Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-11-22
Some rrigs in the Way.

From Augusta comes story, with
how much authority can only be guess
ed, of programme to be adopted by the
Democrats in connection with the liquor
question, and said 10 have the appoval
and backing of GOvernor.elect Piaisted.
Briefly, this is 70 make the state as dry
as a covered bridge for nine months
any way" after the first of January. In
order 10 do this the governor is TO COM
pei the Sheriffs 70 enforce the prohibit
tory law TO the limit, and the legislature
is to abolish the liquor agencies BY re-
pealing the law which provides for them.
The prohibitory amendment is to be re-
submitted, and before it comes to vote
next September the voters will be so in
censed because they can't get anything
10 drink that they will not fail to repeal
the amendment. As soon as possible
thereafter the legislature will be called
together 10 special session and a local
option license law passed. Then the
Democratic party can go before the peo-
pie in the election of 1912, "having re-
moved this question from politics for all
time"
But it isn't so easy taking any vital
issue out OF politics. For forty years
we have heard that the tariff ought to
be taken out of politics, but it still con-
tinues one of the important issues in the
nation. The scheme outlined above, as
TO the liquor law, may perhaps be work
ed, but there would seem TO be certain
difficulties in the way of it.
In the first place, there are two ways
of forecasting the effect Of rigorous en-
forcement. Will it indeed drive the vot-
ers into frame of mind TO throw down
prohibition, as they otherwise would not
have done? Certainly no one really in
favor of prohibition can have any fault
10 find with the strictest brand OF en-
forcement that the Democratic admins
tration could give. The men who would
have occasion TO feel perturbed would
be those who wished 10 sell and those
who wished to buy liquor. These as
rule would vote to repeal the prohibitory
amendment under any circumstances, so
that the gain TO the cause of repeal from
the moral effect of strict enforcement
would be very slight if any.
Ii is true this statement may be ques-
toned, but isn't it correct? There are
those who assert that liquor dealers
would rather have prohibition than
license, but the falsity of that absurd
statement is demonstrated by the Oppo-
sition TO prohibition displayed every
time any organization of liquor men
meets. There also may be few men
who want the opportunity 10 buy liquor
who would vote for prohibition if they
considered that it couldn't be enforced,
but the great mass of men who want an
opportunity to buy liquor would rather
buy it under license than under pro
hibition. Everybody knows that, wheth-
or willing to admit il or not.
Moreover, great many men express
themselves in favor OF stopping the sale
of LIQUOR as much as possible, but don't
believe in prohibition because they say
il doesn't prohibit. IL the admiuistra-
ton could and did show that the sale OF
Nluor can be practically stopped, 1t
Ghl even drive some OF these men into
ing TO retain prohibition.
But before we reach the point of the
moral effect of strict enforcement, We
have TO consider how that enforcement
is to be accomplished. 1t will be easy
enough for Democratic legislature to
repeal the liquor agency law. Let us
see what more is to be done.
Why, the governor is to see the Dem
ocratic sheriifS and tell them that they
have got to enforce the law or they will
be impeached. Possibly that will work,
but it is rather a slow-moving process of
compelling action, and couldn't be made
TO produce any tremendous effect upon 4
sheriff between the Sd of January and
the 18th of September, il he was disposed
to nullify the law.
This is not making the assertion that
any sheriff will be disposed to nulliiy
the law, but We have had Democratic
sheriffs who enforced the law and Dem
ocratic sheriffs who nullified 1t, just as we
have had Republican sheriffs who euforc'
ed and Republican sheriffs who nullitied.
That the governor can compel en-
forcement without any weapon, except a
threat of impeachment and perhaps the
argument of political expediency, is hard
ly reasonable.
But the Augusta story which sets forth
this programme says that "To compel
these officials to do their duty IL is not
improbable that law may be enacted
giving the governor some power to en-
force his wishes beyond the power
which the governor now has" What
kind of law shall it be? The best efforts
of a Republican legislature in that direc-
ton resulted in the Sturgis lava meas
ure which the governor-elect does not
purpose to use, and which, whatever its
efficiency, could never by any stretch OF
the Imagination have been called pop
ulsr law. The craftsmanship of the Dem.
ocratic legislature will be tested to pro-
duce anything better.
The proposed scheme II it is carried
out will have hard road to travel.