Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-14
You Would Follow, Whom?

paper, this week, appeared the words
of two men who are before the public
words remarkable in their purpose
and appeal, but o. how widely di-
vergent in conceptioni On the one
side we have the professional politician
attempting to justify his course before
his constituency: on the other the
splendid mind of the man. loving. Cod
fearing teacher. who points the way to
better things.
The first cunningly argues for evil
on the plea that the best way TO de-
feat the devil is to jolly him along.
The other fires a broadside of truth,
for Truths sake, and expects to stand
the consequences Of his temerity in
denouncing and defying the agencies
of evil
Governor Plaisted of Maine is quot
ed as saying.
Maine is by many reasons destined
10 become the greatest State ia the
Union. but no healthy and permanent
t6fthIseioii ne maui dillii .liiiS
eternal liquor question is settled.
Ny proposition is to call the session
OF the Legislature together for the
members of both branches to vote on
giving the people of the whole State
the referendum on the ACCESSIBILITY of
local option. | consider this action
my strict duty because of The prae
tically even vote on the long mooted
question at the special election last
September"
Rev. DIR. William Hartman van AL
len. rector of the Church of the Ad-
vent. Boston, in remarkable sermon
on "Our Brother the Criminal" said
THE thing to do is to remove as far
as possible the causes of crime and
then to set ourselves to restore the
criminal. 1t is futile to build hos
pital at the bottom of a precipice for
the purpose of healing the broken
bones of the people who fan over, until
you build guard wall at the top, so
they needn't fall.
Il. put my finger first on the chief
cause of crime in Massachusetts and
in Boston, name it: II is the saloon.
The connection between the saloon and
crime is so plain that he who doesn't
see it must be blind. Go back to the
figures | read you a moment ago. OF
71,20l arrests, lin Boston last year,
47,732 were for drunkenness In
Massachusetts, of 81, 0S1 criminals
committed TO prison, 29.750 ac-
knowledged themselves to be intern
perate. Is this merely coincidental?
You cannot always believe all you read
in the newspapers; but skim over any
daily paper and see how many crimes
are committed in the saloon itself,
how many crimes are planned in the
saloon. how many by men who have
left the saloon to go direct to the
scene of crime Where do the police
search for criminals when they put
the dragnet out but in the saloons?
What is the greatest cause of de-
moralization in our police force today?
1t is the saloon and saloon influence
What is the foulest factor in politics.
and particularly in municipal politics :?
II is the saloon. Nothing has stirred
my blood more than to have heard our
own great Bishop, at the dinner of the
Episcopalian Club, indiet you and me,
the Churchmen of Massachusetts, for
being so far behind the times-so
weak and cowardly in comparison with
other Christians, as TO our attitude
towards the saloon and the problem of
LIQUOR. He told as we must consider
what our Christian neighbors were do
ing and grid ourselves for the war
Abolish the saloon; put municipal cen
tres of wholesome recreation in its
place and you nave done much IL
solve the problem of crime.
Which leader would you follow fol
your own moral welfare the profes
Eional politician-the man who neve
did anything in his life but play tn
political game-and who chose tina
course as means of -aggrandize
ment and gain; or will you follow Thu
noble scholar who has consecrate'
his life 10 the work of lettering thu
condition Of his fellow men; the mar
who would bring hope into the hearts
of the meanest and lowliest of Gods
creatures?
Governor Plaisted Is quoted: "Ar
enforcement OF the State-WlUt
prohibition amendment, as il now
stands. is impossible when two out OF
three voters in our cities favor the
thing that the law DEGREES crime
You cannot expect local police officials
TO enforce a law under any such vio-
lent opposition on the part of two
thirds of the voters who have placed
them in authority
DIR. van Allen said TO his people:
''But we cannot get away from tn,
fact that, the family relation being es
tabhshed. all criminals are our broth
ers. What are we going TO do If ",
ignore them and leave them To DIES
truction? With our larger light AM
less temptation than they, we maxi
ourselves criminals against them. w
must treat them as brothers Tina
does not mean With weak sentimental
ism or harmful Indulgence. Ii does
MT mean that we are 10 be fond broth
ers.
We must protect our brother from
himself until he is strong enough I,
TAXI. his Mace In the life ,f tha IA nn.