Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-11-20
We Leave II to Our Readers.

ire Governor IoE HIS 4iiANHipSAst1
speech" at the Columbus assembly OF
the Anti-Saloon League OF America.
hut raves blindly at the Kennebec
Journal for suggesting that ALL the
hypocrisy be swept from Mailie's tenn
perance stand
We ask only that those who vote
for the prohibitory law stand for the
law ard in opposition Of any dls-
tinguished society or distinguished club
making mockery of the law. We be-
lieve that no club or society has the
moral or legal right to do those thihgs
from which less distinguished, or less
socially or politically powerful indiYld=
uals or organizations are restrained
fronn doing. We believe that therein
lies all the hypocrisy with which the
llauor element taunts us. And we be-
,ieve that there lies the worst enemy
Of the law. the social element. IhcI
law fer the goose should be the law tor
the gander. We, all Of US. know tnat
comparatively few members of such
clubs and societies are really IN sym
pathy with such referrea-to demon
strations of contempt of the law as ap
,lind 10 them but those few Galway
self-assertive and dictatoriaD are good
naturedly allowed to rule. II anyone
reads into any single reference to such
clubs or societies separated from It's
surroundings and qualifications more
than a suggestion to the thinking men
of such clubs and societies that the
public is talking about them, he has
allowed his prejudices TO distort cur
meaning.
A word to the wise is sufficient. The
people are talking, talking, all the
time and they constantly reter TO
The inequality of conditions. one man
or group of men can do with inlpunity
that which another man or group oil
mon would be drawn over the legal
Goals for doing. Select clubs have haa
their drinks of all sorts and classes
tyulgarly designated by mos OF US
nowadays as aboozei1 but the man
who cannot afford to become member
of such a club cannot get even glass
of beer-fortunately for him and his
family And so he growls, and inc
fair-minded fellow citizen twhether ne
drinks or not) can but agree with nun.
We referred to the shriners. the
other day, because comparatively
eew members of the order make OF II
a conspicuous example. Others OF ITS
members have long complained OF the
embarrassing conduct of certain mem
hers who cannot be restrained. AS d
body most of the members are ehtlre-
lv guiltless of any part in the prep
;arations. or participation in the not
ons iubilations. They seldom attend,
or have voice in the provisions wlti
which no sheriff or other official mas
vet dared interfere. While sheriff ana
their county, barrels of booze are moF-
ed bodily under their noses for grand
.,ccasion. of course certain members
stand up and protest that the organi-
zation is slandered-but, everybody
knows the facts. and the general pub
lie is daily talking about the unfair
ness of it.
ANY reference we have made OF this
order on of any club has been IN the
way of a tip to those members who
must see the unfairness Of the posi-
ton, that the public disapproval IS
growing louder and louder No organ
ization can hold itself above the law,
and AS long as organizations persist in
using their social strength to do what
individuals are restrained from doing
just so long will the law be open to
charges of favoritism and hypocrisy
We leave it that way 10 the far
minded men of such clubs or orders as
have lately come into the hmelight
Can sou honestly believe that you have
any rights in eubdom to which every
citizen of your communities IS lot en-
titled?
The cock-sure editor of the Portland
Press as usual fails to see the humor
Of his calling the kettle black. We sub
nit his leading editorial of Wednes-
dav morning and ask a fair judgment
on the intemperate use of language in
the paragraph he quotes from us, and
his own comment thereon We neither
referred to ALL the shriners, nor
does the Press deny that some mem
hers carry the good fellowship Of
these occasions ito the point of
drunken debauch." But the editor Of the
press shows his leanings and lowers
lis argument by. in substance, charac-
,erizing our reference as unfair. IN
decent and untruthful' He calls il
wild screenings and eXtravag ahi
n,y,cIanations. Here is his editcfa
r.tt. xVa leave il to your 1udesmcnt.