Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-15
truth Telling" Appreciated.

citation will be appreciated by Journal
readers who have seen The Other
| Side" For the benefit Of those who
have not seen that publication Of the
booze interests, we would say that It II
filed with the same sophistry and
downright lying that is Characteristic
Of all the liquor interest literature. The
letter Of the Caribou minister speaks
! for itself:
An open letter to Mr.. Clinton Wun-
der. editor of The Other Side"
Dear Sir:
/ Number two. OF volume one. Of The
! Other Side" lies before me. II is one
! of the most remarkable papers which
has come to my desk. hasten to write
/ this open letter Of appreciation.
| Al first did not fully appreciate the
paper. for its statements contFadieted
! knowledge have acquired and facts in
! my possession, regarding the effective
ness Of Prohibition II was hard for
me 70 believe that Russia, France and
England, in spite Of the statements OF
their highest authorities, were reaping
the inevitable fruit Of restriction and
prohibition, an increase in drunkenness
and disorder. and in deadly drug thab-.
its. II must be that they were crazed
By the stress Of war to so disregard the
awful results Of prohibition az exhibit
ed in - sovereign states OF our own
country.
Had / simply your own authority Tor
the conditions you so graphically de-
pict might be excused for doubling,
but when I note that The Other Side
IS published by the publicity depart
ment Of the National Wholesale Liquor
, Dealers Association. and that its motto
Is The Truth. the whole Truth and
nothing but the Truth" there is no
room or warrant for any doubt what
ever as 70 the soundness OF its con-
tents. Has not this association Of
patriotic and selfsacriAcing men done
their level best TO keep liberty invioiate
in a free land? Who else has spent 30
many thousands Of dollars TO furnish
our 3,ubNc libraries with reference
hooks COR those who are searching Tor
tfa ruth about Prohibition, books
which. whatever their contents. main
,ai- /. strict neutrality" in their titles.
Who else. surely not the Prohibition
;s-e. has spent money so freely to pur-
chase votes, that the electorate might
not desert the principles Of the Decla-
ration Of Independence or confuse lib
ertv with license Can we doue1. the
sincerity or question the motives Of an
= Association whose members are said 10
contribute largely every month to the
maintenance OF incorruptible society.
uhere!a cvery man who so desires, or
without desiring may beat his wife
.thusc his children. starve his family
and f1es-ialize himself. and at the last
Justly call upon MS town or city TO pay,
out t5f :, treasury fartened by liquor
-er@rucs. fer the deseneracy. poverty
and crime enIailed hv his full exercise
u MS sovereign liberty:
An Association that will go these
lengths IN the interests Of humanity.
surely needs 10 praise from me. How
ever unappreciated il may be now,
however unsuccessful in proclaiming
th. whole truth" when it is viewed
from the perspective Of history. ia not
distant prospect no one will fail to
recognize the part played by the Ma
tionaI Liquor Dealers Association in the
moral revolution which sent it to dis
a@:er.
thank YOU for speaking so forcefully
Of the anti-saloon people who are
afraid OF losing their Jobs. How in
consistent in them to keep on endeav-
cring TO blot themselves out. Hitherto
have been blind enough to believe
that only the liquor people were work.
ing from a hercenary motive. Alas.
<1l
men.
Ny appreciation Of your efforts to tell
the truth VIII increase, undoubtedly, as
) in subsequent issues Of your paper you
+ show larger ability TO live UP to your
motto. Perhaps the day will come
when I shall not have to say your pa
! Ter lies before me" But in one re-
! spect YOU certainly have told the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, and
/ that is in your friendly warning to
! The tobacco companies that it will be
/ their turn next. In fact it is their turn
now. So far have some of US succeed
! ed in our Puritanical paternalism and
fana ticism. that already one Of the
largest publishing houses in the coun-
try has barred cigarette advertising,
while the editor Of prominent ga
zine confesses, over his own signature,
7 that he is locking forward to the day
when every reputable publication will
take the same stand toward tobacco
advertising that is now taken towards
liquor advertisements.
! The worst Of it is, the very worst Of
it is-and you fail to grasp the full
| horror. my dear Mr.. Wunder-that
| these anti-tobacco workers are not
working for pay. No man or body Of
men can hire them to work for him
or tobacco and no man or body Of men
! can hire or bride them to cease SO
working. This may be incompre-
/ hensiblc TO one who is the paid editor
! of liquor paper, but it is nevertheless
! the fact. Our passion-for I confess
/ it IS mine also-is to bring about that
! social salvation which a Greater Than
+ We proclaimed as the Kingdom Of God.
/ i can wish you no kinder fate, my dear
| sir. than that when you lose your pres
/ ent job land it will be socn) You may
/ be crowded out, and crowded up. into
cur unsalaried fraternity whose remun-
| Grafton makes US the richest, happiest
people on earth.
Very truly.
| HARRY ADAMS HERSEY.