The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-05
The Democracy in Maine

T read with interest an article in The Age-Herald recently reproduced from Harpers Weekly about the approaching Ielection in Maine,'' said an old democrat. According to Harper's the republicans will get back into power. The issue is prohibition. Maine has been a republic an state ever since I can remember. The few times the democrats have won has been on account of some local issue that Igot many republican votes for the dem |ocratic cause. The democrats carried
 Maine last year, and what brought them
 victory was the party's attitude against prohibition. The democracy made a fight
 for resubmission. Resubmission was a popular issue. Maine now has a demo- cratic governor and a democratic senator, and it will have another democratic sen- ator to fill the vacancy caused by the death of that old war horse republican, Senator Frye. According to Harpers the democrats had plain sailing this year on an anti-prohibiton sea, but they have thrown away their opportunities by al- lowing the prohibition laws to be more
 hagrantly violated than ever without pro- test Had the democrats acted with any degree of wisdom they would have done
 their utmost for strict enforcement of
 the law until they had succeeded in strik-
 ing prohibition out of the con-
 stitution. The Maine republicans have
 very naturally taken advantage of the situation and have made a vigorous cam
 paign against the democrats as a party
 connving at law violation. Local option
 is unquestionably sound democratic loc-
 Urine, and the people of Maine would
 have voted prohibition out of the consti-
 tuition this month had the democrats made a bold stand for law observance.
 Prohibition has been a farce in Maine
 for long years. No well informed,
 fair minded person can point to his
 sumptuary measure as a good thing for
 the old pine state. Certain towns in Maine are notorious for drunkenness. During the past 30 years the census has shown
 small increase in population. The state as a whole is notoriously illiterate, and
 there is more hypocricy to the square inch in Maine than in any state I know or, except Kansas. which, like Maine. has prohibition written in it's organic law.
 "Harper's Weekly in it's forecast may
 possibly be mistaken. I hope 1t is, bur
 if the democrats lose they will have mo-
 body to blame but themselves. I never
 voted the republican ticket in my life. I
 am Jeffersonian democrat from prln-
 ciple, but since the war our good old democratic party has won few national
 victories. It is symbolized by the donkey,
 not because democratic statesmanship has failed to rise to the occasion, but be- Icause of marplots and campaign leaders
 who have been unable to bring about har- mony. If Harper's Weekly is right he the fire, just as the national democracy has often done. I have great hopes of national victory next year, but if Maine were to go democratic this month we lelecting a President in 1912. As to prohi- bition, I will always be on the anti side, simply because local option is democratic and just and is in accordance with the best American ideals. I would not care if there was never a drop of liquor manu- factured, but there always will be whisky, to say nothing of other alcoholic bev- erages, and so long as we have the liquor question, and always will have it. I think the people of county or township should say whether or not it Is to be legaized | in their particular localities"