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

| sharpshooters, should cooperate with
| the artillery, we shall steadily reduce
the drinking and 50 make easier all
| the while, the task of law enforce
| IHent.'
| The speaker then went on to show
in very effective manner that consti-
rational prohibition is better than
| statutory prohibition, even with n
referendum to safeguard people
| against misrepresentation legislators:
| that Statewide prohibition is better
| than county or town prohibition I'M
der the local option plan; that pro-
hibit;on is better than license. He ar
| gued that constitutional prohibition
was better than prohibition by stat
ute because it was in accord with the
latest worldwide movement of gov
ernmental progress. 1T is because
the people do trust themselves more
than they trust Legislatures that they
propose TO keep prohibition in the
constitution. The liquor traffic of the
whole world desires the overthrow of
the citadel of prohibition. the Maine
law. Why should anyone who is real
ly against that traffic aid them by re-
moving prohibition from the constitu-
tlOIlati titstutt TO Tue icSS NtltildSb
breastworks of the legislature
In answer to the question. why not
depend upon the referendum" the
speaker pointed out that the referen-
ium is the suitable agency for dealing
with new and intricate and changing
problems, such as public utilities,
while the constitution was the place
to put clean-eut conclusions about
great rights and wrongs.
Another reason for keeping prohi
Lltion in the constitution, is the rea-
son given ME by a Maine congressman
at Washington, that this is the way
to keep it out of politics. said the
speaker. He then went on TO show in
the many illustra tons the debauehing
effects of the saloon in city politics.
The speaker declared that State
wide prohibition was better than local
option, because it did away with many
of the difficulties that n city in sur
rounding wet territory had when it
voted no license. He pointed out that
IN New Hampshire the change from
the feeblest prohibition law to license
and local option caused an increase
of criminal DRINKS, four and one-half
fold in four years. He ridieuled the
idea that "a strict high license law
would eliminate such lawbreaking, ass
he said had become a. scandal in Port
land and Bangor at times under pro-
nibition, for the unlicensed liquor deal
ers of Maine were not SO easily to be
Transformed into law abiding saints by
surrenderins to their rebellion.
He gave statistics to show that the
saloon was not only criminal itself,
but also n mother of crimes and de-
clared that prohibition at it's worst
makes better record of social service
than license at its best
Maine must lead march on Wash
ington to get the Curtis-Miller inter
state liquor BILL to which the present
Congress is more favorable than any
before it. because it is a states rights
bill, passed This bill is n states rights
bill in a sense that should commend
itself to every honest voter, for 1t pro-
poses only to remove Uncle Sans
shield of interstate commerce from
blind tiger men, who invade territory
to nullify the laws. Let Maine peo-
pie take the probability OF the enact
ment of that law into account as they
on Sept. II, as a reason for expecting
better enforcement in the future
IF all in Maine who hate and would
destroy the saloon refuse to be divided
at this time about secondary questions
of how it shall be done, they will, on
Sept. IL, meet the enemy's proposal
to surrender constitutional prohibition
with triumphant No"
Local 400, A. +. of NJ, will meet at 2.30