The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1909-12-30
ADvERTiSEMEN
OF
MR. ROOSEVELT


Harper's Weekly of July II. 1909,
! contains an article under the caption,
THE Truth About Prohibition in
Maine. Mr.. Holman Day Versus Ger
tain Fanatics" The article is i'm
portant because it quotes an inter
view with Mr.. Day. who is a promi-
nent editor of Maine. in which he
gives the particulars of an interview
had with Mr.. Roosevelt, the latter hav-
ing called Mr.. Day to Washington for
a conference. This interview shows
clearly the attitude of Theodore
Roosevelt toward statutory prohibi-
ton as illustrated by the experience
of Maine. The article is well worth
reading and is as follows:
The grand jury of Cook county,
Illinois, in session at Chicago, has
found an indictment for criminal libel
against William P. F. Ferguson, edi
tor and publisher of the National Pro
hibitionist. published in Chicago. The
complainant is Holman Day of Maine
whose articles on prohibition, recently
published in Harper's Weekly, ELECTED
the libel for which Ferguson has been
indicted. The Harper articles at
tracted much attention throughout
the country and were widely copied
and commented on. The facts pre-
scented by Mr.. Day have not been i'm
peached. Ferguson, in an editorial
utterance, stated that the conditions
as pictured in the articles existed in
Maine, since Mr.. Day a in a posi-
ton TO know whereof he spoke; and
then the editor of the National Pro.
h;b'tiOnist proceeded to make a wan
ton attack upon the moral character
of Mr.. Day, imputing to him o~ffenses
so ridiculously and shamefully false
that the state of Maine, of which Mr.
Day has been a widely known and
honorable resident all his life, is in
dignant on his behalf. Among the
friends of Mr.. Day who wrote from
all parts of the country to urge him
to take steps to punish such reckless
v%iliffers was Colonel Henry Waiter
son of Kentucky, whose name ap-
peared in the libelous editorial as
one who felt that Mr.. Day needed
the endorsement that Colonel Waiter
son had given him in the Courier
Journal. At the suggestion of Colonel
Watterson Mr.. Day engaged H. H.
Huffaker, Esq, of Louisville, an able
attorney and a personal friend OF
Colonel Watterson's, and with him
proceeded to Chicago armed with
complete refutation of the charges
contained in the organ of the prohi.
bitiOnists.
The indictment followed promptly
and the case has been marked for
trial in the early fall of 1909. II
taking this STEP says Mr.. Day, 4
am not actuated by any mere spirit
OF revenge. | am not conducting 6
campaign against prohibition, as a
cause, nor do l hold any brief in de.
Tense of the whiskey interests. 1 was
| asked by reputable publishers, anX,
ious to put facts before their readers
to describe conditions in Maine afte1
nearly sixty years experience in at
tempting to enforce the p~rohibitory
law. On the appearance of my first
| article President Roosevelt summoned
me to Washington and, in interviews
continuing parts of two days, com.
mended my n of presenting real
evidence before a grand jury com
posed of the thinking people of the
United States. He urged me to con,
tinue the presentation of the case, in
view of the great interest of all the
states in the question, and said that
he had been recommending my ar
ticIes as the best exposition of the
evils of politically nursed prohibition.
When l expressed my unwillingness
to subject myself to any more of the
abuse that the radicals and fanatics
had begun to pour upon me, he urged
me still more strongly to go straight
on and not mind them. In their fail.
ure to find arguments to meet my
pitiless facts the bigots who are max.
ing a profession out of prohibition
have been singing their mud at me
l have picked out the most heinous
offender, a man whose attack is the
climax of slanderous invention, and
propose to find if there is law enough
in the and to protect a writer who
asks only the privilege of free dis.
cussion of an open question.
"I have more to say upon the sub.
ject in a novel that is to be issued
later by Harper & Brothers, and by
clearing the atmosphere with this suit
for criminal libel l would like to as
sure myself that enterprising fanatics
will not begin accusing me of murder
or treason when my book appears.
Having in my discussions carefully
refrained from all personalities
though sorely tempted by striking eX
amples of prohibition ~malfeasance, l
am invoking the criminal law to as
sure to me like respect-a respect
that a more just and courteous and
less desperate antagonist would grant
without being choked into such a con
dition of grace"