Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-01

I'M NilVbSNNt E stBtlNdttlSt eIlul lp
1 place limit on the rate of interest
one could ask ON mortgages, as it
might prevent him from getting a
high rate Of interest out of the poor
farmers. He might also have had an
interest in the man that desires to sell
rum.
Careful inquiry of saloon keepers
express agents. r. r. agents and Of
metals during the past two years in
several license and saloon option
states has convinced me that prohibit
ton at its worst is better than license
at It's best, and no man familiar with
the facts can honestly assert the con-
trary. One licensed hotel keeper in
New Jersey. who has been in the bust
ness seven years told me not three
months ago that no man with any
seit-respect will sell rum He said he
had to do so many mean things that
he had to stifle all conscience. For
instance" he said we are not al
lowed to sell liquor to be carried off
the premises they are by law expected
TO drink il here | asked. DO you
sell TO be carried away" He re-
piled. Sure; all they are able to pay
for" He said, I'VE are not allowed
TO sell to minors, or drunkards or to
those to whom We have been forbid
den. | asked. DO YOU sell to all
such?' He said Just as long as they
nave any money. asked, Don't
any one complain of you?" He re-
piled, What do you suppose We care
Tor the law? We can fix the Judge
or officers for IS or $40 any time"
Now this was in a town of about
800 inhabitants. asked him if
some did not sell siyIy without a
license, and If he took measures to
stop them He said they did sell
but he did not bother them forr ne
may nave sold them the stuff they
were peddling, and more than that
he did not want to touch them for
they knew more things against me
than do about them. so it is best for
me to keep still. Oh there are lots of
things about the rum business that
would surprise you"
After this man had been keeping
this hotel in that little town four
years he made enough to buy a $1,000
farm. He did not have six customers
day from out OF town. 1t was
neither central place nor thor
- II.
convinced me that far more LIQUOR
came there for private use than there
Is at like places in this State, not
withstanding all had access to the
hotel bar. There are about 1925 car
loads OF market garden stun shipped
from that station to New York each
year and as near as | can learn from
Ii TO l-5 Of the money received Tor il
Is spent for liquor. | have this from
the saloon keepers own mouth
In a little city of about 1000, a
saloon Keeper told me that one-half
OF the men were drunk every Satur-
DAY night. | protested to him that
IT was not possible. He said that he
Knew what he was talking about. /
was at the depot there about April )
and the baggage master dragged n
drunken man across the r. X. yard
and left him ON the side of the road
asked him il it was true that one
nan the men in town We're drunk
Saturday nights. He said no. but
there We're lots of them. It is sell
dom that one can ride ON the railroads
or troileys without the next man To
you smelling of liquor.
was In town in Massachusetts
oil about 5000 people and driving with
one of the business men saw =
wagon with 80 or 20 eight gallon kegs
on 1t. / asked him what they were
ne said they We're beer kegs that the
express has been collecting from
houses to return to the breweries. I
asked who used ii. He said. "Nost
everybody. II was lager beer; some
bought 1t in kegs. and some in eases
of "a bottles each.
III Is said that New Jersey has more.
licensed saloons. according to popu-
ration, than any other state. Now if
thls is the case, we would not EXPECT
there would be any need of dives or
pocket peddling: but the records show
mat there are nearly 5000 men having
Z. ,. license that do not have a
state license. Now they do not nav
Iof license except they want TO sell
liquor
In talking with all classes of mo,
from saloon keepers to clergyman an
but one confirmed my opinion that
prohibition at its worst is better than
license at its best. A hotel keener In
washington, ID. c.. told me the louor
business was all right in that citv
But on talking with the man in ~
hotei' VINO had charge of the tobacco
ana news stand, he said just as | had
heard all the others say. He said he
would not own real estate in Wash.
ihstoh, In fact the last census show,
."at property there has decreased in
value in the past 10 years.
no" i nave taken pains to inter-
eieW an classes in several different
states and all the testimony con-
tihees me that when any man saws
that conditions in this State ara
'.the as bad as they are in license
ssa'ea not excepting rotten Bangor
ana for'lahd-I know that he is eth
ef ignorant or a hypocrit.
rb.,., {. e. SMITH.
Thorndike, May 20.