Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-02

ing or combining with others. or who
shall In any manner aid, assist or
abet in keeping, or maintaining any
club room or other place in which in
tOxicating liquors are received or kept
for the purpose Of use. gift. barter or
sale, or for distribution or division
among the members of any club or as
ISOLATION by any means whatever, and
every person who shall use. barter sell
or give away, or assist or abet another
In bartering. selling or giving away
any Intoxicating liquors so received
or kept. shall be punished by a fine OF
not less than one hundred dollars, nor
more than five hundred dollars, or by
imprisonment not less than thirty days
nor more than six months" The law
of some states is not as drastic as the
great proportion of the buffets now OPP
Grated by Nests of our Order are car
ried on in violation of the law of their
respective states. This must cease if
the Order of Owls expects to continue
its growth and prosperity. Where
Nest can maintain it's buffet without
violating either the moral sense of the
community or the law of the state
IlOIllc RUE may De Telleu upon, Dul
where a Nest of the Order is controll-
ed by an undesirable element, made up
Of saloon men. gamblers and their US
ual class of associates who are deter
mined to defy the law and the moral
sentiment of the community. it will be
we'll that their charter is revoked and
they are no longer recognized as mem
berS of this Order. No organization
can withstand the tide of public SEN
timent, or afford to place itself in the
position of a law breaker. In so doing
1t brings down upon it's head the blame
OF all right thinking parties. The rem
edy for a drastic law is not resistance
to the law. but repeal of the law. If
our members are dissatisfied with ex-
listing laws they can use their influ-
ence to secure their repeal. but it is
the writer's firm conviction after q
wide range Of observation that every
nest in this Order will be better off
with the buffet eliminated. The writer
has long been of the opinion that one
of the greatest hindrances to a proper
conception of our orders hope and
purposes was the emphasis of the club
room feature rather than the fraternal
feature. We have found almost uni
formly that our best Nests were those
that did not operate club ROOM and
the writer has no hesitancy in saying
that where any Nest finds it necessa-
ry to depend upon the revenues of a
buffet In order to continue in business.
1t is time that that Nest was out of
business. When a fraternaI organiza-
ton, organized for the welfare Of its
members has to 90 in partnership with
the saloon business in order to con-
tinue there 10 something radically
wrong with the personnel Of its men,
bership."
Toward the close of his article the
writer says: THE saloon has been
weighed in the balance and receives
universal condemnation and whether it
is operated as a club or as private
institution. it will receive the con-
demnation of thousands Of thinking
individuals. We cannot allow the good
name Of our order to be connected
with this traffic"
We say, Good for the Owls. Let
other orders have the wisdom to fol-
low suit. And let men who care for
themselves their families, their flu
ture and the welfare of their posterity.
have the courage to discountenance
the rum club" in prohibition territory
and help to drive this evil out of ex-
istence.
prominent Maine business man
has said to the editor of this paper
within the week: Il have not been in
side the quarters Of my order for more
than two years; I shall not go again
while the booze element is factor in
its affairs"