Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-28
The WAY They Get Your Boys.

one of the schemes to which the IL
censed saloon man resorts, in his et-
forts to increase his disreputable bust
ness, is to create an appetite Tor
strong drink among the boys of the
community where he is located. OF
course the Rum Trust law which reg
uiates" the traffic is supposed to pre-
vent the sale of liquor to minors and
to discountenance even the handling
of intoxicants by children or their
presence in the region of saloon. As
too open violation of these provisions
might cause interference by the better
element of the residents of his neigh
borhood. the saloon man, in conjunc-
ton with the cheap politicians and
ward heelers, organizes excursions and
picnic parties to which the young men
ard boys are freely invited. on one
pretense or another, quite commonly
to hear a political speaker. or some
thing of that sort.
The prime object of the excursion,
however. is to furnish free drinks of
young men. There the appetite is fire.
quently formed and. after a few of
these excursions and the associations
of boys with men of little brain and
TO character, who pose as successful
politicians. social leaders. etc, the
boys are we'll started on the road to
ruin.
| Most boys enjoy the association OF
| older men who are jovial in DISPOSE
ton. diplomatic in pats and praises,
and who affect a general disapprov-
| al of all religious. educational or civ
| ic associations which make for better
things. This class of men it is, who
designate workers for cleaner morals
and better communities as "ramrod-
ders' and "hypocrites." Boys soon
absorb the spirit. and believe that they
are getting an insight into the real
workings of political affairs, and that
the world is not what it pretends to
be or what they have been taught by
their mothers and Sunday school
teachers. but, rather, that ii is d world
of blase wickedness and disregard for
holy things and of the law
We have in mind men who have at
tanned considerable prominence. who
lose no opportunity to impress upon
| boys .heir contempt for those who de
vote their lives to the betterment of
| their fellow beings. This class of men
| it is, which gives the boy his first Ell
gar. or glass of beer. or nip Of whis-
key, and shifts contemporary If the
lad refuses and remembers the teach
ings he has had at home. and the
Christian and wholesome example oil
his parents and teachers.
J II is such men as this who are in
J vited to participate in these free ex-
cursions that are all too frequently
organized in larger license cities fol
the very purpose of creating an APP
/
boys who, they hope. will be the pa
irons and support the saloons of that
community for a period of years.
That is what they are doing in other
; saloon cities and states, and that is
what we may expect in Maine, if the
Rum Trust has its way, and the poll
ticians from Governor Plaisted down
to the ward heelers and thugs of city
/, politics, throughout Maine. can per-
suade the people of this State to vote
r Yes" on September IL.
Are you with these men who care
g not for the future of your son. or will
81 you vote to retain the law which the
!. people of Maine have placed in the
constitution for safe keeping, beyond
E the reach of these cheap politicians
9 by voting No?
al ->oes-<-
Are you voting for the welfare Of