Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-14
DR.. Abbott Condemns Prohibition.

sRev. Dr." Lyman Abbott! How in
sistently they repeat his letter to
Texan man on the prohibition ques-
ton, How they gloat over this &C
QUESTION TO the rum forcesl
How deplorable it is that men VINO
nave attained prominence and respect
by exercise of intelligence and ex-
emplary habits should turn in the Sc
eurity and conceit of age to deal
damaging blows to holy cause with
Which confiding public would have
aligned them!
q Rev. Lyman Abbotts claim to know
of lawlessness and law-evasion in
Maine is obviously ill-considered and
unjust. We do not believe that DR..
Abbott knows the first thing other
than that he has absorbed from read
ing rum trust inspired attacks on the
law and the system. He may think he
knows without analysis of his in
formation, that the good of the pro-
hibitory law is more than counter
balanced by the spirit of lawlessness.
We deny that DIR. Abbott knows any
such thing and challenge him TO re-
fute our charge or back his up with
proof.
DR.. Abbott. for some reason which
we leave to the psychologists, has
chosen to deal a cowardly. unfounded
and inconsistent blow 20 a. great moral
work. We are disappointed in him
IN the stand he has taken. in the lack
Of logic. force or excuse for the in
Fiction; in his manifest misconception
of conditions. We are surprised that
he should claim to know when we
Know that he does not.
There are hundreds Of men in Maine
Just as honest, intelligent and keen of
perception as DR.. Abbott, who have
Always lived in Maine. yet who never
saw saloon or rum shop of any or
der. OF course they see intoxicated
men occasionally. but they never see
the real evils of intemperanee which
DR.. Abbott knows so much about, un-
less they seek IL out where the erimi-
mails carry on their Legitimate bust
ness. We presume that Dr. Abbott
knows other crimes are committed in
Maine, but we should be surprised to
hear him claim that Maine is worse
than her sister states because he ought
to know better.
If Dr. Abbott knows so much about
the "lawIessness and law evasion of
Maine he ought to know some of the
statistics in her favor--in spite of the
violation of law. He ought to know
that Maine is making more rapid IN
crease In per capita wealth than her
sister local option states. that she is
making more rapid DE-crease of per
capita debt than in the rum trust ter
ritory. DR.. Abbott should know that
In spite of Names 'lawlessness and
iaw-evasion. hypocrisy" ETC.. she has
less than half the number of insane
per 100000 population as the much
Wanted local option state of Massa
ehusetts He should know that while
Maine Is rapidly Decreasing her
number of paupers per thousand popu-
iafion, the Bay State is more rapidly
Increasing her number of paupers
per thousand population.
ON what. then. does DR.. Abbott base
his statement that the good prohibition
has done has been more than counter
balanced by lawlessness? We demand
that DR.. Abbott furnish something
tangible as his excuse for mixing in
this battle or admit to the world that
he has passed his usefulness to the
world. having reached an age where
his views are warped and capacity for
good deterioratjng.
If DR. Abbott knew as much of the
workings Of local option. under pres
ent rum trust methods, as he pretends
to know, he would know that state.
wide prohibition is impossible under
the local option plan. He would know
that the rum trust would buy ant
people certain towns to work from
and thus infect a commonwealth, be.
for they would lose it.
We would like to know what reason
DIR. Abbott would give for withdrawing
the worst of all evils from the lis
controlled by the majority. Is thu
liquor business to be withheld from tn
voice of the people because it has tn
money with which to buy votes of tn
characterless and influence of tn
dotards.
DIR. Abbett's presentation of hi
position on State wide prohibition /
weak and silly, unfounded, impracti
cal, illogical, doddering. 1t comes a
q igrieyous disappointment to thou
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