Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-11

was given hearty applause as ne rose
to speak. He spoke in opening, as fol-
lows:
When a sovereign State has a prop
csition put up to ii to change funda-
mental law that it has prospered un-
der for 50 years it should act doliber-
ately, without haste and without pas
sion. This law has not only produced
in the State but it has
given the State a distinction in every
country under the sun as the home
of the Maine law. When it is proposed
TO change that law we should consider
lest we act for our own
harm"
He then went on to point out that
the cleavage in this campaign was
net along party lines. Il have seen"
said he. "dyed-in-the-wool Republi
cans working hard for its repeal of
the amendment and Democrats, who
have been members of the party from
infancy, working f1r repeal"
He then went on to state the issue,
quoting the wording of the so-called
26th amendment which he said simply
amounted to this. that It prohibited
Il man from opening saloon or tip
ping house for the sale of liquor to
persons for what Intoxicating effect
it has upon them. There is moth
ing fanatical in this amendment; not
word is said in it about mans
habits: nothing in ii that prevents
the Legislature from authorizing the
sale of liquor for three purposes me-
dicinai and mechanical purposes and
the arts. The Legislature could by a
simple act, if it decired. authorize
every druggist in the state to sell liq-
uor There is nothing in it that pre-
vents a man from having liquor, Or
treating his friends"
He ridiculed the argument that on
account of prohibition bad liquor
was sold in Maine and declared that
the distillers violated the pure food
laws wherever they could and held
Up Legislature and Congress and even
the supreme court in the passage of
such laws. He told of Boston man
VINO said that good liquor could De
found only in Kentucky and the ken
lucky man who said that only liquor
in bond was fit to drink. for all other
had been tempered with.
He devoted some time to the kitchen
dive argument, speaking from his own
personal experience. we are told
that If we get rid of the law we will
get rid If the kitchen dive and its
baleful influence upon women aud
children. When | was chaplain at
the National Home at Tcgus and the
veterans mad their canteen and We're
allowed to drink all the beer they
wanted. at that very time all the
country surrounding Togus, was dot
ted with dives, just as il is now.
Dives are things OF human nature
and will exist as long as human ma
tGre is as il is. When in Andrcscog-
gin county under notification 103
places existed where liquor was sold
openly from 200 to 300 kitchen dives
were running along with the open sa-
Looms. A Salem physician said TO me
the other day. We vote No. and we
vote Yes. in Salem. but Ne have the
kitchen dives just the same
He then touched upon the argument
of how the law created graft and
showed that there was much moro
graft under license and how the State
licensing boards were corrupted by it.
You can't change human nature by
legislative enactment" declared the
speaker.
He then went on to tell of a resident
of Turner who said that he was going
to vote Yes" because il would make
his taxes lower. The speaker asked the
man if he WITS Willing; to apply for a
license and open saloon, if the State
Went for license, and received the re-
ply that he would not, because he
thought that he was too respectable to
go into the liquor business, But what
is the difference Mr. Cummings
went on. The State becomes a part
ner in the business when 1t votes to
set somebody else UP in it,
The king argument against pro-
hibition is that it is not successful A
cannon won't do any hurt until you set
it going. but this prohibitory law
whenever il has been set agoing has
worked confusion to the liquor deal
erS." Mr.. Cummings then quoted from
the organ of the National Liquor Deal
erS' Association as to the vital inn
portance of the. election in Maine,
reading from an article which alluded
to the great opportunity to the trade
that the destruction of prohibition i'll
Maine offered and urging he saloon
men to help throw off the calling
yoke. The only law that hasever
been enacted for the control of the
liquor traffic that has called out such
3-ineh gatling guns from the enemy
is the famous old Maine Law. The
liquor interests want the amendment
out and that is one of the reasons why
want it in.
we are told the people demand the
taken out and that they
ought to have it. Who are the people
If had the vote of all the people over
Is years of age we would have 100000
to retain the amendment.
There ought to be chivalry enough If
there is not self-respect enough in the
men of Maine to heed the appeal of
the women and children for the reten-
ton of the amendment.
IT is because the liquor business is
such a perfect gold mine that a GER
ain class of people want to vote the
out. 1t is not the man who
mas the hot appetite in his somach that