Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-01-16

carry the vital truth to the peoples
I themselves in all lands, and through
them to place prohibition in the organic
law of all nations and ultimately In the
forming: and TO this high end, we In
( woke the blessing and guidance OF Al
mighty God and the cooperation OF the
men and women of all lands VINO ioEe
their fellow-men and
ITO America. the birthplace OF the 10
cal State, national. and Worlds NO
mans Christian Temperance Union. we
hereby proclaim. amid the smoke OF the
second great battle of Maine, IN the
home of Neal Dow and in the state
! which longer than any other has MAD
rohibitory law, that within decade,
prohibition shall be placed in the Consti-
tuition of the United States; and to this
end we call to active cooperation al,
temperance prohibition, religious ana
/ phiianthropic bodies; all patriotic, fra
/ ternal civic associations and all Amerl-
cans who love their country"
few weeks later Congressman HOB
son introduced in the House of Repre-
+ sentatives a resolution proposing an
+ amendment to the Constitution prohibit
ing the sale, manufacture for sale. inn
portation or transportation for sale OF
/ beverages containing alcohol. Thus the
movement for National Constitutional
Prohibition was launched.
The National Womans Christian Tenn
peranee Union resolved to do all within
its power to forward this great PROPOSE
ton. but did not vigorously press the
work at first because of the pending
Congressional legislation on the measure
1 providing for the interstate commerce
protection of prohibition states from
outside liquor business. The adoption or
4 this interstate commerce measure last
February by Congress with an over
J whelming majority and that over the
veto of President Taft is the greatest
national prohibition victory ever Won.
1t revealed the fact that there is fast
increasing sentiment throughout our land
in favor of total abstinence and prohibit
ton. and greatly encouraged US to press
our movement for nationwide prohibit
ton.
Meeting With Favor.
During the year many important bodies
have voted in favor of this measure
Perhaps the most notable of which is the
action on October %, 1918, of the trien-
! NAL meeting of the National Council OF
i CONGREGATIONAL churches in the United
States which met in Kansas City, Mis-
souri,. The Council went on record by a
vote of 517 to IA in favor of the proposed
constitutional prohibitory amendment to
the Federal Constitution, and this was
done notwithstanding the strenuous eff
forts of Governor Baldwin of Connecti-
cut, leading local optionist, and few
other members of tine Council who tried
to defeat it.
National w. C. T. U. Plan.
A plan of campaign was adopted at the
| National W. C. #. L. convention held
last October This plan included the
calling of a mass meeting and demon
stration in Washington. ID. c., which
was held there December and 10 with
| marked success The Anti-Saloon
League at its great meeting held in Col
umbus, Ohio, in November, came out
strongly for national constitutional pro-
hibition much to the delight of many
who had thought the A S. l.. would con-
tinue TO adhere to local option methods,
but the A. S. l.. in common with other
temperance societies is now out and out
for national constitutional prohibition.
One of the features of the w. c. t. U.
plan is the observance throughout the
nation of Jan. Is, as a day of prayer for
victory in this campaign, and today
| meetings are being held in every state,
and thousands and thousands of prayers
are ascending to God for help and guild
ance in the righteous effort to outlaw the
liquor traffic-the great home destroying,
heart breaking curse of our nation.
Liquor Revenue Not Necessary.
| When we are told, as we repeatedly
are. that the United States cannot get
along without the revenue from the
traffic we refer them to the prohibition
states which are extremely prosperous
| without liquor revenue. When the Geor-
gia prohibitory law went into effect
January LIST, 1908, Macon, Georgia, lost
all liquor licenses. January list, 1903
after year of prohibition Macon had
paid a debt of s47, 900 and had $500 in the
treasury Prior to the enactment of the
Maine prohibitory law the legalized liquor
traffic flourished in Maine. In Portland
alone there were seven distilleries and
two breweries Today with no brewer
les and no distilleries and no legalized
liquor selling Maine is one of the most
prosperous states in the nation notwith-
standing the assertions of the license
advocates to the contrary. One of the
proofs of Names prosperity is the re-
port given out a few days ago that the
valuation of Maine during the last veal
had increased upwards of $l3,OC0,00O
Last year was hard year for prohibi-