The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-02-29
Object Lessons.

wise man once said: "What you 90 speaks
so loud l cannot hear what you say"
Another unlettered, although intelligent
man, when asked to explain something,
said: II haven't words to tell you SO you
can understand, but can quickly show
YOU" Acting upon this principle. in
structions generally appeal to the reason
through the eyes or ear. Very much of
what am sure of was fixed in my mind
in that way. While reading an argu-
ment on Local Self Government this
week scenes, some of them witnessed
many years ago, came forcibly to mind,
one of which, with some incidents leading
up to and causing it, will describe.
We were residents then of town in
the central part of this State. Our town
had four villages where many kinds of
manufacturing were carried on, each
surrounded by farming community and
it was not unlike most Ct the adjoining
towns. Local self government-bu
spoken of here as high license, local op-
tion-was then as now, State law. Every
town in that part of the county except
one, farming town having large sum-
mer hotels, was dry" This town al
ways granted licenses; had been wet, and
had tried about every other year to be
pry by voting no on the license question.
But they never all voted the same way
at any time. So they were all in about
the same condition all the time, very
much unsettled. No person was satisfied,
and most people declared before the year
closed that more trouble was caused
than ever in year before, whichever
way the town had voted. If licenses
were granted, there were always more
applicants than the law allowed licenses,
and those denied charged the licensing
board with using Partially, saying their
money was as good as that of any one
and that they were as willing as the
others to pay the fee. And those who
got licenses complained loudly that their
business was being injured by illegal
sales. At all times indisputable evidence
was often seen on the streets that
minors and drunkards got intoxicating
liquor some where; also that it was drank
on Sunday and holidays, if not sold then.
From every quarter came loud calls for
law enforcement. The selectmen and
regularly chosen constables said it was
impossible to enforce the law with so
few officers. Then six special officers
were chosen to help and one OR more
private detectives, called spoilers, were
employed from the city. Still, when
raids were conducted usually there was
more racket made than rum found, and
the reason given was that some one had
leaked. Excitement ran high and was
always greatest just before the annual
meeting. We had lived in the town six
years when the scene referred to above
occurred. A change in officers was an
ticipated and the town hall was crowded. !
Three hundred dollars had Teen voted to
be raised for the use Of the officers to be
chosen to enforce the liquor law Elk
perienced politicians were in control and
the old board was reelected. Then |
move was made to raise committee of
three, who held no other office, to enforce
the liquor law. A voice vote had been
taken and doubted. A show of hands !
was then called for, but the tellers soon
declared it was impossible to count cor
rectly. Then the house was polled, by
dividing the voters. I said l would de-
scribe the scene, but am not an artist |
and shall leave you to imagine how that |
crowd looked facing each other and the
tellers as they walked between them.
Evidence was not lacking to prove the
need of reform Ipresume the opposing
parties in that hall would, on a small
scale, represent the opposing forces as
they went to the polls in dear old Maine
last fall. But there they could not all be
seen at once with dividing line between.
The motion prevailed and the committee
was chosen. They then selected six men
whom they could trust and requested
that all nine be commissioned special
liquor officers. There was no leaking
that year, and at the next annual meet
ing report was freely circulated, con-
tanning statement signed by all the
manufacturers and traders of the town,
saying that their help had given better
satisfaction, better sales had been made,
with fewer poor bills, than ever before.
Your Sturgis law was complained of
by many people in the State, and derided
by some of the press outside, because
money was paid special officers for doing
what others were chosen and paid for
doing. In your case it was pointed to as
proof that prohibition did not prohibit
In Our case l have never seen any refer
ence made to it, but the town records
show that regulation does not regulate
without regulator, and the town has
for many years annually chosen a special
committee and raised special fund to
suppress the illegal sale of liquor. 1t is
not an easy matter to convince class of
our citizens that law is just which for
bids man to do thing while his neigh
hor i,,st cvor tho toun limo fndo II nr,6+