The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-21
ROBSON ID SPEAK
 IN MAINE FIGHT
Will Advocate Retaining the
 Prohibition Laws
FEARS FOR FUTURE
Democrats in House and Senate Fear That His Activity May Have
 Unfortunate Effect on
 State Politics
By WALTER HARPER

ss By WALTER HARPER
 Washington July 20.-GSpecial) )-The democratic members of the House and Senate from the state of Maine are mak- ing serious complaint against the threat ened interference of local affairs in their state by Capt. R. P. Hobson and ex-Gov- ernor Glenn of North Carolina. It has been announced that these prohibition leaders are to make speech making tours through the state in the interest of pro- hibition.
 Now, the prohibition issue in Maine is purely political. The democratic opposl- ton to the present farcical prohibition 1 condition placed one democratic senator and two representatives in the present 1 Congress. This is exactly half the Maine delegation.
 l Now, for two southern democrats to go into the state and take up the repub- lican side of the issue in campaign that 1 is to regain from the democrats the half l of congressional advantage they have gained and prevent furtherance of that control is hard for the Maine democrats 1 to accept good-naturedly.
 l It is argued in the case of Captain Hob son that 1t will be unseemly for him to come fresh from state that has repudi- ated prohibition after trial and attempt ] to keep as bad or worse condition on a state that is trying to shake it off.
 The situation is made more distasteful for the fact that southern democras are to engage in fight the success of which means loss to the democratic party
 May Create Dissension l member of the delegation, discussing the matter today, said;
 Activity on the part of Representative Richmond P Hobson of Alabama in be- half of his pet theory, prohibition, bids l fair to create dissension in Maine politics | and to upset well laid plans of the newly | elected democratic governor and legis- l lature of that state to put before the | people, ultimately, the proposition of local option. Mr. Hobson is shortly to go into that state on a speech-fnaking tour, with the topic of "Prohibition'' as his sub l ject
 Maine democracy Is now making an ef- fort to knock out the first paragraph of l amendment to the constitution, which 1 provides that the sale and manufacture l of intoxicating liquors in the state shall | be forever prohibited. This exceptS, how ever cider. It was decided by the newly elected democratic legislature in sepa- rate convention last winter to resubmit this paragraph of the amendment. With the removal of this paragraph, constitu- 1 tional prohibition would be eliminated, | and the way would be cleared for the I governor to call an extra session of the | legislature to pass a measure looking to | local option. With the accomplishment of this the democratic party would have
 
 1 striven for since 1853.
 "The fear is expressed by members of the Alabama delegation, as well as other | democrats, that the effect of MT. Hob | sons appearance in favor of prohibition in Maine at this time would be detri- 1 mental to the party's chances of carrying the state in the presidential election in l 1912. for, should the resubmisson propo- | sition be defeated the republicans would be furnished a valuable presidential cam | paign asset
 That MT. Hobson's appearance in be- half of prohibition will be doubly detri- mental to the democratic party is con- ceded because he holds a commission in Congress as democrat from state that l has had four years of prohibition only to repudiate it this very month by declaring for local option in several counties where local option elections have been held. 1 Any argument in favor of prohibition that MT. Hobson may put forth is not, ;! in itself, feared, but the capital he will furnish the republican party by cham I pionng republican idea will have dam I aging effect on the democratic party.
 "rrhe voters of Maine will have an op portunity to vote on the resubmission of amendment in September, and indica- tions are, according to Maine politicians, that the people will vote 10 remove it.
 Captain Hobson Talks l Asked about the effect of his activities in Maine politics, Congressman Hobson l said: a-fts
 1 Yes, it Is true that I am to take part in the campaign for retaining prohibition | in the constitution of the sate of Maine I disagree with the claim entirely that it 1 could harm democratic prospects in Maine i for democrat to advocate prohibition. On the contrary, the political effect of democrats coming in on the prohibition | side of the campaign would be highly ben | efcial to the permanent hold of democ- l racy upon the confidence of a majority of the voters of that state.
 | True democracy would more and more | exalt the position of the masses of the people in controlling the affairs of gov ernment and for permanent success it must rely absolutely upon high average | standard of character of the people If this average standard falls below cer- l tain minimum level the experience of all history shows that self government and liberty and true democracy become im- :, possible. | "Of all the agencies blocking the pro- gress of humanity and lowering the aver l age standard of character of our people none can compare with the widespread l use of the degenerating toxsin alcohol | Ii is this use that creates the degenerate vote in our cities and debauches ouiSelec- tions and peryerts the purposes of true democracy. In fact it is the cumulative effect of degeneracy from generation to generation that has overthrown the lib- critics of the nations of the past, like Greece and Rome. and is beginning to threaten the liberties of self-governing people today.
 '.rhe true position for the democratic Iparty to take, and any party that cham l pions self government is one of unrelent- ing warfare upon the use of alcoholic bev- erages and therefore in all campaigns the democratic party should be found ranged on the side of prohibition
 "ln my judgment nothing will improve the general standing of the democratic party in Maine. and other northern states more than for democrats from the south and elsewhere to come into the state and take an active and conspicuous part in favor of prohibition in the coming cleo tion.'