Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-15
Monday, February IS, 1915.
A DRY" Town Under Local Option.

Henry y. Prirgle, expert investigator
and fearless eDforcer Of the iaW. mas 1ust
completed q campaign against IA" orsda-
-rs His activities. backed ~ the Law
Enforcement Association. have driven
fear INTO the hearts OF Eab!tuAl offend
ers agains, the llguor laws, thrown NTH
erto corlpiacert and neg!lgent CITY on,
Gals into a state OF treplGaIlOc ard
.re1rrened and encouraged good citizens
who mad nearly given Up nope Of raising
Cambridge out OF the slough o. Ia Hless-
ness into watch she was rapidly SINKING.
The Standard asked NJ Pr.agie what
E.ers re believed should nov be taken
70 hold the advantage gained and MAKE
still further progress toward respect Tor
and enforcement u the law
The Rev. Henry y. Pringle is so
well known n Maine that his reply
10 the Standards questions would need
no repetition were he dealing with the
conditions. such Is he found in Maine,
nut there he has dealt with the prob
.crn which IS only possible under such
a form OF government as that upon
which Massachusetts, pr.des herself.
Cambridge has for years made brave
struggle against the LIQUOR Interests,
where her neighuoys are Engaged ev-
cry hour IN violating her ordinances
and principles. The rum trust laws OF
the great CITY across the Charles river,
and the wholesale liquor interests.
there stop at TO means, and stoop 70
almost any crime 20 overthrow the
determination @ the people OF Cam
bridge 10 live under Z better regime.
Il IS the old Old story Of local option
and is results. There. Cambridge IS
n ire same position that HalloWell
would tie under local option as dry
Gown. with Gardiner and Augusta as
wet Lovus The saloons ard the
wholesalers Of the cities on either side
would adop, any and every measure
possible 70 r!dicule Hallowells attempt
81 decercy. and to violate her ordi-
rances. TIE booi!egsers and agents Of
Lo-h places would be ever OF the alert
for an opportunity within the borders
ot the dry" town 10 dispose OF their
merchandise.
Investigator Pringle found a great
number OF so-called pony-expresses AL
hauling loads Of liquor into Cambridge
every day. where so-called druggists.
and other agents Of the wholesalers,
disposed Of il and then sneered az the
results Of dry" law. as they always
sheer al prohibition. The Rev. Pringle
deals with more than one side Of the
question in his reply TO the Standard.
In part he spoke as follows:
The commercial exploitation Of vices
is fast yielding 70 public sentiment and
law. Each local victory helps neigh
boring towns. which are still strug-
Cling for emancipation. Moral stand
ards are being raised and the outlook
IS bright for all forms OF human bet
1erment. \ century hence a man wish
ing 70 earn his living by tho sale Of
half pints Of insanity and murder will
le an object OF curiosity like a three
Joed horse IN museum.
Education and moral suasion are two
social jackscreWS by which humanity
is constantly lifted toward justice
happiness and heaven. Cambridge
needs a revival Of the spirit which ami
mated Father Scully, Dr.. Beach. Frank
Foxcroft and others. when they raised
the standard Of temperance 90 years
ago in this city. Indicative Of the pres
ent lapse Of civic interest is the fact
that a large majority Of the homes
are not enough interested in Cam
bridge to subscribe for any local news
peper.
Laws and courts are necessary sup
plements Of schools and churches. In
criminal matters the state has TO deal
with the TWO per cent. who would twirl
their heel on the golden rLle"if the
cop were not looking. Laws are
never automatic and administration
sometimes becomes lax and crooked
AS President Harrison said. Even the
Almighty could not frame q system OF
government which would work we'll if
everybody went OF and left it." but
that is what many Cambridge men
are doing. One told me that he knew
nothing about city politics or officials.
but before election he aiwaEs went TO
Hollis 5. Bailey to find how TO vote
Eternal vigilance Is the high price OF
clean city" but i Is worth while.
i ile position OF the lHGOfNtelSlL or GlS-
honest official becomes untenable, when
citizens are Informed and awake Open
lawlessness can be quickly ended in
any city where even five per cent Of
the good and intelligent citizens Will
give their support 10 right methods
with experienced leadership. If city
government is bad it reflects on the
collective population as much as on the
mayor and his subord.nates. In a de-
mocracy good government is not pass
ed out to the people like Christmas
present, but is the product Of general
intelligence and civic interest and ac-
ton.
My word of advice is that Cambridge
citizens should work for o. the abol-
ishment OF sixth class druggist licenses
one of our recent druggist defendants
said, Every one knows that not five
per cent Of the liquor sold in drug
stores is used for any Of the purposes
named in the application" 90 Restrict
the liquor transportation permits to
about 20 express companies. The other
SO companies are not entitled to them
by a strict construction of the statute
80 Make further examples OF some Of
tne eXpressInen and druggists, several
of whom are even now fiagrantly vio-
lating the liquor laws. 90 Stand by