The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-09-07

seating capacity. The addresses
we're delivered by Mrs. Deborah Liv-
ingston. President of the Rhode Is
land W. C. T. u; DR.. George Otis
Smith, director of the United States
Geological Survey; and Rev F. L.
Hayward of Skowhegan. Mrs. Nettie
Paddock, President of the local w.
C. T. L., presided over the meeting
prayer being offered by Rev. B. B.
Merrill. A Prohibition song was
sung by quartet composed of Lord,
Nye. White and Harris. Obligato song,
a musical setting to Longfellows poem
"Sandalphon,' composed by Mrs.
Elise Fellows White, for voice, violin,
and piano, sung by Mrs Agnes Stew
ard, accompanied by Miss Mary EN-
cry and Mrs. White, was beautifully
rendered; also Adante and Allegro
ALA Zingara from the End Concerto of
Weniawski, for violin and piano.
played by Mrs. White, accompanied
by Miss Emery. Miss Emery's ad-
beautifully as we'll as the entire mus
ical program.
Mrs. Livingston was one of the
most forceful speakers that has
been in Skowhegan and she spoke in
most convincing way. Rev. F. L.
Hayward gave some excellent argu-
ments on the question and the meet
ing proved most enthusiastic one.
Mr.. Smith told the men and wo-
men of Skowhegan that he wished to
take part In this Vote No" campaign
of education as their fellow-citizen.
After referring to the impressive sta
tistical comparison between wet New
Jersey and prohibition Maine and
Kansas, which shows that with equal
populations, more boys and girls go
to school in the two prohibition states
and many more go to college, and sew
eral times as many children live in
unmortgaged homes in the dry state
as in New Jersey, and the parents
own much more property in Maine and
Kansas than is shown by the tax valu-
alton records of New Jersey. The
speaker declared that this argument
alone would be sufficient to decide him
to vote NO" but that his convictions
on this greatest issue of the day rest
on broader foundation.
Personal observation he contin-
ued, has convinced me that the fur
ther you can get the saloon away
from the home, the better it Is for
the home. l know, because have
seen, that local option is better than
license, and county option is better
than local option, and statewide pro-
hibition is better than county option,
and further believe that nation n-wide,
yes, worldwide prohibition would be
the best solution of the liquor ques-
ton.
My unqualified belief in prohibition
Is based upon what l have seen, first,
as to it's moral effect upon the indi-
vidual, the community and the state,
and second, as to it's restrictive effect
upon the liquor traffic"
In support of the first advantage of
prohibition, its moral effect, the
speaker mentioned his opportunities
to observe the workings both of pro-
hibition and of license, as a resident
both of Maine and of Washington, d.
c. The very fact" he said, that the
constitution of, Maine outlaws the sa-
loon and makes illegal any sale of in
toxicating liquor. is a mighty influence
on the side of personal temperance.
In prohibition state, / know from
experience, 1t is easy to grow up a
total abstainer. But how is it, where
a boy has to pass open saloons on his
way to and from school, and where
he may observe all kinds OF wines
and liquors served in the best res
taurants in town, places where 1t
would be proper for his mother and
that boy, total abstinence doesn't
seem such normal and natural habit
to form, as 1t does up here in Maine?
When the state licenses an evil, it
puts a kind of seal Of approval on 1t,
and the undesiring man, young or
old, comes to look upon the saloon AS
legal and respectable. Under license
the state becomes a partner with the
bartender In the immoral business of
taking away wage-earners wages
and at the same time reducing his
wage-earnng capacity.
In the second place, l will vote
for prohibition rather than license,
because prohibition actually restricts
the liquor traffic, while license at
tempts only to regulate the evil, and
fails to do even that The rum seller
has no respect and little regard for
law and any attempt to mix law and
liquor Is sure to be in vain. Inevi-
tahly the compromise offered by a
license law must fail and better re-
suits can be expected from the down.
right, outright and upright opposition
a - H. &E.-~