Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-09
TALENTED WASHINGTON
AUTHOR Defends PROHIBITION,
Machinist Orator of Chicago Gives Work
ingmen Points on Liquors Cost==Crafts Au=
tomobiIe Party Present Convincing
Arguments To Augusta Voters.

i The Crafts automobile party, that
HAS been touring the State under the
Iauspices of the State committee of the
/ No-Lieense League reached Augusta
| Friday evening, and addresses were
given in Market square by Rev. Mil
bur f. Crafts of Washington, d. c..
superintendent and treasurer of the
| international Reform Bureau. and John
| r. Cunneen, the machnist orator of
| Chicago. They were assisted in the
musical part of the rally by David
Reed and Charles Mclean, cornetists
| from the Boston Hope Mission.
Although il was not generally known
that the Crafts party We're to be in
the city Friday night, Mr.. Cunneen,
who was the first speaker, soon had q
good sized crowd around him and by
the time Mr.. Crafts commenced his
address the audience had been joined
by large number of others who We're
passing by. Mr.. Cunneen proved a live
wire and his remarks were enlivened
with flashes of Irish wit and genius
for story telling that was often APP
plauded. He spoke for about half an
hour touching unon the cost of strong
drink and showing that prohibition
was to the advantage of the working
man. He pointed out that no other
product contributed so much to the
profit of the retailer and so little 10
labor as liquor. In the case of
quantity of liquor valued at 500. only
| SIS. &c goes to labor and only $27 for raw
material the rest is the profit of the
wholesale and retail dealers said the
speaker.
MIR. Crafts. following Mr.. Cunneen,
spoke in opening as ollows: Let Maine,
which 50 years ago said to the world:
Dirieo, l lead when the argument for
prohibition was chiefly individualistic
and economic. now once more leads by
putting TO the front the patriotic and
humanitarian arguments that we must
suppress the liquor traffic in order that
our country may not be outrun in the
supreme race and battle of the ages
between Great Britain, Germany AND
the United States for commercial,
moral and political leadership of the
world. and also To prevent the degen-
eracy of the whole human race.
1t can not be too strongly Impress
ed upon the people of Maine that in
another sense tile battle here IS not
for one state, but for humanity, be-
cause the Reputation of prohibition
here. in the birthplace of it, would
shake like an earthquake every moral
reform in every land. ON the other
hand. The re-affirmation of prohibition
by great me- jority would again sound
the nete of leadership for n new nd
vence against every mighty vice that
Expresses the human race. No other
OF the American states is known so
widely and So favorably throughout
the earth as Maine. If it should fan
when ITS stands as n David to meet
the gigantic Philistine of the liquor
traffic it would be no less known, but
known dishonorably as THE Lost
Leader
THAT all the arguments for local
option and statutory prohibition are
tricks to capture gullibie near pro-
hibitionists ought to be evident TO
every man who uses his head Tor
anything but hatrack. Arguments
for total abstinence should wait UNI
til after election, for the question oil
personal drinking to which our enemy
would like to turn aside the debate
is not now involved. No prohibition
ever get attempted or even possible
by State law, under present Federal
acts and decisions can prevent py
men who will take the trouble from
importing liquors for his own private
use.
"The purpose of prohibition, Tor
which We ere now fighting, is to keep
out Of the ranks of Legitimate bust
ness. and so far as possible, out of
business altogether, those persons
who make their living day after day,
by inducing other people to drink.
By this reducing the facilities to drink.
by making it harder to buy il. and
easier to abstain, we greatly reduce
the evil. and if moral forces strongly
cooperate, the schools. the pulpit, the
nress. as infantry and cavalry and