraham Lincoln in the dust
and to attribute to him words which
he never said. No one can find any
where in the words Of Lincoln any
statement that could by any stretch Of
Interpretation be taken to mean that
he believed in the saloon. But since
the liquor men bank so much upon
the opinions of eminent men. particu-
! larly upon the opinion of Lincoln,
let US see what he did say.
Lincoln Said.
This legalized liquor traffic, as