Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-16

The Rights Of Decent People.
Said a Lewiston man yesterday:
i am looking for a job and a
| chance to move my family. have
had enough Of such conditions - ex-
ist in Lewiston now, with open rum
shops and all kinds Of crime, thug
gerry. hoodlumism and the most dis
gushing and embarrassing incidents
in the chief business streets as well
as finest residential sections. 1t is
no place to bring up children, and my
wife dares not 80 out on the street in
| broad day. Even some Of the men
that we. as city. employ to protect
| us, drink booze until they are ire
sponsible and unsafe. vile in Ian
guage. disgustingly boisterous and
profane, and even threatening and
liable to do violence.
How long must decent people sub
nit to the abuse Of drunken. booze
soldering. vomiting idiots. who insult
our wives, teach our children profane
and indecent language and tun the
strongest of US sick with disgust at
their performances? Have not people
who wish to save their children from
such coarseness and brutality any
rights? Or must we always submit to
the outlaw and the poor fool who en-
joys the sensations Of turning back
to savagery two or three times a
week?
II had as soon small pox would be
| in the neighborhood with my family
as a drunkard. with his defiling and
degrading presence. l had as soon
my children were exposed to diph-
iberia as to a drunken, foul mouthed,
obscenely performing brute. who may
run amuck at any stage Of his beer
happiness
Il am going to get out Of Lewiston.
and keep out Of Bangor and Of Port
land. or Of any other town that makes
business of the filthiest and most
degrading disease in the world. I say
- the booze business and all con-
nected with it,
That is a bad way to advertise I.
city. Such advertising is unlikely to
boom" Lewiston with a respectable
class of people. Yet We have reason
to believe that this mans description
Of conditions in Lewiston was true in
every particular He said that he
had been a Progressive last year and
believed that his party was to win, in
stead his vote had helped to bring
about conditions that he feared and
loathed. He had been told that he
was making mistake and would only
help elect a Democratic regime Of
outlawry and indecency, but he had
thought Republicans were lying to
him.
papers confirms this mans complaint
even members Of the police force
become drunken and disorderly. In
toxication and assault cases are Of al
most hourly occurrence. In Thurs
days Lewiston Journal were at least
two cases Of drunken assault upon Of
hcers. Intoxicated. dangerous men
are staggering everywhere. 1t is a
genuine Democratic orgy Of rum and
personal liberty" We were told,
blatantly, in the last campaign that if
the Democratic ticket was elected we
might know what 10 expect" We
expected Just such conditions as have
come in Portland, Lewiston and Ban
gor-as Aad been largely preserved
in Bangor through the lack Of man
hood. lack of moral decency and Of
any sense Of honor, on the part Of
trusted officers.
These things we may continue to
expect until we sumnarily punish de-
linquent officials. From Governor
down. the man who betrays bis oath
Of office should be impeached and inn
prisoned, for he is not only a traitor
to his country but a coward, a liar
and a thief.
Lewiston is reaping what she
sowed and it is not surprising tina.
self-respecting people wish to move
away. The personal liberty" ele-
ment has quite probably never
learned. or has not brains enough to
know or care. that many people have
come to Maine to escape just such
conditions in license states as are
rapidly being established every where
possible by the Demorumocracy. It is
also just as true that many people
have had hattering offers to settle IN
other states but have preferred to re-
main where decency so largely pre-
walls. Are they to be driven out?
They certainly would be if Democra-
racy remained long in power.
The Lewiston man has our sympa-
thy. There are hundreds Of others of
the same mind in Lewiston, we pre-
dict.
Producing as 1t does more apples. pota-