Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-21
Saturday, February II, 1914.
A Mistaken Friend.
tor Kennebec Journal:

are beginning to recognize the fact
that in past years the party Pro-
hibitionists have been in the right
in demanding national prohibition
of the drink evil. You have not as
yet reached our battle lines, for the
reason that we contend not only
for national prohibition, but for an
administration back of 1t to make
ii effectuaL
We party prohibitionists will
continue to be patient and hold our
advanced lines till you come to our
standard, then we'll move forward
together in solid columns, capture
the enemy's strongholds and bid
goodbye forever to the great drink
curse of this country.
SAMUEL F. EMERSON.
Skowhegan, Feb. Is, 1914
We fear our esteemed Skowhegan
friend has not been reading the Ken
nebec Journal very carefully, if he
has just discovered that we favor
taking Uncle Sam out of the rum traf-
fic. That has been our slogan for
years, and yet a distinguished party
prohibitionist discovers that we have
Caught up" with his band wagon. And
again, we had been deceiving ourselves
with the notion that we were con
tending for an administration to
make the law effectual. But If our
friend Emerson can point to any per-
son. group or organization that has
done more to clarity sentiment, inspire
courage and invoke action in the Re-
publican party, against the drink evil
and for the most rigid and drastic en-
forcement of the law than has the
Kennebec Journal, than we gladly take
off our hat.
1t is true that we have been handi
capped at critical times by misguided
friends casting the votes that defeat
ed those standing just as loyalty for
the principal of prohibition az they.
Creeds have delayed Christ's day for
ages beyond estimate and it is so with
the jealousies and narrow selfishness
in political parties and factions. One
is as bad as another. Issues are care
fully worked out by shrewd political
leaders. The Democratic party in
Maine, as a party organization,
Stands for" license, because the Re-
publican party. as party, is opposed
to it. The Democratic party, as par
ty, stands that way to be opposed to
Republicanism and because a few
Democratic leaders believe they can
secure more votes by appealing to the
passions, appetites and prejudices of
the unthinking and unscrupulous than
they can by standing for moral pro-
gress and decency. Such leaders also
have had the financial support of the
makers and sellers of merchandise con-
traband of law in Maine. They have
not only been able to finance political
campaigns, but have feathered private
nests by working against the principle
urged by the Republican party, by the
Progressives and by the party Prohi-
bitionists.
And yet the wires are all laid and
the scenery set to defeat our law,
bring disgrace upon our State and
give triumph to the minority forces IL
nanced and supported by the rum trust
mower. Honest Christian gentlemen,
like Mr. Emerson, of the party Pro-
hibitionists and the Progressive" fac-
ton of the Republican party, each
knowing before hand that his organ
ization is impotent, will throw away
their hallots in mistaken adherence to
a creed, and actually vote indirectly
against the great moral principles
which they love and, possibly, put in
power an organization avowedly and
actively opposed to prohibition, deter
mined to overthrow it. engaged con-
stantly in sneering at and deriding the
law and openly encouraging nullifica-
tion of it.
We hope never to reach the battle
line" of such forces, because We are
convinced that prejudice and narrow
vision have delayed and are delaying
Gods service. We believe the man VINO
places himself above his fellows and
refuses to constantly labor with them
from their own ranks, standing always
for right and justice and giving his
voice and casting his ballot for the
things that are right and against those
that are wrong. is mistaken in his SER
vice. We believe that such men more
often defeat their own principles than
advance them.
II the charges made by our Demo-
cratic leaders were true, that the Re-
publican party is insincere in its par
~ professions. we are still of the opin-
ion that the Kennebec Journal can do
more good within the ranks by always
standing unfiinchingly for principle
and doing it's best to create sentiment