The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-04-27
OUR CITIZENSHIP.
Its Character at Stake in Fight for Pro-
hibitiOn.

cit seems to me that the character of
the citizenship of Maine is at stake in
this ISSUE" said J. R. Libby, one of
Portland's leading business men, in an
address in the interest of the retention
of the constitutional prohibitory law, de-
ivered at the Maine Methodist confer
ence temperance anniversary service.
''The way this vote goes, he continued,
sis going to be looked at as the standard
of citizenship in Maine. If the prohibit
tory amendment is lost the people out
side are going to look on us as degenerat-
ing"
Mr.. Libby, who has travelled about the
country great deal and closely observed
conditions in licensed communities and
those where the liquor traffic is barred,
and who has spoken in behalf Of prohibit
ton in other States, made an earnest
plea for the friends of the Maine law to
be active from now until the 18th day of
September, when the special election is
to be held, and to go to the polls on that
day and vote to keep the law in the con-
stitution. He asked his hearers to re-
member that they were fighting crafty
foe, and he told them that they must
keep awake. for it is the plan of those in
favor of doing away with the law to lull
the temperance people into feeling of
security, if possible, and then come in on
election day like pack of hounds.
The speaker was frequently applauded,
arousing considerably enthusiasm, and
the Rev. Dr. Wilbur F. Berry of the
Christian Civic league, who presided, said
he thought Mr.. Libby had struck theiright
note. The meeting was largely attended,
many of the preachers who had arrived
for the conference, being present. DR..
Berry in his preliminary remarks said
that resubmission was fact in the State
of Maine. and no good reason could be
given for it except that it is step to-
ward bringing local option into Maine.
In the campaign that is to be made every
man, every woman and every child IN the
State, should take the side he or she be-
lieves to be the right side. DR.. Berry
said that he was not particularly welded
to prohibition. If there were any better
way of solving the saloon problem he was
willing to follow it, but so far he coEld
see nothing better for the State of Maine.
He argued that in this campaign the
burden of the proof rests on the man who
comes around to advocate license, and
who would put away prohibition. DR..
Berry in speaking of the enforcement of
the law at the present time said that
good work is being done in Somerset
county, and ne thought that Sheriff
Emery was doing all that could be ex-
pected of him in York. In Kennebec
county, he said, they have begun to back
slide, and Androscoggin has woefully
backslidden. Cumberland and Penobscot
counties We're declared to be going from
bad to worse.
Mr.. Libby, after speaking of the in
f1uence that the State of Maine has had
in the halls of Congress and throughout
the country, said: "If we had in this
State the licensed liquor traffic and it had
got into our homes, we would not have
had that to present to the country which
We have today. To my mind there is no
evil like the drink habit. But we have
had temperance talk, we have had more
or less agitation on the temperance ques-
ton in Maine from time to time, but
there never was time when there was
an issue presented to our people anything
like what We have today. The people
have to meet the most important issue
that they ever have and that is because
we have such a crafty foe. If the enemy
We're to take the platform and fight bold
ly we could overthrow them, but that is
not the case. They are already beginning
to tell us that there is no danger. One of
our Senators told me the other day that
the men who are selling liquor will vote
to retain the law, because they could not
get license from an honest licensing
board. | believe he was honest, but he
must be one of those innocent men.
when | think of such men, and also
think of Senator Staples as he presented
the case at Augusta hear such
men talk just as the liquor men would
have them talk, l say it is astonishing to
see what man can be led to believe.
They tell us that the liquor interests out
side of the State of Maine have no con-
Germ in the overthrow of our prohibitory
law, that they will not furnish money
and are satisfied with conditions as they
are. But | want to tell you that l am
satisfied from my observation of things
that they would give million dollars if
they could overthrow the Maine law. 1t
is the pivotal point with them. 1t is the
Maine law that has popularized the State
of Maine and lifted its citizenship SO
high. We have reason to be proud of
our citizenship and of what the prohibit
tory law has done for our people. Tell
me, tell any intelligent man, that the
liHuol doSoGidIlOiI VI Iillo COuiilIy Is MOI
concerned in this fight! We have a
mighty foe to fight and crafty one.
They cannot tell us on the platform
that the open saloon is good thing to
have on our streets, but they come
around, many nice appearing men, and
tell US that they don't believe in consti-
tutional prohibition, but in statutory
prohibition. They believe it should be
taken out of the constitution and thus
out of politics. But do you know that
the prohibitory law in the constitution is
the nearest out of politics that it is posi-
BILE to get it? If we have local option
every year when election time comes
around that question is in politics. If it
had been statutory law, where would it
have been in the last Legislature? 1t will
never be out of politics until emancipa-
ton comes, and the saloon and the liquor
traffic are swept out of existence. So
today | have the impression that the
liquor forces are going to play possum.
They are going to try to keep quiet, lull
US asleep till election day, and then they
will come out like pack of hounds. If
there is man whose vote is doubtful,