Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-29
Mr.. Emerson Replies.

| the respectful attitude you take in re-
] gard to it as we'll as the expressions Of
| friendship and good viii towards my
self. | hardly expected so much no.
| tice when | wrote the letter, not ex-
pressly for publication. but for the
sake of personal argument and con-
sideration ON the great question of the
| day.
| As you, in a respectful manner.
-, commented on my article, of course
! you will allow me the same privilege
| to consider Your reply. / am not so
| full of bigotry as TO suppose for a
moment that all voters have not the
protected right to their political views
and to express them both in public and
at the ballot box. Whatever rights we
claim for ourselves We should willing
ly. concede to others. l am glad to
meet YOU half way" and to discuss
this political question in a spirit of
friendship and good will.
You say we are ASHAMED that the
American government cannot subsist
without engaging in the rum bust
ness" Allow me to ask what conSu-
tutes the government if it be not the
political party in power put there by
the voters allied To that same party
If this be true that the government IS
the political party in power then X
follows that the Republican ana
Democratic parties have in turn con-
stituted the government since a reVe-
nue. was placed on and the govern
ment received subsistence from the
liquor traffic. The Kennebee journal
constantly supports one of these
political parties. 1t does SO with the
full knowledge that that same party
when in power in the past allowed the
american government to subsist in
the rum business" and from the pres
ent outlook we can see nothing TO give
ms any hope that it would do any dit
ferent in future. In its national plat
form. while il takes up other less inn
portant issues and gives us It's attitude
in regard to them. it is as silent as the
grave in regard to the liquor traIiie
President Taft has never uttered a
word either in his state papers OF
speeches. SO far as I have observed
against this rum business" that you
are ASHAMED" of. | do not notice any
words of condemnation in regard 10
tba rum curse by any of the national
leaders of the Republican party. III
yie1, of this fact you still persist in
saving that The present editor OF TINS
paper hopes to see the day Wheh
Uncle Sam refuses to share the money
of which. a constituencies business mas
robbed humanity" l sincerely hope
YOU will see that day but II we expect
it to come with these politieal parties
in mower which today do not, VIII no.
and apparently dare not, in hatieilai
nlatform nor speech, speak out against
This business. that 'robs humanity,
there is every evidence that we shah
expect in vain.
The Journal claims large degree
of credit for the active part 1t took III
tba campaicn last year to sustain the
constitutional amendment. ] am VIII
ing to commend the Kennebec journal
and all organizations and individuals
for the work accomplished at tii't
time. but why stop then? why not
with the same zeal go outside the mar
row boundary of a state line ana car
| this great question up to the hdlIoi,''i
government where it belongs. why
make such a strenuous effort to Notc
| the rum business out OF Maine III
Sentember and vote it in in NoVem-
her? What is right to do in Name SO
far as the liquor traffic Is concerned
| is right in the entire nation. we are
moi only citizens of Maine but citizens
of the United States. Under present
| conditions prohibition in Maine is only
a local option affair. We are cursed
| with the direful effect of having the
rum cities and rum states pour lhei'
liquors in upon us and we poweriess
| to prevent it. Every town, every nome
| is menaced Neither county option
nor state option is effectual. We need
To advance to a wider field of acton,
tn train our guns on the great dis
tilleries and breweries which under the
sanction of the Federal government
are sending their liquors into every
1 part of our national domain. az"
l"ashamed', of 1t myself and for that
reason / shall, if / am spared to 40 SO
vote for Chain and Watkins ana thus
register my convictions at the poiis on
this greatest of all poiltieai questionf
that confront us today. / have noth-
ing to do with numbers 50 Tar ds
whether | am in the majority VI
minority. 1t is the. only oppoftunlts
/ shall have for the next four years ~
striking at the national liquor trans
/ propose to vote so that IL my part
should win the rum business Woui,
Immediately stop 'robbing hunanlts'
Just a few words more. we an ue
nounce the dastardly attempt mace =
take ex-President Roosevelts me-
is a lasting shame that such cohoi
lions exist; that such man q
Roosevelt, or any other prominent pun
b lie man. cannot feel and be SAFE iron
! | assassination in any part OF our COM
mon country. But the bastard WI
:, did the shooting and his fatner peioi
, him were products of the saloon, an
neither ex-President Roosevelt an
. platform, nor President TART ana piae
/ form. nor Gov. Wilson ana pis''io, = !.
a nor Debs and platform have worn !,
. say against the rum business !
5 not purpose to give aid or supper, :
3 such candidates or platforms, WIZ
q there is a candidate and a piatiorii .
n the field which bears aloft the WIN
banner of national prohibition anu !
n perfect harmony with my poiitics