Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-16

licenses which in effect give permits
sion to violate the prohibition law, and
then vigorously prosecuted all who
sold liquor without the Federal per-
nit.
| 1.-THE men who manufacture liquor
| do all in their power to discredit the
prohibition law. They employ attor-
neys to keep the joint keepers out Of
Jail They encourage violations of the
law Such is their profit that they
ship on credit assuming the risk of
confscation and loss.
| The United States mails and inter-
state commerce laws are the chief
bulwark of these men in their Illicit
business. The mails in dry territory
are flooded with liquor circulars. A
willingness to ship to anyone with
permission to sample the first bottle
with return privileges, is a standing
allurement to induce patronage. 1t is
explained to the prospective purchaser
that because of the Interstate com
merce laws state officials cannot i'll
terfere with any ones personal lib
erty' in thus purchasing what is de-
sired for health and comfort And
this is true
These points against Uncle Sam ia
the rum business may look familiar to
readers of the Kennebee Journal, but
it is gratifying to have our logic con
firmed.
Mr.. Abbott's denunciation of Fed
eral violation of the prohibitory laws
of the states seems almost repetition
of the arguments we used several
weeks ago. some of it in refutation of
alleged statements made by DR. Ly-
man Abbott.
1t is pleasing to note at this point
that Rev. Malcolm Dana in his per-
sonal letter to the kennebec Journal
said:
Names need is not repeal of pro-
but general revival of en-
forcement insisted on from the high
est official down. The South went ia
war over state rights.A war ought to
be waged by prohibition states to-
gether against inter state law that 10
some measure nulliffes state prohibit
ton laws, to secure a national law
express companies criminal in
their liquor transportation business
into prohibition territory. If Maine
cannot enforce prohibition. she viii
not saloon laws. and she is not eapa-
BILE of self government But she can
prohibit if she will
With such authorities as the above
quoted it is not far to go in imagina.
ton TO forecast a day when the
United States government will have to
a mighty demand that it go
put of the rum business.
The Federal government went out OF
he lottery business and the evil was
wiped from America. When the
United States quits the rum business
he liquor evil will rapidly disappear.
That is why "malefactors of great
are fighting for a foothold in
-he control OF state laws and 10 main
tain their grasp on the national Law
making body. They are ready to
spend millions for control.
When United States Senator John
son attempts to drive a temperance
,rator out OF Maine it goes TO show
Why the Federal government continues
% violate Names prohibitory laws.
Further along this line L. J. Abbott in
The Outlook confirms the arguments
We have made. He says:
IN this respect the Federal Govern
uent is chief barmaid TO the boot
Logger. The United States mails are
Used to promote an Illegal traffic and
through the workings of the inter-
state commerce laws an entire train
load OF liquor can be sent into any
prohibition town, and so long as it
passes from one state into another. i.
ts perfectly secure until the actual
delivery has been made to the con-
signee.
For a time it seemed to me that
United States marshaIs and railway
and express agents took special pains
to thwart the prohibition law"
Joints would never exist were K
not for the fact that considera BILE
minority in every community regard
it as no offeHse to violate a sumptu-
airy statute. just as they regard it as
no crime to habitually carry load
ed pistol.
Surely this is serious indictment
of prohibition enforcement. But not
withstanding. | am convinced-in-
deed, every open minded citizen Of
the State will admit-that prohibi-
tion does prohibit. Certainly 1t is rs
enforced as the laws
against murder and theft. In a sin
gle county in this most enlightened
state, at a recent session of the Dis
triet Court, there were SO murder
cases upon the docket. We Anglo
Saxons have had almost 20 centuries
of prohibition of homicide, and yet
murder laws do not prohibit muir
der Still you could not find one
earnest citizen in the entire United
States to advocate the repeal OF
statutes pertaining to homicide upon
the himsy pretext that prohibition
did not prohibit murder"