Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-06
"Truth" Must Weep.

Whatever we may think of the liquor
business, we must not forget thal II ma. Has
existed for centuries with the sanctloi.
and in many cases the encouragement ol
Society Men have put their money into
II with the assurance that 1t was Iesltl-
mate business and would De pfotected "
law. Millions of dollars have peen IN,
vested in il. millions of citizens given
emnIoyment through it, and millions Oh
dollars in taxes paid by 1t, under tne
guarantees of the principle OF state
Rights. =. ono blow
aesfrov great industry, deprive the
rovernment of hundreds or millions y.
revenue, throw millions or Worheis ~
of employment, make mocksry a.;t,,9
Sasi principle of our national constit9i-
tion and lead to an unparalleled sp l..
dsr,ic ~ drug-using and immortality. rms
searns 10 us to be a heavy price 10 pay
for something which the malotlty VI ',iS
people do not want.-1futh.
Yes, it is receiving the encourage
ment of an element of society," now
hut for generations men who nave
MT their money into it," have oeen
warned that 1t was debasins ualiic
and that, sooner or later, the better
element Of society would triumph anu
che business go, as human slavery,
government lotteries, and human sac
rifices in public arena have gone. Men
who invest money in enterprises 10 oe-
hsncb morals. destroy human bodies,
and deprave all sacred things, deserve
to lose. Their expectancy of govern
ment protection is and always mas
heen founded upon their ABILITY 10
mislead the majority awhile longer
while they shall pile up Few more
crine-reeking millions. Every dollar
they have paid the government mas
been in form of bribery to secure
further tolerance of existence. Laws
thar have protected this exploitation
of the thirsts and passions OF humanl-
ty have been secured by the devlis
most cunning methods of deeeiVlng
voters and bribing lawmakers. The
supporters of such law and the pro-
motors of such traffic, have been such
as Truth
National prohibition WOULD de-
stroy a great industry; it WOULD de-
prive the government of many millions
of bloody revenue. but it would MOI
throw millions of workers out of en-
pioynent," as our exchange asinlneiy
declares in parrot-like repetition OF
rum trust phrases. on the contrary
II WOULD drive hundreds Of thous-
ands Of lazy thugs who are now ilv,ng
like sharks on society, to honest labor
or starvation. It is no worse for these
hulks OF human cussedness TO work
than il is for the rest of us to support
The families of their victims and to
furnish jails and asylums for the vic
tins themselves.
If the basic principle" Of our ma
tional constitution is pledge of prop
agate hell on earth, the sooner we go
farther than make a mockery OF 1t
the better. And the things the rum
trust and its tools read into the Con-
stitution, have fooled generations. But
the pitiful plea Of rum as a protec-
tjon from drugs and immortality is one
Of the widest flights Of our highly i'm
aginary neighbor. It's booze advertis-
ers ought 10 award large contract
for that. The imaginary price that
America would have to pay for rid
ing itself OF the demand for drinkers
brings tears 10 sthe voice OF Truth. 1t
ID indeed time for the friends Of the
run xan,c 70 weep.