The Republican journal., 1912-01-04
DEMOCRATIC PLEDcEs-How KEPT

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since the enactment of the prohibitory
laws. cannot be denied. Nor can it be
denied that the enforcement of the laws
is in the hands of Democratic officials,
State and local. In view of these facts
it is we'll to recall the pledges made by
the Democrats as part, by individuals,
and by it's newspaper organs.
The Democratic platform adopted IN
convention in 1910 contained the promise,
eff invested with power it (the Demo-
craft partly will enforce the laws by
means of regularly elected officers.
This had special reference to the liquor
laws and the employment OF special
officers under the Sturgis law, which the
Democrats proposed to repeal and did
repeal.
In an address November %, 1910, be-
fore young mems club Congressman
McGillicuddy said: 1.-THE Democrats
also propose to enforce the prohibitory
law as well as all others, to enforce it
fairly and honestly in every county.
Some of us may not agree as to the law
itself, but as long as it is law it should
be enforced and the Democrats propose
to do it." That is the substance OF
good deal of Democratic talk-before an
election.
In it's issue for November 80, 1910, the
Biddeford Record stated that according
to a dispatch the Democratic party
leaders agreed that the only course was
to give Maine "the strictest enforce
ment it had ever known Of this plan
the Record said: "The reported Demo-
cratic policy is the proper policy. Maine
has stood for farcical prohibition for half
century and it can stand for the real
thing for eight months. "
The Waterville Sentinel in its issue OF
!; December 9, 1910, said: 'The Republican
party has promised enforcement and de-
, liyered notification. Now the Demo
cratic party has been elevated to power.
1t must keep its pledges. 1t must prove
its ability, its sincerity, its worth. 1t
must discharge it's every responsibility
with honor to its leaders, with credit to
it's rank and file. The prohibitory law is
wrong in principle because it undertakes
to solve the liquor question from the
wrong side. Further than that, there
has never been an honest attempt made
to enforce its provisions, except by a
few democratic sheriffs who have been
hindered by multiplying county attorneys
or multiplying courts. The time has come
for thorough, determined effort to en-
force all along the line that the prohibit
tory law may stand or fall upon its
merits. So enforce from January l, 1911,
to January l, 1913, all the time, what
ever the result may be. Make the State
as dry as it is possible by honest and
thorough enforcement to make it. If the
people like that sort of thing, they will
endorse it and if they do not like it they
will have the privilege of voting the pro-
hibitory system down and out. There is
no other alternative for the Democratic
party. Pledges must be kept among
honest folks. If there are to be many
unsatisfed appetites as one Of the re-
suits, the proper thing to damn is the
law and not the agents applying the law.
Just so long as we have prohibition in
either constitut ton or statutes, there
should be an energetic and uncompromis-
ing effort to make prohibition real ANY
other course is anarchy"
The Portland Argus of December 20,
1910, said on the first page: '"The Demo-
cratic officials who are to come into
power at midnight Saturday propose to
enforce the laws as they find them, fear
lessly and impartialy, playing no favor
ties and asking no favors. The dictum
has gone forth that any man or woman
who sells liquor after Jan. LIST does so at
his or her peril, and they will be regard
ed as enemies to the public order and
dealt with wherever and whenever they
are found. 1t is very probable that the
inaugural address Of Gov. Plalsted will
contain these very words, or some very
much like them. But in the meantime,
and before Gov. Plaisted is inaugurated,
the sheriffs and county attorneys will
have the matter in their own hands, and
it is entirely safe to say that they will
fully live up to the spirit and the letter
of his pronouncement.
In his inaugural address, Governor
Plaisted said: every promise made in
the platform adopted by the Democratic
party and upon which it waged it's cam
paign must be kept. Squarely and fair
ly, without evasion or equivocation. .
We must be actuated solely by an honest
desire to promote the welfare of the
State and set our stamp of disapproval
upon all alliances between those who
would violate any law and those charged
with its execution. :. Leaving aside
the question of whether the present law
affords the best regulation of the liquor
traffic-a question over which there is
an honest difference of opinion-there
can be no question that it is the duty of
every official to enforce the Prohibitory
Law so long as it remains upon the sta