Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-18


on that doctrine. There is not the
slightest doubt in the mind of any
honest. fair-minded person that 1t has
largely accomplished its purpose. 1t
has not brought about the millennium;
it has not put an end to drunkenness.
II 5has not altogether abolished the IL
quor traffic; but it has made the
streets safer, quieter and cleaner II
has removed allurements from the
young. and pitfalls from the path of
the weak and the tempted.
We know. and the lawahiding, Cod
fearing, and progressive working PEG
pie OF Maine know. that il is easier
to do right. and harder to do wrong.
under the working of Names prohioi-
ton Jaw. The liquor interests. the pa
pers which represent the rum trust in
Maine. the violators of the law, and
the officials who are now Violating
their eaths. all of these also know
that il is easier TO do right, and hard
er to do wrong. under Names law, as
ii is TODAY. than il would be under
any system of regulating the liquor
business that has ever been invented
by the devil.
Away back in 1895, Frank Foxeroft
wrote remarkable story Of condi-
tions in Massachusetts. contrasting IL
cense and no-lieense in one of the
leading cities in that state. He called
attention to the singular vaeiilation in
their treatment of the liquor question,
of some of the towns and cities of the
Bay state. and he pointed out. IN
terms which could not be mistaken,
the force of the argument against this
so-called regulation" of the liquor
business. by saving. Called upon by
the local option law TO vote annually
whether licenses for the sale Of intox-
icating liquor shall be granted. they
swing from one system to the other
almost with the regulation of pendu-
lum. Such communities get the worst
results of both systems, and the adj
vantages of neither"
The writer then took up the city oil
Cambridge as Illustrating the oppo-
site policy of steady voting. He sand
that Cambridge voted for license for
five years in succession, but for the
past nine years had voted steadily for
no-heense Here was a chance to
compare the results of five years UNI
der the one system with the fruits of
eight years under the other, and each
of these periods is long enough TO
make the comparison fair one.
No other city of equal size had. at
that time, been carried for no license
for even two years in succession.
Lowell voted No in 1889. but reversed
her policy the next year. Worcester
was carried against the saloons in
1885. 1889 and 1891
Uprising Against Saloon.
But Cambridge became aroused by
terrible conditions which confronted
her 1t was first carried for no-lieense
in December, 1886 In 1884 license had
won by majority of 1877. In 1885,
by a majority of $50. But several
things happened to direct public atten
| ton to the question. The saloon in
| terests grew more arrogant They de-
| manded what they wanted of the city
| government, and usually got it. Sa-
loon keepers swarmed in the corridors
dermen had any hdense question UNI
/ der consideration. On one occasion,
an alderman who had incautiously
voted for a proposition to increase the
| license fee. was called out into the
| lobby by liquor seller. publicly be-
rated for his vote, and sent back to
change it, which he did.
Such manifestation of saloon con-
troll. stirred the civic pride of Cam
aroused public Indignation. In one
case saloon keeper beat young man
to death on the sidewalk in front of
his place of business. In the other. a
young man was killed in a gilt-edged
saloon on Main street. as a result of
an unprovoked assault, by a man who
was crazed with drink.
But the most potent cause of reac-
| ton IN the public mind was the course
OF the board of aldermen in granting
| a saloon license to man named
| DeWire. on Kirkland street. This place
was directly under the caves of Har-
! ward University and near the resi-
dences of certain of the professors.
fWhen their vehement appeals and re-
monstrances We're treated with con-
tempt. and the chairman of the license
committee calmly told them that the
committee did not regard the moral
interest OF the community as a mat
ter which deserved their consideration
| I'm the administration of the license
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