Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-06-13

LIQUOR habit, and votes for license be
cause some Of his friends asked him to
or he wants to make money BY selling
LIQUOR, or he wants It to drink himself
After You have listened TO his argument
ask him which class he belongs to.
WHAT WOULD BE THE EFFECT OF
SALOON IN OUR vILLAeEP
In all the world there is no place
where the common people, who have to
work for their living, can enjoy lie 30
we'll, and have so many Of the comforts
and Injuries of life. as they can in the
small villages of New England. One
can travel the world over, but he can.
not find any more intelligent and pros
porous and happy people than are in our
state of Maine.
1t Is almost sacrilege to even think OF
allowing the legalized selling OF liquor
In these villages. There are men in all
of these places that are temperate be-
cause they are not tempted by the daily
and hourly sight and smell Of strong
drink as they 60 about their work.
These men, or most OF them, have some
one else besides themselves that Ia de-
pendent on them. Some of these men
were born with craving for strong
drink, and to make it easy for them to
crafty their taste would mean, that
good reliable men would become drunk
ards, and their wives and children would
suffer from the effects. Their money,
which now goes to the education and
support of their children, would grad.
ually find its way into the hands of the
saloon keeper, and this man, who would
bitterly fight against Q reduction of his
wages, would voluntarily give up q
generous share Of his pay to crafty his
appetite, that would work his ruin in
the end.
II the men who are so anxious to have
no laws on our books that are not en-
forced, will be as anxious to have the
law enforced after we have license, then
we must enlarge our jails, hospitals and
insane asylums, for we shall have the
present ones soon filled to OVERLOOKING.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
When we think what we are going to
do to stop this menace to our welfare,
we realize the immensely of the task
before us, and the effort of each one in
dividually seems to be Of tiny effect.
But there are thousands and thousands
of men who will 60 to the ballot box,
and no matter whether man has dol
lar or a million, his vote counts one and
is as good as any.
cannot believe that the majority OF
our voters want to change from the
policy that has brought US fifty years of
success, and I believe that we shall still
be under the prohibitory law after we
turn the ballot box next September, but
we must vote ourselves and see that the
men about US who are at all doubtful on
the liquor question shall not remain in
doubt, il any word or action of ours can
set them right.
The enemies of temperance who want
to sell liquor in the state of Maine will
without doubt spend large amount OF
money to help turn the weakened
voters to vote for license, and if we want
to offset this effect we must be energetic
and untiring. 1t is time to begin now,
we may lose the fight by indifference If
we wait too long. There never was
better cause to fight for or a time when
strong men were needed more.
remember when I was little boy of
standing on one side of the river and
stones in the water to watch
the ripples spread and grow. could
not throw stone large enough to send
wave to the other side, but another boy
on the other side began to throw stones
too, and the waves ran together and the
whole river was in ripples.
cannot help thinking that II every
man in the state should begin to throw
stones at the enemy of intemperance,
there will be such a spreading of in
fluence over our state that the men and
women who want the present prosperity
to continue will see their desire accom-
plished, and not only that, but when it
has become firmly established In the
minds of our citizens that the majority
want temperance, and will have it, then
we shall see such an enforcement of the
liquor laws as we have never known be-
fore.
Gro MORTON