Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-11
To Keep Montana Wet.

The agents of evil are always busy.
They toll upward Cor downward in
the night. They can be counted upon
to nose out unerringiy the potential
forces for righteousness and attack
them before the just man has had
item to decide to come to their sup
port. The following is a letter writ
ten by the Montana Protective AS.
sociation, made up of all branches of
the liquor trade in that State, To
firm that manufactures a substance
used TO a considerable extent in bar
rooms:
The state Legislature is now in ses-
sion, and the first bin introduced into
our Senate was one PROPOSING the alter
ing of our Constitution SO as to permit
the women of Montana tie exercise the
franchise. II women ares given the
counties which. Ill oiir a$pinion, can
pc voted dry at once. This will ma
terially affect your trade here,
There is also mother bill which pro-
vides for the closing of saloons at II
o clock at night until six In the morning
and all day sunday. Notice has also
been given of several other bills when.
II not defeated. will practically annlni-
late the trade in Montana We are in
The midst OF n dangerous figbt " e
are doing all we possibly can to
anu we le-
specially submit that it is the duty of
firms doing business within the state TO
assist us in this fight. which means to
them the conservation of their business
and the retaining of their existing ac-
counts
The local Wholesalers and retail
ers are working unanimously to
maintain for Montana the proud
position of being the wettest state
in the Union, This takes money
Hence we again draw your attention to
our communication of December IS ana
Respectfully ask YOU to kindly render us
financial aid as indicated in said letter.
Many friends of woman suffrage, as
well as it's opponents, doubt whether
the enfranchsement of women will
have any appreciate effect on the
liquor traffic and commercialized vice.
The men whose money is involved in
| the liquor business have no doubt
whatever. They are the most yiru-
lent foes that woman suffrage has
Incidentally, every decent person in
Montana ought to be ashamed of ths
letter.
The above editorial is from Golfers
Weekly for this week. Ii takes the
same ground against the evil that
never ceases to promote its gigantic
| traits, that the Kennebec Journal has
| maintained for years.
Golfers notes that the liquor inter-
ests have no doubt whatever about the
results of woman suffrage. Maine
has had a striking illustration of tins
within a few days. Maine knows that
the men who did their best to over
throw the States prohbitory la and
establish saloon system "regulated'
by the rum trust We're the same men.
as a party, who defeated the suffrage
| referendum in the Legislature. They
| did not dare let the question go to the
voters of Maine. After all the pre-
tense of promoting the rule of the
people" the Democratic party lined
up against giving the people oppor-
tunity to decide the question.
| 1t is very evident that they not
| only fear the vote of women on the
booze question but upon various other
moral principles which Democracy OPP
poses But, as Golfers say. the
liquor interests are the most virulent
| foes that woman suffrage has.