Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-02
Letter Box.
Mans Worst Enemy.

Inc liquor tTdTHC WHICH 10 Ao>aii"N"
and sanctioned by our governments IS q
blight and q curse upon our Christian
civilization. It takes from the pockets
of our people annually directly anil IN
directly $4,000, 900, 000-and adds not
penny of real value TO the wealth. 81
land-or in other words, our people
are spending as much money IN one
years time for liquor as it cost our
nation to fight down secession ana
slavery during four long and bloody
years of Civil War. 1t also SENDS 10
untimely graves thousands upon thcu-
sands Of our people each year and the
tears of sorrow and of shame That
have been shed since the world began
over the ruin wrought by rum would
float the great navies of the world.
Little wonder then that Lord Chester
field called distillcrs of liquor, Artists
in human slaughter" and that Addi-
son, one of the great names in Literal
ture said, Drink is deaths prime
minister Very recently the famous
Captain Richmond p. Hobson, now
Congressman, stated in an address
before the Patriotic Women OIL
America in Now York city, that liquor
was moro dangerous than gatlinS
gun, he also claimed that it had killtd
more people in one years tim" inhh
had been killed by all the wars OF
many hundreds Of years.
No language can describe inns
mighty evil that some people desire
lcgalizcd or regulated in Maine. al
though YOU might as well try to rcgu-
late "a powder magazine by thrustins
q red hot poker into it as to try 10
regulate the hcllish traffic in rum
80 home in all our broad land but
what has felt the blight Of this mon
stcr in one way or another. shake
spcare. our greatest poet, has SAID;
"Oh thou invisible spirit Of wine
IF We can call thee by no other nam.
Let US call thee Devil
Long before the birth of our Savior
Homer made AgamemnOn say:
"Disastrous folly led me thus astray
Ger wines excess or madness sent from
Love.
IN the great poems of Homer there
is nothing more beautiful than the
words Of Hector, when receiving the
parting cup from his mother at
the siege Of Troy and she urged
him by Bacchus crowned, to take
a plentiful draught to refresh his
soul. and to give new spirits to
him" this noble son great in war re-
piled,
In1aming wine. pernicious to mankind
i-nnerves the limbs and dulls the noble
mind,
Let chiefs abstain, and spare the sacred
juice
Thus strong drink has been re-
gardcd in all the ages of the World
and especially since the dawn OF the
Christian era, as the deadly ana m
yeterate foe to mankind. 1t has been
the cause, or rather has played no in
considerable part in the ruin OF en-
pires and the fall of nation. Yet there
are ministers OF the gospel even IN
Maine like the Rev. Mr.. Bushford 1or
Portland. who cry out for resubmls-
sion, because they believe by Such
means our prohibitory laws will be
oyerthrown and regulation OF the
liquor traffic by license or local option
laws will take its place. whenever
any minister of the word of God or
anyone else cries down the glorious
principles of prohibition, or in any way
fayorS regulation or license OF the
hell born traffic in rum they are sim
ply pandering to the criminal and
vicious classes to set at naught the
laws of our commonwealth as has been
witnessed so very recently in the city
of Portland where brave officers who
endeavoring to enforce our prohibitory
law was set upon by mob and nearly
murdered in cold blood. Every min
lister and every church in our State
and nation should be unit in de-
manding absolute prohibition and sup
preston of the liquor traffic for bcvcr-
age purposes, and say here shame on
any minister or any citizen of our
State whoever they may be who would
by voice or pen in bitter dcnunciation
of our prohibitury system fire the
hearts Of men who derive their in
SEPARATION from the saloon in Il deadly
hltrcd of the temperance laws Of our |
commonwealth. Intimidation. assassi- |
nation. arson and dynamite bombs are
the arguments used by the licensed
liquor traffic and | do not wonder that |
the attempts to assassination or muir |
der by the saloon defenders of q fear |
less officer of the law in Portland, |
where was reared that grand man, |
General Neal low, VINO stamped MS
name on the legislation of the world, |
has aroused q feeling of Indignation |
agai inst this murdcrous traffic in rum |
which is a Grim" against humanity |
and should be driven from the face of |
the earth. AS the anti-SlaVcry de- |
termination which finally put a stop to |
the power of slavery in our land grew |
from Il nucleus of abolitiOniSm, 50 may |
this foul outrage on the life of a brave |
officer Of the law in Portland be used |
of God to forward the great cause OF |
prohibition and the humiliation of |
further sentiment for reSubmSSiOn |
and license in the State of Maine.
will add that there is one thing the /
Democratic party will do we'll to heed |
when they assemble at the opening of |
our incoming Legislature, and it is |
this: if they desire a very long lease |
of life in our State they will be |
mighty careful how they handle our |
liquor laws. The people of Maine will |
not stand for the repeal of the pro-
law and the enactment of q |
license law in it's place.