Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-21
Sentinel Editorial

Superintendent Berry of the Civic
league asks the Sentinel "in the in
terest Of fair play to print letter he
has written. Tho Sentinel Is entirely
willing to print DR.. Berry's letter. 1t
is glad to do so. 1t is glad to give pub
licity TO that story Of the efforts Of
the agent Of the Civic league to buy
liquor in Waterville.
The agent visited nine places one Of
which was closed. We feel that he
missed great opportunity to give
Waterville a clean bill OF health. Why
stop with visit to one place that
was closed? Why not visit some other
unoccupied premises? Think how
much more impressive it would have
been had the agent been able to find
20 places that were closed and to re-
port that he did not get a single drop
OF liquor in any one OF them.
But there were the eight places
which were not closed and in which
the agent says he did not succeed in
buying liquor. What were these
places? They were open. Presumably
they were doing business OF some Sort
Did the agent visit shoe stores, groc-
cries or establishments for the sale of
dry goods instead Of wet goods? FIN
ally there was the place where the agent
did buy some whiskey. How unfortu-
nate that in his wanderings he got
into this place. Had he confined his
Investigations to the others, including
. the place that wasn't open. he might
| have reported that he could not find
that any liquor was being sold in Wa
! tervil!e.
| Anybody who knows anything about
conditions in this city knows that If
! DR.. Berry's agent was trying to find
out the facts Of the situation he fell
! down on his job. The number of
places in which DR.. Berry's agent did
not buy liquor has nothing to do with
the number of places in which liquor
/ is sold. On Monday of this week. the
judge of the municipal court found 1t
necessary to sentence an Is year old
! boy to three months in Jail because
this youth had several times been be-
/ fore the court for intoxication. The
| boy seems to have been much more
successful in finding places where liq-
| uor is sold than was the agent of DR..
! Berry. The boy now has a suspended
Jail sentence hanging over him. If he
reforms his ways it wil-be due to that
sentence rather than to any difficulty
he is likely to experience in buying
liquor. DIR. Berry cannot demonstrate
that prohibition is prohibiting in Wa
tervilie by telling Of places in which
one OF his agents did not buy liquor.
Dr. Berry also takes up the matter
of the gambling he alleges was carried
on at the Central Maine fair He says
that the statute makes it especially the
duty of fair officials to keep the
grounds free from gambling and liquor
selling. But we certainly do not under
stand that in such case sheriffs and
members of the regular police force
are relieved of any duty in the prem
! Uses. We do not understand that the
! only way in which TO reach a fair
that permits gambling is to secure the
| Withholding of its state stipend. That
seems to be DIR. Be-rys way. He says
the fair at Lewiston was virtuous. He
| intimates that the fair at Waterville
ought not to have any state aid. He
says he had no difficulty in finding
gambling at the fair although his agent
has such an enormous amount OF
trouble in buying flask Of Whiskey
in this city. Taking that portion Of it
dealing with the fair in connection
with the portion relating to the sale Of
liquor in Waterville, DR.. Berry's let
ter becomes all the more interesting.
The fair ground is wicked. The city is
virtuous. Those of our citizens who
are officers of the fair association fail
in their duty but there is no complaint
to be made against the full paid and
the half paid deputy sheriffs stationed
in Waterville and the members Of that
police force whose doings are watched
with so much interest by the people Of
the city.
DR.. Berry declares that his organiza-
ton is strictly impartial. After what
we have already said in commenting
on his letter. we do not regard 1t
necessary to discuss that assertion nor
his reference to the statement that
the Civil league is in partnership with
the Republican party.