The Republican journal., 1916-08-03
Jeering at Maine.
1.-THE Christian Science Monitor.


The ease with which the liquor inter-
ests tiGd access to the press of the Unit
ed States. speaking generally, when they
wish to say something calculated to
bring reproach upon the State of Maine,
is remarkable. More remarkable still is
the freedom with which these interests
seem to be able to use for this purpose
the columns of newspapers of all the
other New England States. The motive,
OF course. is plain; especially when it is
remembered that Maine was not only the
first State of the Union to enact pro-
hlbltlon law, but that it stood alone
among the sisterhood in this respect fer
twenty-six long years. Maine adopted
It's first prohibition law in 1916. This
was replaced in 1851 by more stringent
measure. What came to be known as
the Maine law was adopted by Ver-
mont in 1852. and by New Hampshire in
1888, but neither stuck to it. Prohibi-
ton laws were enacted by Connecticut
in 1854, and by New York in 1855, but
neither remained steadfast Prohibition
Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska. Hi
nols, Kansas and Ohio, but were repeale d
-
listing law in Maine dates from 1854. As
matter of fact, the conviction of the
great majority of the people of Maine
on the liquor question has not wavered
for an instant since 1851. Although de-
serted by its neighbors, Maine has kept
the prohibition flag flying for practically
sixty-five years. Not until 1880 was it
joined permanently by Kansas.
In the 1Vas IF tho lirI,or ipforasfs
Maine has stood through all these years
as bad example. And, besides, these
interests have been, and are to this day,
greatly shocked because Maine has not
been able entirely to extirpate the LIQUOR
evil. The publicity departments of the
brewers and distillers' associations have
discovered from time to time that, not
withstanding its prohipitory legislation,
it has been possible for people especially
bent upon that purpose to ship liquor in
to Maine, and for other people especially
employed for that purpose to purchase it
In out-of- the-way places in Maine. The
liquor interests have been very watchful
over Maine s morals in this particular,
and active IN their reports to the press.
There has been great deal of secret
, shipping, great deal Of secret selling, a
, great deal of bribery and corruption, and
| the liquor interests have been the first to
obtain and make public the facts. The
newspapers open to the publication of
such facts as the liquor interests have
cared to make public have found the re-
ports to be invariably correct, so far as
they have gone. The liquor interests
could be depended on implicitly not to
fall to discover violation of the law.
They were able, it seems, to tell in ad-
vance about these violations. They SEEM
ed to know, that is, where the next VIC
latlon would occur, and this enabled them
to have reporter on the spot.
They were also enabled to prepare for
the press timely comments upon the dis
covery of violations, it being the aim of
the liquor dealers to establish at once
the inutility as we'll as the utter absurd
ity of the prohibition law. Included in
the comment were usually remarks to
the effect that people would, by some
| me MS or other, obtain liquor, despite
every effort of the State to prevent it,
as proved by cases such, for instance, as
that which occurred in this or that re-
mote town; or to the effect that the off
GERS of the law were mere children in
| the hands of the lawbreakers; or to the
effect that the officers of the law could
be brlbed not to see what was going on;
or to the effect that the so-called en-
forcement of the law was Joke. ="
They became fond of the word "joke, :"
and they use it frequently in their press
even to the present day. "Prohibition in
Maine" they say, lis joke" every
body in Maine" they say, regards pro-
hlbltlon as joke" Maine itself is a
Joke. 1t is joke to take Maine Serious
iy: To jeer at Maine is an excellent
joke. Strange that in the year ammo
Domini 1916, with the whole nation on
the verge of going over to the Maine
idea, they do not see where the real joke
comes in.