The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-06-22
Figures That Can't Be Disputed.

At the close of recent address on
Prohibition" a gentleman who said
he was a temperance Democrat and
an earnest supporter of our present
prohibitory law, shook me very cor
daily by the hand and inquired II Ex
Congressman Charles E. Littlefield's
article in a recent issue of the Chris
tian Herald which | had referred to
in my address had been published in
book form, and | told him that | was
not aware that it had. Now | want to
call the Journals attention to this
matter for | believe that this brilliant
comparison of Maine under prohibition
and Massachusetts under local OPP
ton which facts Ex-Congressman Lit
/ tlefield gathered from United States
official reports should be published in
book form and sowed knee deep
throughout our State-In my opinion
his article contains some of the most
solid facts concerning the wonderful
progress of the State of Maine under
Prohibition I have yet seen-in his
comparison of Maine with Massachu
sets, he was comparing a Prohibi
ton State with commonwealth that
enjoys the best of municipal local OPP
ton laws of any state in the Union
and desire to eondense into a few
paragraphs some of his solid facts,
which goes to prove that while Mass
achusetts Is a good state under local
option, yet Maine Is a far better
! State under Prohibition. In 1850
Maine had a per capita wealth of
$210, while In 1910 after so years of
Prohibition she had reached per
capita wealth of $980-here we see
an increase of nearly five times while
Massachusetts enjoyed only half that
rate of increase of wealth during the
same period. Between 1880 and 1900
it is notable that Maine increased by
1924 per year the average amount
paid her wage workers, as against
the gain of Massachusetts, which was
only S87. Nearly 70 per cent of tue
farmers of Maine own their farms.
while in Massachusetts only E} per
cent own or hold them. The death
rate from alcoholism in Maine in 1900
was % per 100000 of population per
year, while in Massachusetts the
death-rate from the same cause in
1900 was 68 per 100000, or 'hree
times the death record of our State.
We have for every 100000 of our pop
all, while Massachusetts has 1927
prisoners. being 233 for every 100000
of population, or three times as
many as Maine-Maine had 885 in
mates in our insane asylums in 1903,
or 125 per 900 of population, while
Massachusetts had 8679, or 288 per
100000, or over twice as many in pro-
portion as our State had.
IF
owning their homes in Maine free
land unencumbered Is 40 per cent, while
in the license states of New York,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the
record is only % per cent Thus it
will be seen by this brief comparison
that Maine is the most temperate and
prosperous State in our nation today,
but place Maine under a license law,
which is a sin against God and man
and damning blot upon our civiliza-
ton and we could not show up such
solid facts concerning our grand old
State as We do today. Let us not be
deceived, prohibition has counted
more for the happiness of our homes,
1t has weighed more In humanity, in
morals and in finance than all other
questions that have come before our
people of whatever name-and
earnestly hope on election day next
September that Maine, where the
white flag of Prohibition was flying
to the breeze in all the world, will be
the powder magazine which shall
shatter the hopes of liquor men for
ever on our solicit the signal go
forth
Close orders! Forward march-and
a glorious victory will crown our eff
forts.
(Signed) FRANK w. GOWEN.
Waterville, June IA.