Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-21
Wednesday, May Fl, 1918.
"Ihe Cider Triple"


Maine. Is after those. who sell mars
cider illegally, taking the ground; which
is the only firm ground in a prohlnltoi
state, thatsit is just as bad to sell intoxi'
Hard cider has been responsible fet
many CHASTITY crimes. in Maine ana eise,
where, but the sale of hard cider has
been carried on with little interruption
or annoyance in sections of Maine Where,
it is often and loudly proclaimed, the en-
forcement of the prohibition law is strin,
gent. Hard cider is the rural tippie, aho
as manipulated by those who know their
customers. It is little short OF deaaly III n
its effect. The Manufacturing of cider Is
not prohibited in Maine. That INDUSTRY
is steadily growing. and, of course, not
all of the product is exported to other
GOV. Haines' sheriffs will be very busy
men if they enforce the Maine law all
over the state and without faNorltlsm
for dealers or beSerases-Bosten ifas-
eler.
The liquor interests and their paid
tools have repeated this silly lie So
often and SO persistently that SEINE.
who should know better. IL they would
take pains TO inform themselves. say
it after them and apparently think it
is true We have no reason &c suppose
that the Traveller knows any better or
that it is purpose,y misleading its
readers, but before publishing such rot
ii would be better to look to more
wholesome source than the rum trust
One might think from the Travellers
editorial that Maine was reeking with
hard cider put out by every farmer
A.. l,;Ubnavc Ac rattar of
fact, the farmers or others who put up
cider nowadays is small and yearly
growing smaller. The custom of cider
making has run out, itself. because so
few in rural communities of Maine
nowadays have any use for the stuff,
other than for vinegar. And it is true
that the great majority of farmers are
finding it cheaper and easier to buy
their vinegar of those who make a
business of preparing it.
Hundreds of thousands of bushels of
"cider apples now rot annually, or are
fed to hogs, where years ago they were
ground into cider that was drunk in
almost every country home.
The prohibitory law, if it has done
nothing else, has completely turned
the hard cider problem over to inspee-
tion Country people are opposed to
the stuff in their neighborhooas, and
the man who makes practice of bar
reling up large quantities of apple
Juice that is not brought forth in Vine
gar, is a marked man. In many sec
tions he is socially ostracized except
by the few thirsty ones whose frequent
presence soon prove the suspicion. A
tip to sheriff or deputy and, if the fell
low does not spend term in Jail it is
probably because the court found OK
tenuating circumstances"
these law defying individuals are found
and always will be while intoxicants
are made and there is easy money in
their handling-who will peddle cider
on the sly. and other kinds of booze at
the same time. They are nothing but
common outlaws, found everywhere
But the farmers OF Maine are not sell
ing or giving away cider, and prob
ably not one in 100 of the number who
had cider in their cellars forty years
ago, now tolerate it about their prem
Uses. The booze sympathizers are
growing beautifully and glorioasly less
in Maine rural communities, amt. this
will be true of the cities when they
are freed from the grip Of the drunk
making and educating. organiza-
tion-the rum trust. One means OF re-
leasing this grip is by heading off the
lies that have been told SO long and
so frequently. They have fooled lnno-
cent people much too long.