The Republican journal., 1911-06-01

Hds long Deen prominent IN temperance
work in Maine and in the Good Templar
order, has received invitations to speak in
many places in the State during the cam
palgn to retain our present Prohibitory
law. Mr.. Gowen is very much interested
to have Maine remain loyal to the great
principles of Prohibition and will do what
he can in connection with his business
affairs for the cause. What is necessary
to save our Prohibitory law, says Mr..
Gowen, is personal work among the peo-
pie and flooding our State with literature,
and of course public addresses. He
thinks, however, that it will be far better
to hold open air meetings in the cities
this summer, rather than in cur churches,
SO as to get at the people. Every ma:l in
Maine, irrespective of party or religion,
who believes in temperance should get
to work and do what they can day by
day to retain our law, and if our people
will only do that we shall win a glorious
victory for the right in September.
Mr.. Gowen will speak at the following
places, as we'll as other towns, during the
campaign:
Center Montville, Hinckley, Bangor,
Riverside, North Wayne, Larone, Beans
Corner, Sidney, South Hancock, Bidde
ford Pool, West Scarboro. South Harps-
well.
One Of the ablest and most eloquent
addresses delivered at the recent session
of the Maine Good Templars in Lewis
ton was that of MIR. Frank W. Gowen of
Waterville, who has twice in succession
within the past few years crossed the
seas to represent Maine in the worlds
session of the Good Templar order in
Europe, and who is widely known as one
of the foremost temperance workers in
Maine. Among other things Mr. Gowen
said "While believe that we shall re-
tain our present Prohibitory law in our
constitution, yet in my opinion we are up
against the hardest kind of proposition
to win by as large majority for our
present law as we would like. This, it
seems to me, is the serious position, or
situation, which confronts the temper
ance forces of our State, and while l
know that predicting is never very
gracious task and rarely convincing, yet
do believe that unless we roll up very
heavy majority in September for our
present liquor laws, we shall have done
very little to save grand Prohibition in
our constitution.
''The arguments we have used in the
past before our Legislature and before
the people, in demanding more law strik-
ing at the wicked liquor traffic have been
worn threadbare. Our cry for the past
twenty years or more has been more
law, more law, and while | believe in
rigid liquor laws, yet at the same time
we have allowed our temperance orders
throughout the State, like the Good Tenn
plar lodges and our Juvenile orders,
whose object is to give the rising genera
ton thorough temperance training and
education, to die out.
"And now that we are facing the great
est crisis in the history of our State to
maintain our present Prohibitory law,
because of the fact that resubmission
has been thrust upon US by our recent
Legislature, which many claim has simply
carried out the wishes of our people on
the temperance question, and we are
beginning to realize that while humanity
remains the same, yet humanity's en-
vironments are ever altering, or in other
words, whole generation of younger
race have within the past twenty years
come upon the stage Of action in the
State of Maine, now legal voters, who
have not received the proper training
and education to make them the sworn
enemies of the saloon.
"Then the,infiux of so many people from
Europe, bringing with them the manners
and drink customs of the old nations
beyond the sea has brought about great
change in the character of the popula-
ton in our State since we adopted the
constitutional amendment in 1884, and
the State of Maine Of today is far diff
ferent from the State of Maine of near
ly thirty years ago. What we need in
Maine today is not more law, but the
education of our people up to the stand
ard of our present Prohibitory law, and
the election of honest officials in our diff
ferent counties pledged to enforce that
law.
"The solution of great civic and moral
problems rests with the people, so say
unless they receive the proper temper
ance education we cannot hope to have
strong and powerful public sentiment
in favor of our Prohibitory law. or any
other law-and while know that there
is not single provision of the constitu-
ton of Maine that is effective without
penalties, and that constitutional law
carries greater force than Legislative
enactments. yet ! believe We should
hear less from the platform in our pres.
ent campaign about these matters and
more of the touching stories of the ter.
rible evils flowing from the licensed rum
traffic, the greatest foe to civilization.