Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-25
SENAT {.

Continuation of the official report of
fridays proceedings in the Maine
Senate.l
So we have done this my friends,
the old farmers that l used to know
for miles around, being in the car
riage business for years,-came to
Belfast. on Saturday Afternoon. They
would go and get drink of rum
brandy or whatever their appetite
called for. That made them feel a
bit liberal and they went out and
bought what they wanted. On going
home they would call in and get an
other drink, and the way seemed
shorter than coming to town, and
when they got back home they We're
in a normal condition. What has hap
pened9 One of my friends made an
automobile trip throughout our town,
last fall. and he told me that he call
ed at l. farm houses. He was asked
in 10 on the sly if he would take some
thing for his stomaeh's sake. Ten out
of u had it on tap. Instead OF get
ting one or two drinks a week they
buy it by the gallon, and old Farmer
Brown brings 1t home and sets II in
the pantry SSlS up Win d bsAA
taste in his mouth, and he exchanges
the taste in his mouth for the taste
in the bottle At noon he comes IN
weary with his labors and takes an
other, and at night he waits until
mother is abed and he takes night
cap. The boy watches him. he says
the old mamie has an iron consti-
tuition, and the boy says father seems
to like that 1t is all right for me.
And the influence of our homes in our
county has gone against the good
things and we are turning them into
tipping shops and making drunkards
at a rate never made before, and the
prohibitory law stands indicted for the
work being performed.
Kitchen bar rooms, dives, and holes
where a respectable hog would not go
in to eat or drink, men will go into
after this vile stuff, for when the taste
for Intoxicating liquors gets into
mans breast il rohs him of all power
and he loses his manhood and self-re-
spect, and he let's everything go in
order to get hold of liquor
want to say to you right here before
you make a mistake. that / am not an
ia DltudI uTlIheT, dl iCdSl ucNti SOA 81
drunk but what l could tell where 1 was
in the morning if / saw the sun come up
/ can get all the liquor l want, and
believe in temperance. and l work at the
job of practicing it part of the time to
say the least, and because l believe m
temperance, because l allow no man
to say that he is a stronger or more
strenuous advocate for the protection of
the home, is why I stand here today to
ask that the citizens of the State of
Maine have an opportunity to decide
for themselves whether they wish 70
continue the present condition or not.
looked across from my office, few
days ago, and two boys not over four
teen years of age were going aown the
sidewalk and having considerable diff
Guilty to keep on it, Where did they get
their liquor? Pocket peddlers are every
where II you get one of them you only
get a pint at most. He has pint here
and another there, hidden all around
over the city, and he is the hardest man
to run down. Why are they patronized?
Because the people who seek them can
not buy liquor as they should buy it,
openly before the public.
/ charge this prohibitory law with be-
Ing a promoter of hypocrisy. If that Is
not broad enough tell me how / can
make it broader. Judas Iscariot sold
Christ for thirty pieces of silver. He
had a reaction; his conscience troubled
him and he threw away the silver.
When you get to one of these fellows,
dealing with the prohibitory question, if
you ever see him show any symptoms
that he is a hypocrite you have seen
something / have never seen. Down in
our city we had man by the name of
Cy Sogan-no relation to the Cyrus L
see over here. He was an Englishman
At one time he studied to be an actor.
but he had become a perfect wreck from
the use of alcoholic stimulants. NOW
the prohibitionists thought That Cy-
rus would make a terrible example.
and so he was employed TO go through
the country and deliver lectures on
prohibition Now at the same time we
had in our city man by the name of
DIR. Holmes, prominent physician. |
am giving you names. | am telling
you these mems names and ] would do
1t if they We're in this audience as
quick as / would tell you, for | always
believe in talking to a man palmer to
his face than behind his back. Cyrus
came into drug store where a friend
of mine was clerking, and in a tremb-
ling voice he said Walter, ! have q
prohibition lecture 10 deliver and if
could only get half pint it would
settle my nerves and | could do bet
ter He got it. He and DR. Holmes
started for the country. They came to
steep hill, and Cyrus said to the
doctor that he wished he would let him
out. He got out and took a drink and
when he got back to get in again be-
hold, the doctor had longnecker! He
was studying astronomy. Cyrus said,
Il have got you doctor He said the
doctor and be drank on the longneck-
er, and no doubt they made some
strong prohibitery speeches.
Men will go before our grand juries
Il don't know as you all like to hear
this. | wouldn't make this talk in
Massachusetts; when ! go over the line
have to lie little myself, but down
here We might as well get To plain
talk and state it as it is. / had oc-
casion to talk to a citizen who went
before grand jury. pretty loaded.
They asked him where he bought his