Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-13

1 He referred to a visit he made t
/ Portland a few days ago, saying tina
| in one hotel liquor was openly SOLE
over 2 bar set up for the purpose ant
| without any fear of interference or ar
rest.
| when ! asked the proprietor" sal,
| he, IF there were any other places lil<.
his in the city he promptly replied
Yes, sixty 1t is so all through tbs
| State"
And the roads," said he, giving hi
arraignment of the State a sudder
| turn, ARE the worst in the country
Those roads are menace to the Who'll,
| of New England, for no one cares tc
come here because debarred from Wis
iting Maine with all its natural re.
| sources"
The Mayor, before parting with his
subject, took exceptions to the charge
| made by the Prohibition candidate
Capen. that the youth of today are
greater card players and heavier
drinkers than ever before. On the
contrary Mayor Fitzgerald insists that
in Boston at least the young men are
better and card playing and drinking
less INDUCED in than in any other
place of similar dimensions on the
face of the earth.
"Ah." said he, as he turned away,
II am disguised with Maine, it's liquor
Jaw enforcement and its bad roads"
Considering the mayors interesting
claim that Maine is a disgrace to
Boston" and his fine frenzy over Pat
tangallism, it would seem that Dem
cratic arrangements for the purchase
of booze had been made with concerns
beyond the borders of Boston. And it
is so disgraceful for Portland to sell
rum under the Covered Bridge plan
and not buy the goods of Boston
wholesalers
consumes ten times as much intoxi-
cant under her license plan as does
Maine under her tolerance of nullifi-
cation, it distresses such moralists
and, men of fine scruples as Mayor
Fitzgerald to witness violation of law
1t were far better, according to these
punctllious people, to make laws
that require no violation to give all
the freedom desired by the evil.
We wonder how many Illegal dives
there are in Boston-the city dis
gracedo by Maine. Can Mayor Fitz-
gerald deny that there are scores, yes
hundreds of illegal hell-holes IN the
city of Boston, in addition to the enor-
nous traffic carried on under protec-
ton of law devised by the makers
and sellers OF booze? In Boston every
other window is filed with display of
Intoxicating drinks-from the dirty,
fy-speeked, dust and filtheovered
bottles of the lowest resorts, to the
glittering show OF ali grades and
shades of liquors in the great whole
sale houses. Millions of dollars worth
of every sort and kind of soul-killing,
Notwithstanding, sense ulling liquids
are made as attractive as their MAX
ers know how to do, and are so placed
in this city of Boston (Which Maine
has disgraced) as to constantly appeal
to the man or woman with thirst,
and to continuously bid for his or her
money. F.
Every business man knows the val
lie of advertising, of keeping his wares
before the gaze of those likely to be-
come patrons. of suggesting the desire
to those who might forget. Could any
man be so silly as to deny that the
sale of liquors is largely increased in
localities where the goods are always
in view to excite the appetite of the
man who is doing his best to overcome
his desire for drink?
Is any man so dense or so blinded
by his wish to see a license system
established, that he believes that even
under present conditions of wide open
notification in Portland and some
other Maine cities, as much liquor is
consumed as in Boston or any other
license city?
Notification of the prohibitory law,
even as bad notification as the Cow
cred Bridge brand, is never as bad in
results as the most respectable of
license arrangements. If it We're pos
sible to prevent illegal selling in a
city peck marked with licensed rum
shops. or in city with the smallest
number of good legal places, i'll
either place the sale of liquor would
be greater and, consequently, the dis
tress and poverty greater. than un-
der the worst possible demonstration of
outlawed traffic where license does not
prevail
But the magnificent hypocrisy of
this Boston prig that there is not
more outlawed traffic per capita in
Boston than in the city of Portland
with 60 Illegal places doing business
is well worthy the logic of the license
promotion type.
We have no excuses to offer for oul
highways; they are bad and we know
it, and we feel as badly about it a!