Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-25
Rum Trusts Perpetual Song.

1 1ngs when reading the editorial com
Iment't ON the Maine "election," by
distinguished publications of other
parts of the country. II errors were
all. il would be amusing. but with the
widely circulated mediums mani
festly Intentionally mistating and dis
tortng conditions and sentiments in
Maine, for the sake of pleasing local
Using and other support of certain
commercial interests, Indignation i,
aroused
Harpers Weekly. current ISSUE in!
licts the following on its editorial
page:
II nay be that the people of Maine will
conflict IN that State over State prohibit
ton is a nuisance that is worth ahatng.
and win get together soberly To try Ia
find some form of regulation of the drink
traffic on which a large majority of them
can agree At this writing. nearly a week
after election, ii is not determined yet
whether the Maine voters decided to re
tain the prohibition clause in the State
Constitution or not, 1t has been there
since 1854 and. after p years has not yet
established itself in the approval of
Maine people. Half of them are against
il After 81 years of state prohibition
half of Maine is opposed To that
This looks like failure for state prohibit
ton in Maine. The word is a fetch in
tina; state. In the minds of many voters
born under prohibition. belief in that
method of restraint has come. no doubt
10 be a matter of rt ligiOn. 1t would be
lust as sensible 10 make the treatment
gsatn. lfGfg ar of
ing typhoid a matter of Fl ligion What is
wanted is the method of dealing with the
drink tratf that is best adapted To re-
luce 10 { mniNnm the damage done by
alcohol. Prohibition is sentimental
remedy.
Do You recognize the fine hand Of the
liquor interests employee who does not
hefuddle his brains with the product
with which he assists in poisoning his
fellow men? The above is rum trust
literature, pure and simple. Ii was
idiotieally prated by the paid tools of
the brewers and distillers in the Maine
campaign. and Harper's Weekly edi
tors repeat it because there is nothing
new to be said.
Do YOU recognize the regulation of
the drink traffic" and "the method Of
dealing with the drink traffic. Rather
familiar, aren't they?
Harper's says half of Maine is
against the law. Were this not so OH
viously false, it might be worth deny
ing. Majority rule is the foundation
of our government A majority of the
people Of Maine voted against repeal
of the law, in spite OF tine living. de-
ceit and dollars of the rum trust. 1t
was the honest sentiment of Maine
against the sophistry of vast COM
mercial combination backed by the
immoral support of its millions of VIC
Tins and toadies.
Harper's comes under the latter
class. 1t seems willing To mislead the
pure and innocent to please its
patrons.
We agree with Harper,s touching the
analogy of tuberculosis and typhoid
and intoxicants. We of Maine are
gradually embracing another religion
in a system prohibiting these product
of filth curses along with the greater
one of intemperance, which latter is
VIGOROUSLY productive of both the for
mer.
All three-peddling of booze. typhoid
and tuberculosis-are prohibited in
Maine. We would as soon license the
propagation of the two latter as the
former. We want no sensible meth
cd of dealing with either of them.
We are wiping them all out as rapidly
as possible. No other part of the
world enjoys the minimum TO which
consumption of intoxieants has been
reduced in Maine.
The laws of sanitation are nullified
to an extent. but we are not consider
ing the acceptance of license fees to
render violators immune from prose-
cution Hence typhoid finds foothold
in dark, dirty. unattractive places. SO
do rum and tuberculosis.
These things do not change our re-
ligions" or cause us the more To ad-
mire such apparent friends of the evil
traffic as Harper's Weekly.