Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-11

Editorial Comment
The Poor Mans Club.
(Piscataauis OhserverD

J
| In conversation recently with oiti-
zen OF these towns. on the liquor
| question. a man who draws so per cent.
/ more than the average laborinS man,
| lie stated that in spite of his good pay,
and he does not live extravagantly,
! he had stopped to consider his earn
| inSs, expenditures and the balance.
| and failed to see where there was
| any money left for rum. What OF the
| many men vino are getting two-thirds
| OF this mans income? Have they
t any money 10 support saloons? There
| would be no saloon in either Dover
| or Foxcroft probably under local OPP
| ton, but Maine towns are much alike
, 80 far as wages ga ana how the
| wages should be spent.
+, Every person who visits Dover and
j Foxcroft remarks ON the extreme neat
| ness of the houses. and the yards and
lawns about them. \ gentleman who
| has just become one Of our citizens
| told the writer that he had recently
| made a carriage drive with his fam
| lily all about these towns and that he
| thought it possible To find but very
| few towns that would equal them for
| the ncatneSS in evidence about the
homes. The Dover and Foxcroft citi-
Zens. the men who are responsible for
| the towns activities and general de
cency. spend their spare time in and
about the home. They spend their
| money for the home, In it's up-keep
and appearance. Most of them have
| something laid by for the rainy day.
| Dover and FoXcroft citizens rank
| among the highest type of American
citizenship and this Is true throughout
| the county generally.
a popular name for the saloon is
"the poor mans club" THE. POOR
| MANS CLUB! \ club Is an organ
| ization for the promotion of sociabil-
| fly, literature athletics or some pre-
sumaply beneficial object. 1t is sup
ported by its members for some good
il does them. The expenses of all
clubs are fixed So that its financially
poorest members can stand the eX-
pense without embarrassment. Too
much club even of the highest type
| is not to be encouraged for the man
who has a home and its welfare Ia
| look after. but so long as there are
NJ degrading features and n spirit of
sociability and Il healthy moral tone
is upheld, there is no great danger
IN the social club.
The saloon as 4 club benefits the
proprietor. The evening is the time
when he reapS his harvest. The sa
| Icon as Il loafing place with all its
. enticing features for drawing the last
penny from the pockets of those who
| get the habits connected with it; the
millions of dollars which Maine under
a license system would turn into the
saloon if it reached the average
emount per capita which is spent for
| liquors in other states. robbine the
| homes, the wives, the children. of the
Injuries and necessities they now en-
| Joy, robbing the community of the
money and time which would be spent
Cor good things, pictures to the writer
the saloon as CLUB, robbing those
who are unable to vote on this ques
ton of the things that belong 10
| them, robbing the legitimate business
men Of what should go to them.
The prohibitory amendment plac-
| ing the law regarding the sale of in
toxicating liquors where it is. away
from the power of the saloon and the
| liquor seller. making the sale of in
toxcating liquors a crime against the
constitution of the State, is the club
which protects the poor man from the
temptation of the saloon, which pro-
tects the business interests of the
State. which makes happier homes,
better citizens. better clothed chill
dren and more respectable commune
ties. Take down this bar lay aside
| this club and you place the matter
where the liquor dealers want It.
Remember this: Maine with its pro-
| hibtory law, a failure. as they tell
as. is consuming annually Si.4s per
capita in alcoholic beverages. about
as much as the new Foxcroft bridge
win cost the small taxpayers for each
| of the next 25 years-as an illustration
of how much good that money would
do. IF under license Maine should
but reach the average. which is fair
to assume she would, the expenditure
per capita would be 1919. Should
she reach this average only. the citi-
Gems of Maine would spend nearly
s19 .00o.O 900 for intoxicating liquors an
nually. The liquor interests and
| their allies claim today that Maine
| is spending 81 900 for intoxicants.
| Under license 1000 saloons at $1,000
| each would pay the State $1,000. 900.
| Deducting The present amount spent
/ for intoxicants and the amount of IL
| cense to be received from the 1909 sa-
looms and put Maine simply on the
| average basis. we have an increase
| TO the population of s10,S25,0 900 to go
to the saloons. What do YOU think.
| Mr.. Voter. of holding onto that club.
| the prohibitory amendment which
keeps that $40. s25 900 away from sa-
/ loon interests? The cross under No
will do IT.