The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-22
Do Not Like to Have Him Aid Republicans in the
 Coming Fight
SENATOR JOHNSON
 TELLS OF SITUATION
Maine Senator Says His Colleagues Would Not Think of Coming Into Southern State to Speak
 Unless Invited
By WALTER HARPER

| . Washington. July 21.--C CSpecisi.)-- Senator c. F. Johnson of Maine and the democrats in the House from that state are very indignant over the re- port that Congressman Hobson Is going into Maine to make speeches opposing | the democrats and to aid the Fepub lieans in their fight this year over 2 local question. The senator says that he would not think of going into Ala bama. any other state, except upon the request of the democratic party of that state. and that even If he thought them wrong he would not give aid and comfort to their political foes.
 Senator Johnson said: "I am very sorry that any democrat. outside of the state of Maine. z5els it his duty to come into our stfate to op- pose the wishes of the great majority of the democratic party there, and to aid the republican party Tho demo cratic party, for the past 20 years. had declared in it's state platforms for the re-submission to the people of the con- lstitntional amendment prohihiting the sale and manufacture of intoxicating liquors, realizing that prohibition in Maine had not decreased the sale of liquor and the evils of intemperance but had bred hyprocricy. lawiessness and a contempt of law.
 The republican party. realizing that l the prohbitory law was one of it's most effective political weapons. has strong l ly advocated the retention of this amendment in the constitution and has been willing to enact most drastic laws upon the subject with no intention of lending it's aid to their execution. By so doing it. has controlled, to large extent, the so-called temperance vote of the state and having the courts and officers in charge of the execution of the law, it has, by granting immunity for it's violation to those who would vote the republican ticket obtained | their support.
 Thus. for many years the voters of Maine have seen the advocates os tenn perance and those engaged inssise h. legal business of selling liquors march. side by side, to the polls and vote the same ticket After a struggle of many years against great odds the demo- cratic party was successful in the last campaign, largely because of the dis gust of the citizens of Maine with the , tOuulllOnS, WHICH ndu peeh pIou6nt about by the notification of law, and the dishonesty of the republican party in connecticut with the prohibitory law.
 Enforced in Rural Sections
 While the prohibitory law has been enforced in rural sections, public sem timent in our larger towns and cities has not been sufficiently strong to se- cure its honest. impartial enforcement. All of the New England states have tried prohibition, and all, with the ex- ception of Maine, have discarded 1t and adopted some method of regu- lation which has brought more satis- factory results in dealing with great social evil. Maine has not yet done so and here the question is not so much a moral one as a political one. The republican politicians will be found supporting constitutional pro- hibition and resisting the attempt of the democratic party, aided by large | number of republicans who desire to see the end of the humiliating condi- | tions which have existed in Maine dur ing half a century under prohibition and the adoption of laws for the reg ulation of an evil which cannot be sup pressed, believing that such laws can 1 be honestly and impartially enforced. | Anyone outside of our state. there- | fore, who visits 1t with the idea tha. | he will assist in great moral move ment by opposing the democratic party in Maine, In the campaign for the re- moval from our constitution of the amendment which prohibits the sale and manufacture of intoxicating liquors will make a great mistake; for such effort upon his part will only assist the republican party in its attempt to regain control of the state, which 1t has lost largely through its dishonesty and hypocrisy in dealing with great al DrOb1am
 i Skillful in Making Allies
 '"The republican party in Maine has
 been very skillful in making allies of , the temperance interests and the liquor
 interests of Maine, and in the present . campaign it will resort to its old meth
 cd of enlisting, under its banner, the true friends of temperance and those
 who would benefit by an illegal selling
 of liquors
 "I should regret exceedingly if any of our democratic friends in other states should allow themselves to be used by the republican party of Maine to oppose the great majority of their democratic brethren upon an issue which has been openly and honestly made by them be- T fore the people of Maine for nearly a quarter of century. The people of the south have great moral questions to solve. and they are solving them well. and the | solution should be left entirely to their l lCnllgnteneQ cOnSClcncc anu WiuCT hnoWi- edge and I do not think any northern democrat should visit any of their states to teach its citizens how to solve these problems.
 The democratic party of Maine is made | up of intelligent, law-abding citizens. who love their state. know its needs and l what 1t has experienced during 50 years Of statuatory and constitutional prohi- bition. and they can be trusted to settle the problem presented to them with the assjsance, not of the liquor interests of the state but of honest sincere members Of the republican party. who are now willing to meet conditions as they exist, and will no longer support their party in it's attempt to advance its interests by .xacing laws which 1t knows cannot be enforced, and which 1t does not intend to | enforce, but which it knows can be used by it as bludgeon over the heads Of those who violate these laws to obtain their support
 The republican party has in all its :, tlatforms. for the past 5O years, declared for prohibition and claimed to be the l"l --.