Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-27


that of Massachusetts. makes this
funny attempt:
why not turn loose in Maine tn
spoilers of the Atlantic fleet2
Those of the Battleship Minnesota made
a perfect score-f00-in the recent prac
tice at Tangier sound and the records o.
delegations from half a dozen other yes
sells were in the nineties. They are tn
best men in the business.
Scattered through the Pine Tree State
the sailors would be sure to hit and mari
not only the 200 bars in Bangor trepoenet
since the fire with Joyous celebration
but also the less conspicuous irrigation
parlors in the large towns and the hun
dreds of hides" in the country villages
Even the crew of the battleship Mis-
sissippi-only 1871 efficient-could .spot
enough wet places in Dirigoiand &c
amaze some of the good people who still
believe that constitutional prohibition
actually prohibits"
There are classes of men, who are
educated into the belief that the es-
sence of social enjoyment lies in the
degree of intoxication. Society
largely acknowledges and approves
the doctrine, business conditions tot
crate il and an element of the public
press encoura ges it. Under such cir
cumstances even the good people who
stin believe in prohibition understand
that it is not necessary for some men
to spot the places" for the places Will
spot them.
We believe that Rear Admiral Bob
Evans complained bitterly of the facil-
ity with which certain violators Of the
law in Maine spotted his men. and the
felicity with which these spoilers OF
the Atlantic fleet" accepted the con-
coctions of those who have neither
try Admiral Bobs pronunciamento
was widely circulated as campaign
literature by the liquor interests. I'M
der the supposition that it was official
and conclusive evidence that prohibit
ton does not prohibit.
1t might not be regarded as lese
majestic to ask retired Admiral Bob
prevented the skedaddiing of men
from his admirably disciplined fieet?
The desire of the liquor interests
and those who pull the nuts from the
ashes for them is to create such con-
ditions that even the poorest marks
man of the fleet may be able to spot
the wet places in Dirigoland 1t
takes a sober clear-eyed and clean
Drained man to be the best marksman,
at target practice in the y. s. Navy
but any drunken. blear-eyed idiot who
insults his would-be friends and
abuses his wife and children can spot
the wet places" that will be provided
for them just as long as it is manu-
featured and the United States helps
to violate the laws our constitution
provides.
1t is not that we believe prohibition
will be able. ever. to absolutely pro-
hibit its own violation. that we oppose
repeal of the law. but because no sta
tistics ever compiled show that any
other means of handling the liquor and
social problems have accomplished so
much for the moral, physical and every
other form of welfare as the Maine
prohibitory law.
Denounce it as you like and curse
it as you will, there is an inherent
respect for the law in the makeup of
some men that restraints them when
they would otherwise go wrong. How
ever bad and Ineffective a law may
be there Is some good in it. but there
Is no good within or can come out of
saloon. No man can truthfully say
that saloon ever made him OF his
any better. No man can truthfully say
that he expects young men who are
going to the bad under prohibition to
be reformed under the legal rum shop
plan.
Every business man knows that to
make public display of and to adver-
tise an article is bound to increase its
sale. The liquor trust is we'll aware
of that fact There is not the slight
est doubt that to open saloons coun-
tenanced by law would largely increase
the sales of intoxicants over the rec
cord of the worst period of enforce
ment ever known under Names pro-
hibitofy law. Liquors would be public
iy displayed and young men. who now
would bphsider it s~disgraee to be
seen entering one of the present out
lawed hnd discredited resorts, would
soon Become accustomed to meeting
friends in the "RESPECTABLE
places which would be provided under
the license law.
Respectable" rum-holes have cost
more souls than could be squared by
exchange of all those that ever drew
revenue from the business.
When an evil is made respectable
II becomes doubly dangerous