Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-06-13
Prohibition or License ?

tHVusOaS1Oo W A>S<S
In spite Of the claims Of the energetl
agents of the liquor element, the STATE {
Maine has for the last fifty years eDjoye
continual prosperity and an ever II
creasing wealth. Our unparalleled %
coast has become renowned the worl
over and has attracted the wealthy
spend fortunes here among our people
our immense forests and water power
have given employment to an army Q
workmen; and our factories scattere
over the state have been run almost COZ
tinuslly, and have supported man
thousands OF contented employees.
This has been done under what
known as "prohibitory law" which th
wise law makers of half century az
were able to put into effect.
After half century of success TIER
has developed an uneasiness amoDl
those in favor of liquor, and those VIII
are on the fence regarding the liquo
question, so that last winter our legis
lature passed vote to refer the matte
back to the people again, and to try ono
more to see If the majority OF the voter
want prohibition, or the privilege o
getting their liquor, when and wher,
they please. This is the question tina
confronts the voters of the state, and il
my opinion it is question Of most stu
pendOus magnitude.
The question of whether the effect o
liquor is good or bad, is SO simple {
matter that it seems absurd to have Il
mention it. | do not think that ever
the most habitual user of strong drink
will attempt to claim that whiskey i!
good for the health. They may claim
that it does no harm, and that men who
use it often live to an advanced age
which is very true, but all people Of ma
ture years and understanding know thai
the continued use of strong drink j.
damaging in its effects, and will almost
without exception take away a mans
ability and success in life, and bring him
to his grave earlier than IL he had fol-
lowed temperate life. II any one
doubts this statement, let him look about
and find if he can some man who is do
ing a large business and who is con.
firmed drunkard.
l have in my business experience be.
come acquainted with very few bust.
ness men who had the liquor habit firm
ly fastened on them, and l can truthful.
ly say that / never knew such a man to
enlarge his business or make 1t sue
cess.
A man who is confirmed in the habit
of drink cannot keep his wits clear and
meet the demands of his business, which
call for all the strength and energy of a
strong body and clear mind. There
are cases where IL seems for time that
a business can or does seem to succeed,
while the man presumably at the head
of it is an Incorporate man, but If you
will follow the course of that man you
will find that he will fail in business, or
the management which should be his,
will gradually come into other hands.
"You cannot serve God and Mann
mon." Success in business cannot be
attained in any great measure by man
whose brain is muddled by the effects Of
strong drink. How many times we have
seen two young men of the same age
start out in life together. One succeeds,
and the other fails. The one that fails
takes drink when he can, and the one
that succeeds saves his money to pro-
vide for old age. This is going on every
day around US, there is no one that does
not know of such case, and the ques-
ton before us Is whether by our vote We
are going to allow it to become easy for
the Incorporate ones to spend their
money in the saloons that should 60 to
support their families and provide for
their old age.
DOES PROHIBITION STOP THE SALE OF
LIQUOR?
The enemies of the temperance cause
try to deceive our weakened voters
that prohibition does not prohibit, I"
and that it is better to allow liquor to be
sold freely than 1t is to allow the present
condition to remain. In other words
they say, if we cannot stop the sale of
liquor, let US take the law off from our
and not maintain law that is
not enforced.
Iregret to say that the law is not en-
forced as it should be, and that we often
see the results of the liquor habit here
IN our small villages, but is there no other
'ato that is not enforced? We have laws
against stealing, laws against murder,
forgery, assault and every sort of
crime that can be committed, but do
any of these laws stop the preparation
Of these crimes? Shall we have the laws
repealed because these crimes are COM
mitted in our state and against our laws?
Would you want to live in a state where
there were no such laws, and where
every man and woman had the right to
DO as he pleased regardless of the rights
Of others?
I have lived where the saloons were
wide open, and all that prevented any
one from getting all they wanted was
The inability to get the price of the
drink, and | have been where every one
seemed to drink, where men and women
sit out on seats on the sidewalks that
are lined along the streets and take their
liquor as freely and habitually as we
lake our three meals day. But where
we find these conditions we find poverty
and crime such as is unknown among
our country villages, and no matter how
eloquent an argument the liquor men
ian make, or how many statistics they
may produce to prove their point, 1
know that prohibition does prohibit
and that this is better community to
live in than 1t would be under license
aw.
DO YOU WANT A SALOON NEXT DOOR
TO YOU?
How would you like to have a saloon
N South Paris, in Norway, in Buckfield,
IN Bethel? Do you want 1t to become
possible for the boys that 60 to Hebron
ind Fryeburg to be tempted by the effect
Of a saloon in these villages? Do you
want your little boy and girl to have to
get acquainted with the smell of liquor
Is they have to pass saloon on their
way to school?
From all of our villages have come
little boys that grew up to be big men
in the country, who have become gov
srnors and senators and have filled the
large places in our country where men
Of energy and brain are needed. These
men came from prohibition state and
they attained the places that they did
because they went into the battle of life
with the full strength of mind and body
untainted by the effects of liquor. How
many young statesmen, governors, SEN
ators and perhaps q president are now
walking about our streets, we do not
know, but let us see that they do not
have chance to learn the sad lessons Of
a legalized saloon while they are getting
their early education in our midst.
WILL LICENSE REGULATE THE SALE OF
LIQUOR?
IL. 4. I. fauo.ila khanru "a Ahn ..aonlo