The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-06-16
THE TRUTH ABOUT PROHIBITION
IN MAINE
Wine and Spirit Circular.

me ana SPlflI circular.
The grand jury Of Cook County. Hi
hois, in session at Chicago. has found
an Indictment for criminal libel against
William 2. 7. Ferguson, editor and
publisher of the National Prohibition
list, published in Chicago. The com
plainant is Holman Day, of Maine
whose articles on prohibition. recently
published in Harpcr's Weekly, elicit
ed the libel for which Ferguson has
been indicted. The Harper articles
attracted much attention throughout
the country and were widely copied
and commented or The facts present
ed by Mr.. Day have not been impeach
ed. Ferguson, in an editorial utterance
stated that the conditions as pictured
IN the articles existed in Maine, since
Mr.. Day was in a position to know
wereof he wrote; and then the editor
Of the National ProhibitIonist proceed
ed to make a wanton attack upon the
moral character of Mr.. Day, imputing
to him offenses SO ridiculously and
shamefully false that the State OF
Maine. of which Mr. Day has been a
widely Known and honorable residen-
all his life. is indignant 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 vIlifiers, was Col. Henry
Natterson, Of Kentucky, whose name
appeared 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.
Huftaker, Esq, of Louisville, an able
attorney and a personal friend of
Colonel Watterson 5. and with him pro
ceeded to Chicago armed with complete
REPUTATION of the charges contained in
the organ of the prohibitionists.
The Indictment followed promptly
and the case has been marked for trial
in the early fall of 1909. "1n taking
this STEP says Mr.. Day, ~ am not
actuated by any mere spirit of revenge.
| am not conducting a campaign
against prohibition, as a cause, nor do
hold any brief in defense of the
whisky interests. | was asked by rep
utable publishers, anxious to put facts
before their readers, to describe condl-
tons in Maine after nearly sixty years
experience in attempting to enforce the
prohibitory law. On the appearance of
my first article. President Roosevelt
summoned me to Washington, and. in
interviews continuing parts of two
dayrS LODI my M
senting the subject in warmest terms,
stating that this kind of writing was
not muck -raking. but was presenting
real evidence before 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 articles
as the best exposition of the evils of
politically nursed prohibition. When I
expressed by 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 90 stra ght on and not mind
them. In their failure to find argu-
ments to meet my pitiless facts, the
big0ts who are making profession out
Of prohibition have been singing their
filth at me. | have picked out the
most heinous offender, man whose
attack is the climax of slanderous in
vention, and propose to find if there
is law enough in the land to protect
a writer VINO asks only the privilege of
free discussion of an open question.
81 have more TO say upon the sub
| iect in a novel that is to be issued later
| by Harper q Brothers, and by clearing
| the atmosphere with this suit for crimi-
nal libel | would like to assure myself
! that enterprising fanatics will not be
! gin accusing me of murder or treason
when my book appears. Having in my