The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-07-27
Enforcement of Prohibitory
Law

One of the stock arguments OF the
open rum shop advocates has been
that the people of Maine do not want
the prohibitory laws enforced. and
that this Is the reason why sheriffs
have been 30 lax In the discharge OF
their sworn duties. AS matter of
fact all the evidence points In exact
~ the opposite direction. Whenever
a sheriff has enforced this law he has
been sustained by the people entirely
regardless of his political associa-
tions. We have seen a Democrat re-
elected to that office in the strongly
Republican county of Somerset sim
ply because he has done his full duty
in shutting IN the rum shops. In
like manner we have seen Democrat
elected and reelected in Lincoln
county who has sternly enforced the
law, and yet that Is Republican
county. Wherever and whenever the
! tes- has been made the people nave
stood by the man who enforced the
law and this entirely regardless OF
party ties.
The cry that the people do not
want the law enforced has been made
| by those who have profited financially
| by its violation. This has been an
excellent thing for men who have
gone into the Office OF \ a
sheriff financially poor and came
ont rich in the goods of this world
although impoverished In their moral
manhood. So persistently has this
been done that many good people have
actually come to believe that there is
some truth in the statement. 1t was for
this very reason that the journal ad-
yocated submitting the question to the
neople several years ago, and we Still
believe that course would have Deen
the mart of wisdom as 1t would nave
settled the agitation for a full gen
Grafton. The refusal to submit the
question at that time gave the open
rum shop advocates the opportunity
tn cry that the supporters OF prom
hilton did not dare to trust the peo-
nle This argument has been eHec-
tive and has been the means OF caus-
mo much harder fight at this Tune
The Journal has never feared 10
4rrst the neople and 1t has never
had tbe slightest doubt of the result
Had This question Of prohibition III
tbo constitution been reafhrmed I'VE
,.aors ago we should have had far Tess
tro,,ble with sheriff made law. ne
sai,ure TO do this gave the gra,'ers
40 onnortunity of their lives. lne.e
1ne Wild scramble for the posltio''i
IS sberiff in every county ana we al.
tds Lnow the result. Both parlies,
hane been alike in this respect anu
ra,tber has any moral right 70 az
n,,sa tho other. 1t has been calni-
vaI If graft and the private iieehsin ~
20 rnmsellers on the plea that tne
9aon1a do not want the law enlorceu'
Tbo neople do want the law en-
forcad hut they have been too lax u,
4tair collection of officials. WIN the
on,, rinoing around their ears that ths
,aonla do not want the law ehloIIea
w. have become confused ana t, uis
bae given the grating politician n,a
hence Had the prohibltory 10"
haen reaffirmed by an overwneiinlhis
r,aioritv five years ago as IL sulely
I'D have been at that time, tnere
m,orid have been different class Vi
non In office to enforce Its provisions
and the disgraceful violation OF s"olh
a,,tias would have been avoided :,
Tho noint which the Journal par.l-
o,iarlv desires to emphasize Is TINS
Give a rousing majority for prohlpi,,,
non In the coming election and IL VIII
forever silence the cry that the peo-
Mo of Maine do not want the law en-
forced. 1t will then be easy to eiec y
men to the position OF Shelil
who will attend to their au-
ties No longer will we near
that familiar song that mas peen
used so effectively to elect men
n office whose principal duties nave
been TO accumulate riches while the
rnmsellers and their advocates were
shouting that the people didn't want
the law enforced. That easy ROAD 10
wealth will be closed for genera
lion to come and we shall have an
enforcement that will mean something
moro than idle talk. Men will then
seek the office of sheriff from some
higher motive than the one which
has actuated many in the past. The
mandate of the people will be heard
and understood from Kittery harbor
to Passamaquoddy bay. 1t will give
a new meaning to the word law, and
there will be a higher respect for its
mandates.
We believe that this campaign that
has been thrust upon us by the rum
interests will prove to be a blessing
in disguise. We believe in the peo-
pie and have full faith in their virile
manhood. Never will they consent
to legallze a traffic whose entire path
way Is strewn with human wrecks.
The hand will not be turned back
upon the dial of time, and the course
of civilization will still be onward
and DISQUALIFICATION Journal.