Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-22

heads of families in the land. Do you
think one in six of all the heads of
families in this country is employed in
the liquor business? If so, what is
the awful meaning?
Well, it is only one of the unforgive-
Uncle Sans mail every day-and we
tolerate it--why?
Until within few months the sug-
gestion has never been made that this
business of deceiving the people in the
interests of a great evil traffic, ought
to be suppressed. The statement in
| the Kennebec Journal that the day
was near at hand when the people
would rise up and smite this business
! ings was taken up and scoffed at by
I great papers in New York and Phila-
delphia as an example of ''ramrodism." +"
To the first declaration we then added
such sophistry as that expounded by
a Maine list of tools of the rum trust,
few papers which assail the law and
encourage violation of it from day to
day. We said they were coming to the
end of their rope, and they sneered
and made faces at us in return.
But the sentiment is growing and the
pr&phesy We made SO quietly few
ic
which are alarming to the rum trade
The quaking of fear is seen in the
above quoted letter. And here is an
other: This same T. NJ. Gilmore, pres
ident of the National Model License
League" has sounded a warning to
THE Trade in Bonfort's Wine and
Spirit Circular for December last. He
writes in part: rs the freedom of the
press to be checked ?'i
We may safely answer that it is; the
rum trust has owned, soul and body,
hundreds of newspapers throughout
culated its sophistries and falsehoods,
about long enough. A few earnest
papers with little backbone have
been throwing the light of publicity
on these methods. and evil cannot
stand the light.
We cannot treat Mr.. Gilmore's let
ter in full at this time, because of lack
OF space. 1t is long; it is rambling;
it is inconsistent: it is false in every
premise; it was constructed to be mis-
leading; it is wholly in the interests
of this great octopus with tentacles
that reach into every avenue Of COM
mercialism. 1t is salvy appeal to
the ministers of the country to work
for the rum trust.
In one paragraph ne says: TT may
surprise you to know the extent of
the demand for alcoholic liquors in
this country" Undoubtedly it would
surprise all, if the natural demand
(Which is growing. of course, because
of hereditary results of the accursed
activity of the rum makers and sell
ers in earlier years. as contrasted with
the demand for drinkers" by The
Trade" The system of increasing this
last demand by such men as Gilmore
and his associates and the interests
they serve, is worse than damnable.
And we allow it to go on-why::
This man Gilmore pretends to quote
from some supposed-to-be reliable
source or other:
prohibition that did interdict the sale
of liquor over large territories Wouiu
quickly sound the death knell OF the
prohibition movement as national
issue"
And yet these same fellows who hate
prohibition, are frantic before the pos
sibilities of national prohibition! And
when it's death knell would be so
quickly sounded, too!
Here is another paragraph from this
colossal hypocrite, serving an interest
so selfish that even human souls do
not count:
abandon Christian teachings ana Biple
guidance in behalf of political policy,
doubtful at best, reflects the attitude OF
the Christian ministers or America: 1
would deeply appreciate an expression
from you as to the soundness OF the
views expressed in this letter. which l
beg to assure you is written with pro-
found respect and in all sincerity.
OF course the ministers among our
readers will respond promptly and
favorably to the call for aid from the
devil. But here is another paragraph
to consider:
Hence a general prohibition law would
from the outset have to deal Win
uopulation among whom practically halt
of the adult males would be In reoei-
lious frame of mind-crying out in no uh-
certain terms against the INFRINGEMENT
of their sacred personal liberties.
Half the men of America deem booze
a sacred personal liberty!" Never
mind the personal liberties" Of inno-
cent people whom these drinkers out
rage, Oh, no; of course not! But let
us quietly inform Mr.. Gilmore that
his rum trust play on personal lib
arty" is Dlayed out-other folk, as well