Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-13

GOVERNMENT BY HYPOCRISY.
Maine by the corrected figures of the
September election remains committed to
prohibition by plurality of 15s votes in
a total of Approximately l2o 900 me
policy of permitting part OF the people
to regulate the personal habits or all tne
people. but by margin OF moral sent
Iment so narrow that a change OF one
third of l per cent. of the votes would
lhaVe reversed IL.
Is it logical to suppose that an anti
prohibition minority practically as large
as the majority which has upheld com
pusory abstinence in Maine VIII accept
the verdict as decisive, or rather that
lii will see in the closeness of the vote
Ian encouragement to further eYaSions of
the law such as have made its enforce
ImeDt farce? A vote so evenly balanced
has never effectualy decided a question
of personal liberty, and ii is not likely
that il will do so in Maine, where the
sentiment of the larger cities is in favor
of license. Its inevitable effect will be
| to make the conditions of illegal liquor
| traffic worse-to foster the growth of
"blind-pigs' and kitchen bars and to in
crease the consumption of bad liquor
and alcoholic nostrums.
The Maine law has been for half a
century a byWord of statutory hypocrisy
The State in re-indorsing il against the
wishes of nearly half the voting popula-
ton furnishes an example of sumptuarv
legislation in its most oppressive form.
And here is the way it looks to us:
1t is fact that more than half the
voting population of Maine are OPP
posed tn the license systems in vogue
in many states. and under which the
consumption of alcoholic beverages is
several times that under Names pro-
lhibitory law.
1t is just as true that the unfran-
chised portion of Names population,
whose moral rights are as great as are
those of the voters, are overwhelm-
ingly opposed to the liquor traffic.
1t is an undispu-ed fact that ma
jority of the voters of the State of
Maine are opposed TO a plan that in
creases the number of insults 10 which
respectable people are subjected by ir7
responsible victims of an unholy bust
mess; are opposed to plan that in
creases their taxes for the support of
insane. paupers, inebriates and erimi-
nails; are opposed 70 a plan that every
year adds in geometric ratio TO the
sum total of human misery are OPP
posed to a plan that expends brain
and physical power faster than all the
schools, churches. and other agencies
of moral and educational uplift can
upbuild them.
1t is just as true that a majority of
the voters of Maine, wanting as much
freedom as possible from these things
from which they know license states
suffer. are entitled to their rights.
Why should this majority of the voters
submit to the insults and abuse, the ex-
pense and misery, the disgrace and
the idiocy of that element teven if al
most as large) which desires the legal
privilege of all these things to simply
crafty it's appetites. increase it's pas
sions and uselessness?
Has not the majority as many moral
rights as the minority? Are they not
just as sacred?
In Maine 10000 out of three fourths
of million population voted what of
those who cannot vote, whose rights
are as many and as sacred whose woes
under the license plan are greater?
Although they cannot vote should they
mot be considered?
The editor of this paper votes also
for wife and two daughters, at home,
who cannot vote. The rights and
= desires of either of these are of greater
weight in consideration than his own
Individual claims for protection by
law.
: The man who denounces as stump
:. tuary law because ii offends the APP
petites of himself and boon com
panions, is, to say the least unjust
/ lie ignores the police attributes of law
) however badly enforced in the pre-
serving of the natural. inherent rights
in republic of boosted freedom. He
closes his eyes and ears to the fact
that a large majority of those in OPP
position TO this "sumptuary" law. pay
little or no taxes, and thousands OF
them are ready. at any time. to sci
their franchise for booze enough tt
make themselves obnoxious if not dan
lgerous to a community.
, New York. with consumption
several times, per capita. the intoxi
cants consumed in Maine, would hard
ily be expected to understand the wa
a Maine views this evil. But we pre-
dict If the newspaper giant. Th
World, We're resident of Maine
would be a power behind the law an
= its enforcement