Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-17
Editor $ Letter Box
Save the Constitutional Law.

your cOlumnSt
Augusta. Maine. July 10, 1911.
TO the Editor of the Biddeford Record:
In your editorial of July TO- | believe
You very much nderyalue the Importance
of the retention of Constitutional pro-
hihition, and of the struggle to retain it
which will eliminate in september.
Napoleon's future, as you say. was at
stake ut Waterloo. lie was SINGLE
INDIVIDUAL, although n very powerful
one; and was fighting to continue his
prestige. To add 10 his fame, and to re-
place king by an emperor. HIMSELF.
The crisis at Gettysburg was not merely
TO decide whether self -government should
be permitted to certain states by division
from the Union. The battle of Gettys-
burg was to decide, in addition to this,
whether the purposes for which the
Union was established, by fearing,
self-sacriacing people, and perpetuated
by their descendants tand others who
came here to enjoy its hlessings) Were To
be ieopard2ed by permitting slavery and
its attendant evils in their midst The
battle was TO lift the burdens from the
slave and TO keep intact all the bless
ings which the Union made possible.
The constitution of the United states
common defense" general welfare"
and blessings of liberty TO ourselves and
our posterity." These are for what the
Northern soldiers fought. And these are
the foundation of prohibition!
The contest in September is, as Mrs.
Stevens has truly said to be the greatest
battle the world ever saw. 1t is one in
which men will night, by their votes, To
held fast the good they have attained
NOT FOR THEMSELVES ALONE.
BIT FOR THE EQUAL BENEFIT OF
EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD
IN THE STATED that each one may add
to the common safety and happiness of
all and Ia the honor of the state and ma
ton. The September election is To de-
eide. not whether one man shall reign in
stead of another or whether one people
shall govern instead of another people,
but whether the God-given spirit in each
heart which incites people 10 aid their
fellow creatures To attain the highest
good possible To any. shall surrender 10
the evil spirit which seeks ones own adj
vantage REGARDLESS or THE COST
To OTHERS. 1t is a battle to prevent
men from weakening their fellowmen in
order to strengthen themselves: TO pre-
vent them from throwing their fellow
men into poverty. disease. misery and
crimeFof all kinds. in order TO gain for
themselves wealth. health luxury and
freedom through the sale of intoxicating
liquors. 1t is also To prevent men, who
would greedily grasp at their fellow
creatures all. not hesitating to take away
honor also, and who would even sell the
souls Of their fellow-men for money and
what it will buy. The battle is for the
preservation of domestic tranquility.
Can anyone deny that liquor drinking
has banished it from millions of homes.
through quarrels murders. divorces, sui
cides and poverty? Liquor drinking has
not always caused these. but it is proved
to have been the source of all these mis-
cries in most cases. Prohibition is for
the common defence-defence of the men
and women who unable to resist the
temptation to drink, succumb to its pois-
onous effects; and for the defence of
those who are injured because others
have drank. If liquor We're not made and
sold these could have been saved in the
past. God grant they may be saved in
the future. Prohibition is to provide for
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and
our posterity liberty which is denied
those who are imprisoned through intoXi-
cation, and blessings which are taken
from those who share the results of Ii
auor drinking without participating in the
cause. and who are left without their nat
ural and legal protectors thereby.
The ballot in September. If It results in
eliminating prohibition from the constiiu-
ton of Maine. will be an everlasting dis
grace to the men who participate in the
breaking down of the safeguards tpro-
vided by those who loved them) in order
to admit for money gain the most treach-
erous enemy that ever menaced them.
their homes. and all they should hold
dear The September ballot is to choose
between good and evil-whether to strug-
gle for better things or to welcome evil
things and then try to control the over
whelmng evil thus brought upon them
selves and all about them. How can any
one fail to recognize that prevention is
better than cure in dealing with the eff
fects of intoxicating liquor? How can
men who know any of the evils result
ing from liquor drinking (they cannot
know them alb vote to perpetuate in
their midst these evils for themselves and
their children, and also to bring them
upon Others who are expected to submit
in order that evil, not good, may befall
themselves and others?
The decision next September, therefore.
will be between self-goyernment and Cod
government.
PROHIBITION.