Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-01
"Outside interference"

| II Maine, in her coming poll of voters
on the issue of resubmission of the pro-
| hibitory amendment, turns against the
| standard so long set up in the states or
ganic law, it will hardly be because her
present citizenship is less temperate than
was the generation that passed prohibit
| ton. 1t will be rather because not few
| of her finest citizens and the truest
friends of temperance question the
wholesome effect upon democracy of
| laws that are not enforced They dread
| the demoralizing effect of the disparity
| between theory and practice, of the con-
traSt between the prohibitorY amend
ment and the traffic that is carried on in
! the cities and larger towns of the state.
public opinion apparently approving:
| The test of a laws worth often is found
| in its makers readiness to enforce il i'm
partially and steadily
Therefore, what the prohibtionlSt has
! to do, in order to bring a town, county
% state into real conformity with the
| ideal in which he believes. is not only
| 10 convince a majority of the voters OF
| the impolcy and wrongfulness OF the
lliquor traffic, but to win them to willing
ness to suffer all such consequences, pc
cuniary. political and social, as may 1ol-
| low when the time comes to enforce the
prohibitory law. 1t is one thing TO vote
| for prohibition 1t is another thlns 10
back up prosecuting officials, Judges ana
| iuries who attempt to enforce the law
against forces in a community that are IN
| fluental in business, politics ana social
affairs Then comes the test of the ideal
| ism tnat mas DtbI pitdGItu NOtNh.
Biddeford Record
If Maine turns against the standard
| so long set up" it CERTAINLY will
| not be because her present citizenship
| is less temperate" it will be because
| a generation has come up knowing
nothing of the evils of a license system
| IL min he baoanca thoI1Sa ndS of Maine
voters never saw a saloon; never wit
messed the damnable influences of To-
cal option; never felt the oppressive
hand of the liquor interests intrenched
behind the law; never felt the useless
ness of the franchise when constantly
undermined and assailed by an all
powerful legaliZed commercial factor
whose oppulence is created out of the
strength, blood and souls of youth. 1t
will be because this generation has
seen all the evils that steal in and exc
out craven existence in opposition to
law. and have seen nothing of the ten
times worse evils that boldly and
brazenly flourish under recognition of
the law and in defiance of God and de-
eency.
That is why, Editors of the Christian
Science Monitor. there is danger of the
temperate citizenship of Maine going
WIRING And it is because the never
sleeping influence of the unholy traffic
in brains and souls has increasingly
|assailed the law that cuts down its
profits because such men as the editor
of the Monitor, from ignorance, or
from base, mercenary motives give
moral support to the business that
would renew its un- Cody, inhuman
hold upon our people.
We could not expect such a paid
organ of Democratic unprinciple as
the Biddeford Record to understand,
to be convinced, or to respond to the
entreaties of the higher moral element
of Maine citizenship-the educators,
the clergy, the w, C. t. u, the Y. M.
trial institutions, the chief employers
of labor the 80 per cent. of the think
ing, God fearing, future building man
hood and womanhood of Maine, but we
appeal to the editors of the Christian
Science Monitor which claims to stand
for all that is highest and best in hu
man affairs. to KNOW before they
WRITE.
If the editors of a paper representing
a religious faction which we of Maine
have come to know and respect, have
never lived in the atmosphere of an
average Maine community; have seen
nothing but an occasional demonstra
| ton OF the worst side of enforcement
| in Portland, Bangor or Lewiston, they
are Incompetent to judge between con-
ditions in Maine and Massachusetts.
The editor of this newspaper was
educated, chiefly, in Cambridge, Mass,
has observed conditions in other cities
and towns in that and other states, but
has spent 20 years as a journalist in
Maine. From personal experience and
knowledge he claims competence to
speak. Can any member of the Chris
tian Science Monitor staff honestly
claim such right to interfere" in the
/ Maine fight against the eneroach-
ment of an unmitigated evil?
We ask this as from man to man,
each of whom has mission to lead
for better things. We speak of the
above which is so gleefully quoted by
| a representative of the Demorum
ocracy as interference" because of the
stand recently taken by the leaders of
the Democratic party in Maine to
make the fight a wholly partisan one
J Senator Johnson warns Representative
Hobson to keep out of the Maine fight
because he would oppose the Demo-
Gratis Governor Plaisted's paper
seems to accept and acquiesce in the
lnourca of nartisap leaders although II