Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-06
Editorial Comment


| dewiston Journal.)
Certain definite conclusions are Justf-
question whether prohibition has demon
strated its efficiency in either OF the two
periods Of our national history In which
considerable number OF the states nave
drunkenness. We have noted the conciu-
sions of the temperance workers them
selves that the first essay, that which be-
gan with the enactment of the Maine
law. was failure. We have reviewed
the presentation of the case for prohibit
| ton in the later era, marked by the &C
esssion OF the south TO the pron aDi-
dences of n lack OF scientific care IN the
preparation of the official arguments
which seem to cast doubt upon tneir
| value. We have noted further In this
connection several facts which stand out
from the very tables presented by the
Anti-Saloon league. which indicate that
out some material advantages over the
dry states. An examination has been
made of the available data as to the
effect of prohibition upon the states or or
| only states now having prohibition which
| have tested the usefulness and worka-
bility of the law for period or ~ years
the conviction that, because of the laXity
of the law officers in Maine. no improve
ments were noticeable which we mlgnt
attribute directly to the enastms s OF 'n ne
Kansas and North Dakota, there APP
peared no adequate grounds Tor stating
that prohibition had produced the new
its proponents claimed for it. Finally.
we have presented statistics from the
various government departments Wnicn
seem to indicate that while tnere was
some reduction in the consumption OF
liquor in the prohibition states attrlD-
utable to prohibition. yet the tranie IN
LIQUORS has continued IN surIpri ;1,, ~
large quantities because OF the iaxlty OF
state authorities and the increase in ILL.,
cit diStilling.
One general conclusion seems unavoid-
able in the light of the evidence thus adr
has prohibited, nor has it restrained the
use of liquor TO a degree that sound
basis of evolution maybe said to nave
been made for the operation OF nauonal
prohibtion.-L. Ames Brown, In the
North American Review.
If this be true-that prohibition
does not prohibit; that liquor is OBJ
tanned as easily in the dry state
as in the wet that it produces no
new virility or material prosperity,
how happens it that in prohibition
states the friends of temperance favor
prohibition: the saloon keepers favor
license laws and the liquor interests
spend their money in propaganda
against the prohibitory liquor law?
If the prohibition of the sale OF
intoxicating beverage has never re-
strained the use Of liquor" to the de-
gree of the sound basis indicated by
Mr.. Brown, then why does the distiller
fret and the brewer weep?
Lax officials. backed by a lazy and
Indifferent electorate, may effect radi-
cal notification Of the law. for sea-
son, but has it occurred to the writer
above quoted. that the law still is
there; that it can be and usually is
invoked whenever conditions become
similar to those in license communi-
ties and that by and large in the State
of Maine under the most adverse cir
cumstances, the percentage of terri
tory absolutely dry is greater than it
would be under any form Of local OPP
ton.
The professional advocate of license
is a peculiar person. He requires per-
feet automatic action from the pro-
hibitory law and he requires it from
no other. All laws are 'prohibitory.'
The law that Furnishes a man for gam
bling is prohibitory. All laws against
are prohibitory. Have these been per-
feet and automatic in action? Hardly.
Does this failure warrant the issue of
a brief against the law? Would any
one abolish these laws and license
adultery and gambling?
And finally-we do not consider that
the writer of the article in the North
American Review has good ground for
his general conclusion cited above
If the tenor OF his article was to prove
that because prohibition fails in some
states or in all states it will fail in
the nation, we have a right to require
him to prove that contention first Il
occurs to US that if the United States
declared that the sale Of liquor as
beverage should cease. il would come
pretty near working out. We can't
conceive Of the Nation stultifying it
self. And we can see no analogy be-
tween the act Of a great nation and
the results in scattered communities
in certain states of the Union where
local conditions operate in the face Of
a weak-hearted governor who con-
tents himself with asking for more
law" and constitutional convention