Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-02

understand the gravity of the issue IN
this campaign remarked an Augusta
business man. who had formerly re-
sided in license state. to journal
reporter, d few mornings ago. They
have seen so little of the licensed sa :.
loon that they do not realize, how it
leaves its Shiny tr2il over everything
| il touches. debauching even the mem-
bers of the church and the Grange.
who in Our own state, at least, stand
for good morals and good citizenship
in this respect,
In a o-licenSc town In a local OPP
tion state. where once resided a man
was running for office and for some
reason or other the church people were
not going 10 support him. He was in
my employ and a friend of mine
and he came to me and told me
that certain influential old resi-
dents of the town were trying to
beat him. | drove six miles ON elec-
ton morning. during bmsterinr
March snowstprm, to the town seat AMI
learned that the men who were seeking
10. defeat ms man We're "a deacon
in the church and his brother.
the secretary "f the State board
ot agriculture. and another man w!...
was later secretary of the State Grange.
talked the matter over with them
plainly and told them why it WAS not
good for this man To be defeated |
said To one of the men. calling him by
name: Clean up Your liquor selling
across the street. tell your friend la
the western part of the town. who is L
deacon in the church and owns the
building where rum is being sold 10
lean up that place over there and if
this man is defeated | shall hold YOU
responsible fer his defeat. shall also
publicly show that you are permitting
he sale of rum at your own doors
fhe three men promised me before
eft their house that my man should
re elected and he was-high man on
he ticket.
In license states you have this
Kitchen bar room. just the same 10
ioa do under the prohibitory law. but
/ is a different kind of a kitchen bar
Dom. II is a kitchen bar room, which
: a kindergarten for the rum shop
md is largely supplied by rum or Ii
,uor from the legaHized saloon and
protected by them as far as possible,
Sunday pienics are arranged and talked
~ by the saloon and liquor furnished,
where all young men. regardless of
lge. are invited. The law In mos.
license towns prohibits the sale of Ii
tuer on Sunday in hotels. but that IS
GOTTEN over by a clause, which per-
uiis the sale OF liquor to the guests o.
he hotel. and the word guest is a
fery elastic term. it is stretched to
mean anybody who places his name on
he hotel register. The bar is closed
cut the man who registers gets all the
liquor he wants just the same on Sun
lay.
In communities where surrounding
owns have voted no license and i
own votes for license it becomes
,esspool Of drunkenness and vice.
Trains and cars that go and come
rom that place. after closing UP time
1t night. which is usually about IL p
NJ, transport the people and they are
such condition as to make 1t UNI
afe and inconvenient for decent peo-
Die to travel on the trains at night.
In some localities it has been found
necessary to man the electrics with
conductors and motormen, who are
men of unusual physical ability in or,
der to keep the crowd within bounds.
Local option injects the liquor dues-
ton into local politics in its worst
form.
Suppose we have local option law
in Maine and Augusta goes for license,
while Hallowell. Waterville. winthrop
and Gardiner does not. The result
would be to dump the whole undesirt-
ole element into our midst. The po-
lice force would have to be doubled ii
not auadrupled aud the police court
iocket would be swelled to many times
it's present proportions
"'Fhe temperance workers. l airi
afraid do not realize fully the kind OF
arguments that the saloon interests
are bringing To bear upon the voters,
particularly those in rural SECTIONS in
this campaign. The farmers are be-
| ing approached from every angle. Men
who Are out on the road. ostensiblY
| with,s peddlers' carts or for the pur-
chase of farms, are actually in the
employ of the saloon interests and
leave no stone unturned in approach :
ing voters in those sections from eV-
/ cry angle by which they can possibly
be influenced from glib arguments az
to the help in paying taxes that II
cense revenue would furnish to the
purchasing of gifts for the chioreN
| of those who happen 10 pc III heeoN
circumstances. Many voters IN the
country towns. who do not want
saloon in their own town, VIII No.e
with the liquor interests. They do nor
understand that under local option eg-
cry village in the State of Maine i