Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-19


makes the laws and names and elects
the city officials.
All through the Maine campaign it
Twas claimed by the opponents OF pro-
Inhibition that the dealers in whiskey
were all in favor of the prohibition
law. that 1t was the beer trust that
WAS irving to get a look-in Now the
lvbiskev trust is sending out this idi-
lotto results of careful investigation
land urging editors to use it. The pub
Ibeitv agent of the National Wholesale
Liquor Dealers Association writes;
If you can ind space for the story,
we shall greatly appreciate its use"
The article in question says
When the lid is ON. and beer is not on
draft, it drives the trade to whiskey.
Whiskey is less bulky than beer. wo-
man can hide whiskey in the woodshed
or down in the cellar. With the lid on
and the business forced into secrecy.
there was one block where IA out OF the
u families We're selling. The people on
the third floor did not sell as much, but
they sold some The mother of a family
OF tltI uduShltI tllttftditS titC i'iisoet''t'
men and the laborers in the kitchen With
the outlawed hard stuff which she brings
in under her apron.
Yet the whiskey trust is anxious to
prove these things against the law, in
spite of the fact that more whiskey is
sold; sold in the place of beer. We
wonder why. If the whiskey trust is
satisfied with conditions where its
goods are sold instead of beer. why
does il wish the law changed? There
can be only one explanation-under a
law permitting open rum shops and
the sale of beer as well as hard stuff.
MORE whiskey is sold than now. Very
simple, isn't it,
That is why the rum trust is con-
stantly arranging for articles from
and newspaper writer's 10
circulate under the credit of a repu-
table publication. as though * had
been bought and paid for as matter
fer public information. Many such ar
ticles are written more carefully with
the rum trust desire less obvious-for
instance, Holman Days recent resume
of the campaign and results, in Har-
per's-but it is there. always. the knit
ing of the law because it interferes
with the rum business.
Why do these writer's not compile
special articles on the evils existing
under the laws of New York, Massa-
ehusetts or New Jersey? Because
there is no money in it: the rum trust,
doesn't care to have such stuff pub
lished. The liquor trust prefers the
reading public to absorb the idea that
such conditions as described by MIR.
Gleason exist only under Names pro-
hibitory law; that the decent honest
poor" of license cities do not suffer
from the degrading influences of
drinking. drunkenness, illegal sale OF
liquor and moral depravity.
perters Of the law quickly refute such
deceptive articles, but the rum trust
never ceases. its sniping of the law
Articles in the guse of news and in
form OF legitimate information cut
more deeply into the law than any of
the falsehoods put out in the heat of
campaign, because the average reader
cannot understand the object of re-
spectacle publications in serving up
such matter. The average reader
recognizes that such conditions as de-
scribed by Mr.. Gleason actually exist
in Portland, but nine out of ten do not
pause to consider that conditions ten
times as bad are found in any license
City in the land, and no magazine
writer paints it's wickedness or blames
it upon the failure of Regulation to
regulate
Why? Because there is none to pay
for such articles. Golfers wouldn't
care rap for such an ordinary, chop
py. colorless, pontless Except from
the rum trust standpoinD article on
the evils OF the rum belt in license
town.
From time to time such articles APP
pear in otherwise respectable maya
zines and newspapers. The articles
are then copied and widely scattered
aud credited to the publication in
which they first appeared As a rule
they go by without REPUTATION, ana the
seed is thus constantly sown in oppn-
Isiti'n 10 law, in support of evil, be-
cause in evil there is profit.
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REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
tNew York Press.)
| Keeping out of iail can rpaIyo CO.,,