Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-09-20
Republican Nominations:
FOR PRESIDENT:
CHARLES EVANS HUGHES
VICE PRESIDENT:
CHARLES ". FAIRBANKS
Places do not ennoble men, but
men make places illustrious.
-Plutarch.
A False Premise


them. And despite this feeling and oppo-
sition other states have followed In her
wake. Expensive and faulty as primary
election systems have proven, they are
being extended to other commonwealths.
The new currency and banking system
was bitterly fought by the very interests
which now hold it in highest esteem.
Government supervision Of the railways,
involving the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, pursued the same stony path
The above is from that magazines
own editorial department in THE Ed
itorial," published at South Whitley,
Ind. 1t is credited to an "Observant
Citizen" who has observed" more
than he has understood, as have very
many who have attempted to settle
the peoples controversy with great
and universally admitted evil by allow
ing the evil to have its own way.
This writer establishes a false pre-
mise and thus renders his whole ar
gument nonsensical. In the first place,
Maine does NOT "evade its prohibition
laws" but Maine does hang on" to
the law which it's people demanded and
enacted in spite of the tremendous,
we'll organized and abundantly fin
anced opposition. Maine further en-
trenched the position of a majority of
her voters (and voters" do not make
UP her people" the non-voting ele-
ment Of whom are in Overwhelming
majority for temperance, prohibitory
law and drastic enforcement Of law
by putting it beyond the vagaries Of
chance hostile Legislature, in the Con-
stitution. That hostile Legislature
came through the activities of the
liquor interests and politicians collab-
Grating with them, and attempted to
rob the people of their constitutional
law; the question was resubmitted and
reafirmed after one Of the most bitter
fights in the political history of the.
State. Every moral and many statute
laws were violated by the unscrupulous
adversaries of a law that interferes
with the profits of an evil traffic.
But "Maine"-the better elements of
the most intelligent and law-abiding
citizenry--won And Maine" hangs
onto her law.
But Maine" never evades or vio-
lates her law. The writer might as
we'll have said, because murders con-
tinue in the State, that-Maine evades
its law prohibiting homicide.
OF course there are citizens in Maine
who have no respect for law;citizens
who have neither moral conscience nor
civic responsibility; who have neither
instinct for community welfare nor
home or other training toward good
citizenship-but they are not Maine"
And right here "Observant Citizen"
should note that these irresponsibles,
these devotes of the doctrine of per
sonal liberty" are misled as to their
rights" as citizens, and encouraged
to violate the laws Of their State by
the tremendous system maintained by
the liquor interests.
Into every home in Maine goes the
cunning sophistry prepared by the
high-salaried tools Of the National
Wholesale Liquor Dealers Association,
and the United States Brewers Associ-,
alton. Names laws are not respected
by the Interstate Commerce law.
Maine newspapers are prohibited from
advertising intoxicants in any form
but the United States government is
in the rum business for profit and pro-
tects any sort Of a publication in it's
circulation" in Maine. if published"
outside Of the State.
Maine has hung on" to and main
tanned its right to defy an evil for so
years, in spite Of the never-ceasing op-
position Of the evil itself and Of ignor-
ance like that quoted above. And
Maine has just given a decisive verdict
against a party which favors the DOM
ination Of the liquor traffic because
there is money and political power in
making laws which give the evil ele-
ment control over moral forces.
But Maine" is a moral force which
sticks to its moral laws and defies evil
interests with all their cunning. Maine
has not conquered evil. but the Maine
law stands Just as strong barrier as
it did half century ago. and under its
projection thousands OF boys and girls
have become parents and grandpar-
ents without ever seeing a saloon.
knowing the saloons real menace, or
fearing the grasp Of the conscienceless
lieuor interests fingers