Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-06
York Has Had Enough?

on the pronlbltioH law anu atteihPt
to substitute therefor rum trust
approved system Of licensed saloons,
publishes startling first page stories.
each under two column scare heads.
In one article the Record gives the
ru,nors of a New Rum Deal,' a re-
port that WET goods circles conf
DEM that open saloons will continue
10 be controlled by syndicate
In this article the Record. among
other things along the same line,
says
..The talk went so far as TO indicate
that the representative OF a Boston
wholesale liquor house had neen mere ~
the interests of a syndicate TO operate a
specified number of open saloons ana ne
was 50 weil satisfied with his visit that
before he leff Ne remarked eontidentially
things all right and i VIII De Pai
through Without any trouble
.sIf was pointed out In this talk that
the Aem sheriff would make no attempt
Ia strictly enforce the law. but would
perfnit j reasonable number OF places 10
DO business Under proper resolutions and
10 close and keep closed all other places
attempting to SELL s,s5s
This interesting talk W rum circles
had iI tfssrs che shops 10 be protected
would be quietly opened and without any
such brass band and other loud demon
strafiors that characterized the inaus-
nratioB of4wide open times three months
ago. and sass long as the proprietors con-
Quoted their places decently and paid
over their license money regularly, otnef-
wise living up to the syndicate require
menfs they would be permitted to run.
bnt al soon as there We're any violations
8of Tie terms Of the agreement on their
part their shops would be raided and
closed up.
But the Record adds this comment
which may be taken rs significant Of
the temper in York county:
"The Record does not know and
does not care who is responsible for
this brand new syndicate talk, for it
does not believe there is a particle of
foundation for it.
at is all bosh and the silIiest kind
of bosh.
"Bfddeford has had all the ex-
perience of the wide open kind il
wants.
"The experiment was tried for three
months and il turned out TO be about
as unsatisfactory and disastrous ex-
pertinent as any in the rum line
ever attempted in this or any other
city.
s.The Old Orchard syndicate last
summer was a dismal failure and 9
iudicrous farce.
aThn th~a. yx,nnthe axnar;roert wit n
wide open Biddeford that has just
come to an end was enough to con-
vince everybody knowing anything
about it that nothing more in that
line is to be desired. The people
won't stand for it."
So the people of Biddeford have
had enough of covered bridge methods
they won't stand for it,
Coed aeneugh. There are lot of
other communities in Maine that
wont, stand for IT, after the Pat
tangalr BLASTED epoch is wiped out
by tho September storm Of ballots.
And that is not all the good news
the REGARD brings. in another arti-
Gle i saysiss~asa 4aa 81
'-Biddeford rnmsellers. that is. those
who did. not, turn the keys in their doors
following tile appointment Of Or. harry
a. Weymouth of SacO as Sheriff. are ap-
prehensive and very much disturbed.
They cannot seem to make up theii
minds as TO just what the new sheriff
policy is 10 be. although he has stated
plainly enough that the open saloon is
TO go and that he intends TO enforce the
liquor law TO the limit, and on account
OF this uncertainty as it appeals to them
they are undecided whether to take
chances or quit the business.
This noon a Record reporter was told
that Of the many places that have haC
the reputation of being run wide oper
for three months very small number
have been closed up In one section OF
the city a runseller who had been rum
ming one place AT little profit and had ar
ranged to open another and more pre-
tentious joint in the hopes OF retrieving
his fortunes, quit soon after DIR. Wey-
mouth was appointed, sold his stock al
man. who until February conducted a
lunch room, recently closed out his stock
OF liquors and went back 90 serving
lunches with nothing more dangerous in
the shape Of liquids handed ont over his
bar Than coffee and sarsapariIa He ad-
mitted that there had been no money in
the rum business for him and he didn't
propose to take any chances of paying a
heavy fine IN court or going to jail"
We are glad TO see leading Demo-
cratic organs honest enough to admit
the false position Of their leaders and
the explosion OF a false doctrine.
Governor Piaisted, Attorney Gener-
al Pattangan. Senators johnson ans
Gardner and other Democratic leaders
have proclaimed from the house tops
1.-THE Law cannot be enforced; i
should be repealed" etc. etc.
Yet IL appears only necessary 70
officials 10 announce their intention
to enforce the Raw TO close UP In
saloons
According TO this Democratic paper
The rum business can easily be mad
so expensive 10 law breakers that the
quit the State or go into legitimat
business
When officers notify iAdiyes an
booze clubs TO 90 out of Cuisines
AND THE c0uRTc pack THEN