Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-08

Editor Kennebec Journal
a great deal of prominence is siNer
in certain quarters TO the action Oh
convention of the Maine state Brahef
az fhe a n1erican Federation of Labor
recently held at Bangor at Whlch 9
resolution was passed favoring the re-
neal af the Constitutional Amendment
which prohibits the manufacture and
sale of intoxicating liquors in Maine.
There are always two sides TO every
question bat for several reasons but
one side Of this matter has been given
TO the public. Personally, | woulo
prefer TO draw the mantle of charity
over the record made by the eonVen-
ton on the liquor question because /
honestly believe that, outside of the
few who framed and engineered the
deal those who voted for the resou-
ton did not realize the blow they
We're dealing to the organized labor
movement
In the State of Maine there are
about 240 local labor unions, 81 dele
gates voted for the resolution and of
these not more than % represented di-
rectly their own local organization. SO
it will be readily seen that organized
scented by the vote that was recorded
fer the repeal of the law. This state
ment may chill somewhat the en-
thusiasm Of those who have linked the
whole labor movement Of the State
with the combination that is shouting
for the licensed saloon and prosper
ity." The real significance of the
vote and the effect il Will have upon
the election need not give the frlehds
of prohibition any worry. This is not
what has caused me to write this aru-
Gle, but when one is confronted with
published statements illuminated with
glaring headlines and half page illus
trations, defining and explaining the
stand taken by the convention on the
repeal of the prohibitory amendment.
statements that have been circulated
all over the country and enlarged upon
until they have become misrepfesenta-
tions and absolutely untrue, misrepre-
sensations that tend TO drag down to
the level of the bar room the whole
labor movement of the State, 1t Is
about time that someone had some
thing TO say on the other side OF the
question.
have remained silent upon this
question until silence has ceased to be
either golden or virtue. and [ feel
that to continue doing SO under the
cifc1ncstaI-ces would be eowardly and
an injustice not only to myself but TO
the large number of working men VINO
are not in accord with the action Of
the convention upon the prohibitory
question.
The delegates at the Bangor con-
vention voted, | presume. in most
cases in accordance with their own de-
sires, and no man has any right 10
define their action or means of know
ina why they so voted. except in the
case OF those who defined their own
position upon the matter. If ii were
thought necessary to explain 10 the
public just what the action of the con-
vention meant. il would have been
only fair TO have defined also the
stand taken by those who voted
against the resolution and also what
portion of the organized labor move
ment the vote in favor of the resolu-
tion actually represented.
The Maine State Branch of the A. F.
of l.. is made up Of delegates repre-
SGHtlnB local utlibIS lildl arr
with the general organization. 1t
meets in convention annually. Its
purpose in meeting. and the only one
ii can have To justify its existence, 3
TO devise ways and means to further
legislation that will improve the in
dltstrial conditions under which the
lt,boIing people of the State work and
exist, and when it fails or neglects 20
GO this, 1t has outlived its usefulness.
The Bangor convention had plenty of
business without regulating the
liquor traffic" business that would
have reflected a great deal more credit
upon th, Iabor movement Maine is
one of the very few states that have
no laws that require the protection of
machinery. As a consequence accl-
dents are numerous and the papers
frequently publish narrowing stories
of men and women, yes and children
being caught in machinery and by
other means, killed or manned for life.
and submit that "A discussion of
questions of this kind would have
been more in harmony with the work
OF labor convention, and of much
Hole Importance To labor generally
than regulation of the booze sup