Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-03

if they find themselves in mirror
ity. begrudge the majority the OPP
pertunity to try something differ
ent"
License Always Curse,
am not sure that [ quite unders tand
what that means. But 50 years trial
of prohibition is short compa red to the
centuries during which license has
proven such a curse to the World and
with the 200 years more or less dr1ri ng
which Maine, as a part of Massa Gnu
setts. and afterwards els a State, was
burdened with permissive liquor lfgis-
lation. Should the people vote 70 the
repeal of the amendment, il might not
be worth while to 4begrtdge the. ma
ierity the opportunity to try som sthing
different" but i very much fe Ear in
such event that cur state would suffer
as seriously as it did aft er the snap
legislation Of 1856 restored lisenee.
The letter goes on;
Personally, / have but little
faith in the efficacy of legislation
as q promoter of moral reform.
Such reforms derive their greatest
strength from within rather than
from without. The WashinIgtonian
movement. which preceded and led
to the adoption of our pro hibitorY
legislation. did more tor y re cause
of temperance than ali the legisla-
ton we have ever had 81 nee that
time"
There were no men more active for
legislative help and prot ection than
We're the Washingtonians And they
became so because thew saw that
with the state authorizing the liquor
traffic to set traps for them, their eff
forts at reform We're to a reat extent
negatived Indeed, becaHs Of license.
the Washingtonian moy tement had
spent its force before proh alition was
enacted in Maine. That movement
had its origin in Baltimore And that
city. though not troubled by prohibit
ton, would not be selected by anybody
who knows anything about il. as an eX-
ample of sobriety, good or ier and de.
cencv observation-disclosures fourishcd in
many states and cities Where prohibi-
tfon has not been tried. bui. where con-
dftions would shock even Maine ad
voeate of license. And | say here,
without fear Of successful . antradiotion
basing my statement upofc my knowl-
edge of our state and our people. and
observation and informant on obtained
elsewhere. that Maine Will compare
favorably in all that is esirable i'm
citizenship. with any non prohibition
state anywhere.
The lettar goes on:
Modern industrial conditions
are such as to exercise - powerful
restraining influence II pom those
ft,f. my,
The man who drinks q lether ne
be professional man. merchant.
manufacturer. mechanic or un-
skilled Iaborer. soon finds that he
cannot hold his place in the keen
competition of business. The en-
nlovee loses his job. the profession
al man his clients. and the mer-
chant his business. ] think that
every observant man will agree
that there has been notable i'm
provement in the habits of the PEG
pie in this way. within the past 20
years that men are actually drink
ing less and less. not because pro-
hibitorv legislation cuts off their
supplies. but because indulgence
costs them too dear.
Facts to Remember.
That is all true, but to many it
seems better that the state through
law should work in harmony with
those conditions rather than that it
should seek to count aract and nullify
them by authorizing and sanctioning
bv law. a trade that is inherently an
tagonistic to them. Moreover. it
should be borne in mind, and should be
IL In Gp1y,
largely through the efforts of thuse
seeking to establish prohibition that
private as well as public attention has
been called to the evils inseparable
from the traffic And it will not be
easy to lead men who are familiar with
the subject. to eliminate as potent
factor in the production of such condi-
tons. the so years of agitation and dis
cussion that was opened following the
adoption Of prohibition in Maine.
Quoting again,
s'The prohibitory law seeks to deal
with the evil of intemperance in the
same way that the criminal law deals
with ordinary crimes. but with this
notable difference the criminal law is
aimed directly at the murderer, not at
the man who sold him the pistol or
knife with which he committed the
crime
Our friend over1ooks the fact that the
expected and usual result of
the traffic in pistols and knives is good
and not evil. and that it contributes to
the convenience. comfort and well-being |
of society, while the usual and commonly |
expected result of tvs traffic in intoxi- |
cants is evil and not good. and that it is |
inimicaI to the welfare OF society, Yet |
the testimony Of centuries is to that eff !
feet. and specifically to the effect that it
is responsible for three-quarters of the |
cases where pistols and knives are so
used as to bring their users under the
ban of the law. And by the way, legis
lation is now sought in some states pro-
hibiting the sale of pistols.
/ quote again
1.-THE prohbitory law overlooks en-
tirely the actual offender. the drunk
ard, and directs its entire energies
against the man who sold him the Ii
auor. The prohibitory law Furnishes
as a criminal ofcnse, an act which is
not INHERENTLY criminal at all |
and its failure is due, in large meas