Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-09

IttllN, 1 MS reply WIS taken uN Ut.
Owen TO the editor of the Sentinel, Mr..
Piper. on the morning of September 6.
The Sentinel did not publish the qucs-
tinns to judge Blair in lis issue of Sep
ltombcr : nor did it publish Judge
| Elairs reply In view % this fact and
the disturbances of curly getting be-
forc the public Judge liair's reply
I'M sending YOU his statement with the
request that YOU give it place in your
columns together with this letter of
| explanation.
WILBUR FISK BERRY,
Watcrvillc. Sept. I.
r. - Wateryt f., Maine sept. an; 1911,
| bear oirs: My attention has been
called to page six of ,oday's issue Of
Your paper, in which certain interruEa-
| ttves are propouDded to me. with the
statement at the close that Maine is Try
| ing to settle great question and is en-
! titled 10 fair answers To- the above qucs-
| tions from one who would instruct her,
| from which | take 1t that my answer is
| to receive the same publicity given these
intcfTogatiyes.
II is evident that the article referred
| To is the product OF the liquor interests
and not of your paper. am driven to
| this conclusion because from the reading
OF your paper | am lead to believe that
| lis DHTDnSft ana DDl1EN Is moulded upon
4 higher plane and entirely above the
spirit manifested in the article. The ar
ticle is its own refutation. 1t only needs
To be read to be despised. 1t is an in
suit to the decent, law.abidinC citizenship
of the State of Maine. The prported
facts offered. bear upon their face such
imprint of unreliability that no one would
convict sheep killing dog upon them.
let alone weighing the character of citi-
1ehship. do not believe that your val
liable paper would stoop to impeach the
character of anyone upon the testimony
of witnesses who openly confess that
they are bride takers and have been fof
the past 10 TO II years. There are no in
terests SO low and groveling as to stoop
TO such methods save those mercenary
interests which, for gain, make merchau-
disc of the character and morals of tho
people. When | am called upon to meet
charges made by citizens of my own
state who bear the semblance of Tespec-
liability and truthfulness. | shall be glad
TO do SO.
Are there no persons except bribers in
southern Ohio where / live? If not the
people of Maine ought to know it, for
We have had the legaliZed liquor shops
Tor hall a century in that part of the
state and If such conditions are the pro-
duct of fesalized saloons, the citizens of
Maine certainly do not want to invite
such conditions within their borders If
there are good people in Ohio, why not
call upon them for information? The rep
resentative of the brewing and liquor m
forests who secured the testimony of
these self-confessed bride takers each
and every one of whom have been dis
sragchsed by me upon their pleas of
kNtY TO the charge of selling their votes
atslast falls election. and part OF whom
have further been sentenced for boot
Logging by me upon their pleas of guilty
He coulA have interviewed the decent in
teliigeri representative citizens and given
the puFXc and the people of Maine a fair
statement upon which they might be able
TO reasonably Judge of my character and
reputY4sn. Why has he not done SO?
And in addition to this. on page four of
your issue OF August 18th yon published
Wilbur Fiske Berry. superintendent of
the Christian Civic League Of the State
OF Maine; in which he refers you TO
number of leading citizens in portsmouth,,
Ohio, where l live, to wit: Mr.. Irving
Company and an official in the Sec
ohu Fresbyterlan Church of Ports
mouth, Ohio; George d. Selby, president
OF the Seiby Shoe Company and delegate
from the state of Ohio to the National
Methodist conferencc of the United
states; John T. Breece, head of the
Breeze, Manufacturing Company and
trustee of the Trinity Methodist church;
W T. Anderson, president of the Ander-
sum Bros. Dry Goods Company, tho larE-
est department store in our city. and SUI
perjntendent of the Trinity Methodist
Sabbath school; Frank L. Marting. presi-
dent Of the Marting Bros. Dry Goods
company and superintendent of the Ger
man Methodist Sabbath school,; W. NJ
Miller. owner and editor Portsmouth
Blade
Why has not the liquor interests asked
these leading citizens about INV charac-
teri Or if IL has, why has II not pub
ished the replies am willing to abide
by the statement Of these men
shall certainly fill my engagcmcnts in
N lalt,e ana pay no attention to the liquor
pufehase statements or bflbe takers and
pootieesers, VINO nave been disfrau-
chised. Such statements are beneath the
i nouce OF anShody ana no interest save
| that Whlch tiflVcs on the sacrillce OF hu-
..an iNes LOT IT'S existence would credit
epru
nv article Is aiso contemplate Tor the
tgasoh that II Is y notlce to every ctl-
aeh VINO cares puniicly to warn the citi-
| aiensnip % any stare OF community OF the
| hhanSer oi uiose VINO would corrupt and
natte ne pubic morals for financial
Sit'n maj ne may expect to be vilihed and
| have haan 8. ,,.o,i,c Gov, ,aoo1 or,io,,
in license stafoe Tsroi,illtin,, ~ No, ,i
a moral hut IL IL ON o',,oi f ~ IN
that vitaIIv afrect IL 'o ;,t III
nation When Vas aha iipr ~ 1'i 10
creep before yya,nd ~. .'r, I'., ~
To creep learned 10 siana Nv, hnld an, 70 t
! something and then ! laar,,a1s r.; ou -, "
ing wax to .eall "a e ~ ~ " LUZ.