Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-29
Wants Real" Prohibition Law.
Dover, Ne. March - 1871:

Dover, Me, March ., 1913.
EDITOR Kcnnebec Journal:
congratulate you on your editorials
for law enforcement and the suppress
sion Of the liquor traffic and particu-
larry thosc in Your issue today You
say that AN overwhelming percent
age OF The citizens Of this State want
the rum traf,;c stopped" | fully aGree
with You, and many advocates of lie
ense have told me that they would vote
1T any time t. do away With liquor
entirely Is not the time ripe, now
that we have the Webb law. TO enact
real Prohibitory law in this State in
placa Of the thing miscalled a nrchihi-
tory .aw Which we have now. II we
really desire to stop the liquGI traffic
Why not enHC, the necessary laws .
accomplish that purpose. Why not pro-
hfbH the purchase. transportation, o.
having in possession Intoxicating liq-
Hcl,. With such 4 law the traffic is
stopped. This proposition will be
promptly met ly that same old cncst-
nut "unconSuiEtionaL" Which WAS set
up when one present law was proposed
and which j. always raised agqinst cv-
cry ia3aos"I ii-W Nnea no Other obicc-
ten ean hr made To it Why have
AIRY more CONS titGtiohal right 10 buy i
thing cf sou than YOU have to sell il
Ia me foH cannot sell unless | huv
II is one transaction. The law may
forbid . man la carry weapons or make
threats ~ vlolencr. Why my il not
forbid him To purchase or nave in pos-
session that which viii make him ror
the time madmdn or fool If ht
drinks it. And surely the State when
makes corporations may prohibit then
ffem carrying Il eommoEr:y that Eos
been cutlawed te the extent that il
cannot be made Il sold in the state.
The State is flooded with liquor 3d-
Veftisemcnts sent through the mails
"nd this is followed up by the express
companies with the liquor Men and
boys, singly and in groups, are buying
in Massachusetts Tie stuff that they
cannot buy in Maine ana we have
IN I'll ctr cities and towns the resultant
drunkenness ard misery and all the
rest If the evils that follow. and the
officers Of the law. however faithful AMI
aiiisent, are roWefiess to prevent if.
Is this prohibition Let Maine stop thu
Transportation of liquors by Ter Great
ed pubic service corporations. rs she
may Under the Webb law, and we win
have real prohibition that will he al
most self enforcing Talk about Il
sheriff making a county dry when he
finds IN the office of the American En-
press Company gallons of all kinds of
booze delivered daily in all parts Of
the county and he can only prevent
this delivery hY swearing that he be
iieyeS 1t is intended for Illegal sale.
when the oath woald he false and il
he seized ii tie owners coali appear
and claim it, ne would be obliged to
deliver il To them and the county would
have 10 pay the costs.
We have not half Of Il pr9hikitory
Jaw Why not have a whole one. viii
your paper advocate it? win the oth-
or prohibitory papers of The State do
likewise? Is not the time ripe for this
agitation for a real prohibitory liquor
!aH that will utterly destroy the evil
traffic in this state? While men can
send to Boston and purchase liquor and
peddle it out for four times what it
costs. as trey can where the present
law is enforced, they will constantly
cndeavor to do so and will take desper-
ate chances for the profits of the bust
ness, and the homer among thieves
which prompts the purchaser from the
bootleg peddler to commit perjury in
court to shield the seller, makes it diff
ficult for the officers to apprehen]
and convict this class of law Violaters
Let us have a real prohibitory law IN
Maine.