Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-09-11
MAINE VOTES ON PROHIBITION
State Vote on Question Today May
Settle Fight Which Has Been
on for Sixty Years.


Augusta, Me, Sept. 11.-After sixty
years of warfare on the liquor traffic
and twenty-seven years of constitu.
tional prohibition, Maine, the original
dry" state, is today convulsed with
special election to determine whether
the people wish to retain prohibition
as a part of the organic law of the
state or to cast IL aside as a proven
failure and an obstacles in the pathway
of rational reform.
From all over the state this morning
Gene reports OF an unprecedented vote
and no presidential or state election
has ever equalled in interest the cam
paign which eliminated in today's bat
tie of ballots. Maine was the first
state in the Union to enforce temper
ance by law and II 1t should be dis
carded now the blow would be one
from which the dry" forces all over
the country would be slow to recover.
Both sides realize this, and while the
voters of the Pine Tree state will de-
eide the issue, the wet" and dry"
interests of the nation have partici-
pated in the campaign.
! While the prohibitionists are conf
IDENTITY proclaiming landslide they
have plainly been worried as to the
outcome. FOR the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union and other temper
ance bodies are today demonstrating
and putting forth the most earnest
efforts TO induce the voters to bring
about the retention of the famous fifth
amendment, which was adopted by
vote OF the people in September, 1884.
Unprecedented observers admit that
the issue Is very much in doubt and
that the result will doubtless he close.
Considering the fact that Maine ex-
perienced political earthquake last
autumn, electing a democratic gov
erHor and legislature largely upon the
lluuOT ISSUE, IL 10 polhtcu out thot uh
less public sentiment has changed
there may be as strong an expression
of anti-prohibition temper today.
The republican leaders have gener-
ally come to believe that 1t was the
allegiance of their party to prohibition
for half a century that gradually weak
ened the party and finally, in 1910, lost
them the state. The democrats could
not possibly have won last year except
for the assistance of republican voters
friendly to the resubmission platform
of the democracy.
During the campaign every sort OF
appeal has been made by both sides
to prejudice and passion, sentiment
and self-interest, and many OF the
arguments both for and against the
retention of prohibition were absurd
and insincere. The prohibitionists
have brought speakers from all over
North America and even from Europe
to plead for the continuance of theil
policy.
1t is asserted by opponents of the
dry" regime that just as much liquor
has been sold in Maine during the las
[ half century as would have been con
sumed under a license regime, tht
, only difference beingathat the liquor!
have been of poorer quality and have
, commanded higher prices. 1t Is gener
ally admitted that blind tigers ant
kitchen speak-easies have flourishet
/, all over the state, and that there are
hundreds of so-called drug stores
: which have no other excuse for exist
ence than the sale of liquors.