Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-01

In the Editors Letter Box We pub
lish the communication of a friend Of
the Journal and we earnestly recon-
mend its reading. He shows that the
law is ignored and violated just as
much under license provision as under
prohihitory law: that where license
prevails there are just as many lille
gal places and pocket peddlers as there
are in violation of the present law
that the licensed seller will not trou-
BILE them because they know as much
against him as he does against them
and ii is best for him TO keep still
that anyone can buy as long as he
has money, and that officers can be
fixed" more effectively than under
the present Maine law.
Our Thorndike friend makes il plain
that a careful investigation of condi-
tions in Maine and in license states
proves that prohibition at its worst
is better than license at its best" If
it We're not so why are the liquor in
terests so anxious to repeal the law?
No one has yet made the claim that
the liquor trust or any dealer in in
taxicafing liquors is working for hui
manitarian purposes Does any one
believe that the liquor interests would
oppose any law and advocate another
H.. 1 10 hot
ter calculated to turn dollars into
their pockets?
Ii the average citizen would have
few of these points in mind when he
hears some one arguing for some other
method of dealing with the liquon
evil he would have an effective an
swer The man who breaches against
the prehibitory law is, SO out of 100
times. interested personally in the bust.
ness some way, or has been convinced
that any way but a law against il is
better way TO handle the question.
Probably he has been told that Ii
censed places will be respectable"
places and that they will see to it
that all unlicensed places are closed
up.
This last is one of the cheapest, most
obvious lies that the liquor interests
tell, Any person who ever has been
in a license town knows better. In
the first place, no liquor saloon or any
kind of a rum shop ever was respect
able. and the recognition by law and
The open display of intoxieants stimu-
la'es the appetite of those who are
fighting against their natural thirst
In other words, advertising increases
the sale; young men with leanings to-
ward intemperanee seize the argument
that 1T is a nice, clean place" and
respectable" There they mingle with
the habitues of places that were not
respectable" before the state took a
share In the rum business.
The man who has paid several hun
drcd dollars for license calculates to
get his money back and as much more
as possible. He does not hesitate to
get tine most of the trade If he can.
There are other licensed places in town
but ne is not looking out for them. IL
he can sell more by enlisting pocket
peddlers and few hidden dives. on
commission, he is ready to furnish the
lauor.
When man tells you that there
VIII be no pocket peddling or kitchen
bar rooms under license plan. you
may safely conclude that ne knows
ho.hihs about II or is a colossal Ii
man to whom the shorter and ug
Her word might be applied. No plan
has yet been conceived that is so
proiihe OF pocket peddling and cheap
GIVES as is the license plan. From
the licensed stock the go-between can
fep'enish his pocket at any time. when
ne would not have the money to send
away for the goods to peddle.
Under local option the wet town
tN'Hi7iNS an TIE liquors that IFS
horde of hangers on can sell in the
neighboring dry towns.
The hatred of the Maine prohibitorv
law is inspired by its restriction of
the profits OF those who have nouor
TO sell. and the curbing of those who
are determined to have liquors AT anv
cost. Any plan to take the place of
the present law is calculated to graft
fy these two classes and means
LARGER SALES OF LIOIIORs
MORE DRUNKEN SONS, MORE DIS
GusTING SCENES. MORE CRIME
OF ALL KINDS.
Do you wish to see either of these ,
Are you going to work against it un-
til next September, and then vote
against IL?
Twenty-Five DRINKS before the Port
land municipal court yesterday Sure
prohibition prohibits.-Biddeford Rec.