Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-09-06
Correspondence.


Prohibition W. License.
NoRrH BRooKLIN, ME-, Sept. I. 1911.
| TO tAs Editor Of The American: !
| We oftsn hear or read OF politicians
yoicinR their sentiments in regard to con-
stitutional prohibition, and We are much
| inclined to wonder IL it may not Be for
some political ends that they take the
stand they do.
Very little is heard from the masses OF
the people, so, in this great crisis in the
moral history of the grand old State OF
Maine, as one of the masses, write. Be-
fore another issue of THE AMERICAN, at
the ballot box must be settled whether
prohibition shall be the policy OF the
State, or whether local option or license
shall be made possible.
The cry of the Waterville Sentinel and
other organs enlisted on the side OF the
saloon has been: "You can trust the peo-
pie OF Maine" We reply: Yes, We Gan
trust the people Of Maine, but In this cam
paign now drawing to = close, the people
OF Maine have not been the only factors to
be reckoned with. The allied liquor inter-
ests of the country have been bending all
their energies against rs. The distillers,
the wholesale and retail dealers are in the
field, and who can estimate the Thousands
Of dollars in money, the liquor and other
forces sent into the State to overcome the
friends Of prohibitions
have seen for years that resubmission
must come, 30 have investigated saloon
conditions in licensed and local-option
states, and in my own state, that might
b prepared to talk and vote intelligsntly
on the question when 1t came again before
the people.
have visited saloons in licensed and
local option states, ct all hours Of day and
night, and make the statement here that
the saloon - havs seen it has no respect
for law or order or decency, and that
prohibition il infinitely better than either
license or local option.
In licensed states the Sunday laws arc
broken, liquor is sold to minors-even to
children; also to drunkards, and the hours
Of closing, established by the cities and
towns, in many instances are stretched by
the saloon-keepers to suit themselves.
What 10 the remedy for all these offencesf
There 10 not Q license law in any state
which is not more outrageously violated
than the prohibition law is in Maine.
have been in every city in Maine, lived in
one, and will say that l have seen more
drunkenness in one licensed city not larger
than Wsterville than / ever saw in the
State of Maine ell my life.
II you repeal the law because some men
violate it, you will have to repeal every
other law. Do you abolish the Jail because
it is full! Adopt free trade because men
and women smugglei Demolish the mint
because bad men counterfeit the currencyf
Where are you going to stop! Does any
one say that we cannot enforce law Of
our own making! Then we are not at for
self government, and are incompetent to
make our own laws.
Bonfort's Wine and Spirit Circular,
Feb. Is, 1911, says: 1.-THE trade is very
much interested in the fact that Maine is
to vote on the repeal Of prohibition in
september, because it is thought that the
overthrow OF prohibition in Maine would
have tremendous moral effect through
out the country. The fight in Maine
offers tremendous possibilities to the
trade, and they should not be neglected"
a perfectly frank statement.
1.-THE fght in Maine offers tremendous
possibilities to the trade, and they should
not be neglected" Isn't this practical
admission even by the liquor interests
that prohibition does prohibit!
Yet with their hypocrisy they say that
there is just as much liquor drank in
Maine as ever there was in the old days.
II so, why do they want to do away with
prohibition?
The saloon is . criminal. Its wrongs
upon humanity have been written in
blood. 1t has been proved time and time
again that where the saloon fourishes, all
other business languishes. Do we want
the sale Of those things that destroy lifei
God forefend that we should legalize
such an infamous business in Maine,
partnership its crimes, share its profits
with the public treasury, and make it as
lawful and respectable a. the church
where we worship God, the school where
we educate our youth, and the home that
shelters wife and children.
LEROY R. FIVE.
A Pen Picture.