Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-17
Church or Saloon
Will Be Crushed

Al Portland, Tuesday evening, Hon.
George l.. crossman. former mayor of
Sace, addressed the Friends Christian
EndeaYor. He declared that the peo-
pie of Maine must rise in their might
OF right and demand better enforce
ment OF the prohibitory law, or else
see the State turned over TO some
thing much worse than present cendi-
tons even though the law at this time
is not obeyed.
Mr.. Crosman talked on THE Case
Against the Saloon" and in his re-
marks he cut loose from the usual line
OF prohibitory argument and presented
facts that have not generally been
brought out, says the Portland Press.
He declared that among other things
that soon there will be open war be-
| tween the saloon and the churches
and that one or the other will be
crushed. He said he was firm in his
conviction that it would not be the
church.
we are at a critical stage in the
observance of the law in Maine" said
Mr. Crossman. The question that has
arisen is how to get better express
sion of law and better enforcement.
III the people in the churches, those
who are members and those who are
not members but go to church, the
better element in the State, do not
demand a better enforcement of the
law, then they will turn the State over
to something they will be sorry for.
In the condition in which human
nature now is, it is impossible to get
officers who will enforce the law be-
yond the expressed public sentiment
Ii the law is nullified or ii there is
| lax enforcement j.. is because the
people have nor demanded better
conditions. The man is rare to find
who viii enforce the law beyond the
sentiment of the people telling him
! how far he shall go. 1t is entirely
up to the people to say if the law
shall be enforced or not.
There is no use in the church
people, the better element, in sitting
at home and bemoaninr the tat -
uffinia 1as----=-=
$50 long as liquor is manufacturers
it will be sold; and so long as liquor
is sold it will be a menace to the
community. and SO long as 1t is a
menace, there will be a conflict. Maine
will never get rid of the discussion
on the liquor question so long as there
is brewery in the country.
But TO return to the part the oiil-
Gals are playing. 1t is nothing but
childs play to expect a sheriff and
his deputies to chase around a city In
search of liquor when the mayor and
the police are looking on and laugh
| ing.
IF our mayor. in this town or any
| other. in Portland, Bangor, Biddeford
or Lewiston, went about his duty
honestly and chose a chief of police
who would carry out his orders, ther
| this question would soon be solyed.
| In concluding his speech, Mr.. Cros
| man declared that it is because a Law
is not understood that is is unpopu
lar.
.If the law were decently enforced,
he declared, lit would be more pop
ular. But our present law is Difficult
10 enforce Our law was made b,
| theorists who thought more of the eff
feet of its enforcement than of tn
manner of it's enforcement.
.sThere are agencies in this land
Some of them have been so bad tina
il has been necessary to close then
But until the people get educated u
} to the point where they realize the
do not need stimulant for medi
cinal purposes, then agencies will b
: needed. If the law were absolutel
/ enforced to the letter, it would b
| impossible to get any stimulant TO
medicinal purposes. How long do yo
: suppose the people, in their presen
. state of education would tolerat
4 such a condition? Something mus
t be done to make the law workabl
g and then the people must deman
Q that 1t be enforced. This is the cor
5 dition that the people Of Msine fac
today" ..l-.-4A-.-..A.-..