Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-02
Your Holiday Mail.

Your Holiday Mail.
More than a year ago, when we were
receiving an unusual number of letters
complaining against the debauchery of
the mails by firms who are bidding for
consumers of their poison, we urged
our readers to promptly respond 10
the letters of liquor makers and SELL
ers, voicing their indignation in a de-
mand to be erased from the lists to
which the booze literature is sent.
Our suggestion has been followed in
many cases, we are told. and we have
published copies of some of the letters
sent to Boston wholesalers and other
liquor interests.
These bids for drinkers are more
numerous in Maine communities dur
ing the holidays-"Christmas booze"
specially Christmas. Thanksgiving
and Fourth of July are expected to re-
turn unusual profits to the traffic
whose purely altruistic existence is
solely to relieve the suffering of those
who must have their BOOZE" How
can Christmas be properly observed
without the swill that robs some men,
Der of the family of intelligence?
Indeed, when the Wise Men had
come from the East and had rein
forced their faith that Heaven bears
to Earth Good WILL" how appropriate
that they should have gone on pro-
tracted spree and converted their own
or the households of others into the
semblance of hog-pens or shambles,
by way of expressing their joy!
Or how can any patriotic citizen of
America properly express his graft
tude to those who gave us independ-
ence, on the anniversary of Independ-
ence Day, without the calamity water
Ct the booze connecting concerns?
In advance of this glad Thanksgiv-
ing season, when more than an hum
bred millions of people were rejoicing
because our country is not being over
run with devastating armies, the
wholesalers of Boston. the distillers of
other states, the publicity bureau of
the National Wholesale Liquor Deal
ers' Association, Mr.. 7. NJ. Gilmore,
president and active promoter of the
National Model License League-all
these and more, were unusually active
in spreading the gospel of booze
booze that boys need. ito make men of
fools and murderers of them): booze
that nursing or expectant mothers
need Ito make weaklings. degenerates
or feeble minded of their children);
booze that families need (to take the
place of bread-and everything else);
booze that communities need Ito keep
them from going bankrupt for lack of
"revenueO.
Maine homes have been drifted UNI
der by the storm of "Thanksgiving"
demand for more drinkers. Makers
and sellers of all kinds of booze are
becoming desperate: they MUST NOT
allow the statistics to show a decline
in Consumption" of intoxicants new
boys must be started on the road as
consumers of SOME brand of booze.
1t matters not WHAT brand, or how
small the per cent of alcohol, so long
as it is habit-forming mixture. for
habit will do the rest and the makers
and sellers of ALL brands will get a
chance at him later.
And of how much more satisfaction
it is to the booze makers, in their
continuous campaign for consumers,
to capture the son of a minister who Is
doing his best against the evil traffic.
or the daughter of a justice who has
refused to be made tool of the
liquor interests,
That is why the most respectable
families of community become the
special targets of the mail branch of
the hunt for more drinkers.
Some of the people addressed shoot
back; below We give one of the shots:
Winthrop. Me-, Nov. 80, 1915.
John Behan & Co,
IS Blackstone ST., Boston.
Gentlemen
On this Thanksgiving day, l take
great pleasure in responding to
your cordial invitation to pur-
chase your goods. and to send you
list of names of my friends who
ARE interested in liquors" How.
ever. l must decline to add to your
list of men whom you are con-
sanity insulting with your Internal
literature.
am wondering how many muir
ders. brawls. broken heads and
broken hearts of mothers, wives
and children will result today
from the internal traffic that you
and your like are carrying on in
the State of Maine by the aid of
the United States mail 1 am
wondering how long the people of
our nation will submit to the
curse of the slavery of the Rum
Seller, and how long our Govern