Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-25
Wednesday. February 25s 1914.
We Call Another Bluff.

When one has Truth, Right and JUS
tice on his side, he may safely go
ahead" We have been going aheaa
according to our light, and we beiIeVe
we are seeing very clearly the hand
writing on the wall We are doing our
level best to call it TO the attention OF
those who will not see" We are
meeting bitter opposition from the
liouor interests and from surprising
quarters not connected with the booze
traffic but where timid souls shrink
before the battle and the necessary
overturning of practices and traditions
however unworthy and deplorable they
may be.
We meet no argument that IS not
easily overthrown: no declarations not
easily refuted. The very worst difhcui-
ty to overcome is the arrant cowardice
of those who see the evil, but do not
dare disoruntle their "friends."
The false statements and silly claims
such as the Waterville Sentinel and
Biddeford Record are continuously in
flicting upon the public, have been SO
frequently shown up that they now
resort to idiotie sneers and innuendo,
in attempt to discredit our statements.
A few days ago we quoted from sew
eral recent letters from some of the
most prominent men in Maine, as in
dicatiye of sentiment and its growth.
The slurs and sneers began to fall
Immediately from our friends who
want wide open rum shops regulated
by the makers and sellers of booze
'sThose conveniently unsigned letters,
.eWhy don't other papers get such let
ters?" THE Kennebec Journal COM
plains of anonymous letters, why does
it not publish the names attached to
those wonderful letters praising Its
poliey-if 1t cam" These are some of
the comments in press and letters. The
Biddeford Record said:
natures of those two letters praising his
booze policy that he claims to nave re-
ceiyed from York county. They sound as
il they were written in the offiee or the
Kennebec Journal.
In Saturday mornings issue we re-
piled, giving the name of one of the
writer's but refusing to name the other,
because it was a strictly personal let
ter and we are not in the business or
violating condolences. On Monday,
however, we received a letter from the
author of the disputed letter himself
and releasing us from any necessity OF
withholding the signature. The writer
is Hon. Frederick A. Hobbs, Counselor
at law, South Berwick, Me. His first
letter was entirely voluntary, as was
the second, for we have not asked him
to nail the nasty insinuation of the
Record. But this second letter is
again so straightforward and wide
open and above board. showing a man
with the courage of his convictions,
that we offer it to our readers as proof
that "the need is just as great and the
courage required as fine, to do Gods
service today as 1000 years ago.
Our remark that prominent men in
far away York county, beyond the
Kennebec Journals field, beyond the
Lewiston papers field, beyond the
Portland papers field. and beyond the
Biddeford papers. were writing to urge
on and encourage the Kennebec Jour
nal in its fight" seems to be pretty
we'll vindicated in the following let
ters:
February Fl, 1914.
Editor kennebec JournaI:--
Referring to editorial in today's pa
per entitled "No Argument but Cow
ardly Insinuation,' I did not desire to
hide when wrote you on January 18th
but ! saw no reason for writing other
than a personal letter.
am pleased to publicly and private =
iy "praise the booze policy" of the
kennebec journal.
II all the papers in Maine had that
policy, booze would not be THE po-
litical issue.
] enclose a copy of letter sent the
Record. You have ny permission to
state that wrote the letter of January
12th.
Yours truly,
FREDERICK A. HOBBS.