Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-17

| am in favor of retaining state
wide prohibition of the saloon. |
am satisfied it would be much
better for all kinds of business. /
reach that conclusion from per-
sonal observation, as to the diff
ference between license and pro-
hibition. having lived in Maine
under both conditions, | have no
hesitation in saving that all kinds
of business are promoted by pro-
bibition. Cnder license a very
large per cent. of the earnings of
a certain class of laborers go for
intoxicants of some kind. When
prohibition is fairly we'll in force
much larger percentage OF wages
goes for clothing and things es-
sential for the comfort and nap
pjness of the individual and ram
lily. / have studied with some
care all methods tried and pro-
posed to restrict the liquor trafile
in this and other countries. ana
the results satisfy me from
business point of view that pro-
hibition is the best method which
is or has been resorted To, as
tending to promote morality and
industry in all departments OF
labor and trade. The liquor traf-
fc naturally breeds disorder and
tends to pauperism and crime. -
:. J. Court. Missouri. Such is
the Judgment of the court of last
resort in many states and the l.
:. Supreme Court. | am in favor
of any restrictions of the liquor
traffic which will produce the best
results Hiram Knowlton, Law
Yer. Portland, June I. oil.
As a citizen Of Maine and as the
father Of two future citizens of
the State my belief in the pro-
hibitory law as the best statute
is unqualified and my desire To
secure its retention in the Maine
constitution makes me anxious TO
nut myself on record anywhere
and at any time. Prohibition re-
striets the sale of intoxicating
Hduor as no other means can
keep down the liquor traffic
Whatever legal restrictions are
adopted, the saloon will not be
come law abiding or respectable
/ know from personal observa-
ton in all sections Of this country
that even in the rare cases where
a high license law. state or local.
is administered with freedom from
political graft. blind tigers
Kitchen bars and low dives
are known to exist by the hum
bred. Law breakers nullify law
and debauch politics in license
states and communities much
more than in prohibition Maine.
Prohibition by state statute and
constitutional provision has a
positive educational value, as a
statement Of moral principle, that
an annual local vote or a police
regulation cannot possess. What
Is most important-the community
sentiment on personal temper
ance-under a license law cannot
be as strong as under eonstitu-
tioual prohibition. - Geo. Otis
Smith, Skowhegan, June 81. 1911.
AblltAfttlFt VI NIit GttAobiH III
Maine should be retained because
ID results of prohibition in Maine.
when cOntrasted with results of
license OF local option in other
states clearly show the decided
superiority Of prohibition in our
State over all other methods of
dealing with the Liquor evil %
Statewide prohibition is prefer
able to such prohibition as may be
secured under local option because
local option cannot. in the nature
of the case. protect the localities
in which prohibition is adopted
against the destroying influence of
neighboring localities in which
license prevails. CD Prohibition
alone. Of all methods of dealing
with the manufacture and sale of
Intoxicating liquor, is sound in
principle, for it alone is based
upon the principle that the state
has no right to authorize. en-
courage, or tolerate vice; and just
as fast as the people of a state can
be made 10 see and appreciate this
truth, they should give expression
to their conviction by prohibiting
vice and putting all possible re-
straint upon it in the endeavor to
effect its elimination.-Geo, G.
Chase President of Bates College
Lewiston, June 3. 1911.
| am the president of a bank. !
happen to know the opinions upon
this subject of many of the presi-
dents and vice presidents of our
various financial institutions. And
of those whose opinions ! am ac-
quainted with-a large majority of
all-more than eighty-five per
cent are Favorable to prohibition
That, probably. is larger ratio
than would obtain throughout our
business world. But what other
class of business men nave such
opportunities for observing the
damage to business that the llquor
traffic can work? / am confident
that the bank officials to whom
refer would not favor prohibition
if in their judgment it did not
benefit business. / do not mean
those men would advance the ma
terial at the expense of the moral
.Rut such is the eternal and fitting
correlation of the diVersliled IN
terests of communities, that one o.
them cannot be advanced at the
axnense of the other. And as