The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-05-15
A WARNING.
To the Citizens of Maine.

The good citizens Of Maine need to be
warned against a forthcoming deter
mined attack to be made by the leaders
of the Democratic party upon the Pro-
hibitory Law. The warning signals of
such an attack need to be displayed now.
For good many years back, but more
particularly since the Davis campaign
of 1904, the Democratic party of Maine
has openly advocated. along with resub-
mission, the repeal of the Prohibitory
Law aud the substitution therefor of
some form OF license. 1t is at once in
teresting and suggestive to note that
during all these years most of the lead
ers of Maine Democracy have done
everything within their power to dis
credit the Law in the eyes of the people,
while the Democratic press of the State,
notably the Watervile Sentinel and the
Portland Argus, have preached in season
and out that the principle of Prohibition
Is wrong in theory and that the Maine
Law built upon it is incapable of proper
enforcement.
Such an opportunity of showing up the
inadequacy of the present method of
handling the rum business in Maine as
has been offered the Democrats at Au-
gusta recently is precisely what they
have been most anXiously awaiting.
What they are really counting on for
political benefits is this: First, by I'M
mistakable and indlsputable evidence, to
show the people of Maine that under
Republican and under Democratic Sher-
ifs the Prohibtory Law is openly, flag
rantly and persistently violated; second,
by testimonial evidence to show that the
people OF various sections of the State
81
ment; third, by extensive advertising of
rum matters and by making clear the
amount of valuable time which our law
bitlon to so sicken the people against
the Law that if given another opportuni-
ty they will willingly vote Prohibition
out of the Constitution.
Behind such planning is the Demo-
cratic party's present leader, Mr.. Pat
tangall. Anyone who has been follow
ing the work of the Augusta Convention
can see, even with half an eye, the ex-
cellent political work of Democracy's
master mind. He has fought the cases,
there, tried every inch OF the way and
he has fought them in manner TO adj
vance primarily the political benefit of
his party. The next campaign speeches
of MIR. Pattangall have already been
written.
II We hope sincerely that the people will
,ot be fooled by the astute politicians
n the Democratic party. We believe
that the people of Maine need to keep
constantly in mind that whether we live
under Prohibition or under some form of
license We can never be free of the
heavy responsibilities of properly ad-
ministering a law which is extremely
difficult of ideal enforcement. To an
swer the advocates of license we need
but turn to the files of our Massachu-
setts papers and see the amount of space
given annually to the ''icense or noli-
cense" fights For what may happen under
license we need but turn to the reports of
the disclosures made some years ago in
Boston, when it was discovered that every
line of license regulations was broken.
That any change from Prohibition to H.
cense will take the regulation Of the rum
traffic out of public discussion must be
regarded as mere political clap-trap.
The people of Maine, then, need to
keep constantly in mind that the work
of administering law honestly comes
only at the price of eternal vigilance and
only under the constant guidance of the
firm hand of justice. The removal of
three county officers who were charged
with faithful performance of duty, and
who failed miserabiy in doing that dutys
should be regarded as the most hopeful
sign of the times that the electorate of
Maine is alive to its duty and purposes
to keep the official life of the State
clean. For the people of the State to
act responsibility to the pleadings of any
one who may seek to make political cap
ital out of an honest effort to force Off
Gals to have decent regard for duty,
will evidence at once an alarming weak
ness in the moral backbone of the body
polite. The Independ emit Reporter.