Evening journal., 1917-10-15
maine TOWN MAYOR
FAVORS The VETS
Declares Prohibition Has
Failed TO Prohibit
Liquor Sales
"BOOTLEGGERS"
PROSPER, HE SAYS

PROSPER, HE SAYS
E. T. Hanson. elected mayor Of Bel
fast. Maine, for ten consecutive terms.
was the chief speaker last nisht at
the meeting conducted by the license
forces in the Queen Theatre. Although
Belfast is "dry" town in a dry dis
trict Mayor Hanson, wet" allocate,
said he has been elected by the resi-
dents so often because they believe IN
personal liberty and for nearly=two
hours he outlined the reasons why he
thought Wilmington should vote wet
Mayor Hanson described at some
length conditions existing in Maine
since the enactment OF the hrst pro-
hibiiory law II years ago and the at
tempts made there TO enforce prohlDl-
ton. He amused his hearers by MS
accounts Of hiw "hoot-leg" whiskey Is
sold in Maine and its effects ana OF
the various homemade connections
used by the thirsty.
Conditions In Bangor, Lewiston,
Belfast. and other cities were deserlb-
ed. The number OF arrests In alleged
"dry" districts in Bangor; the oondl-
tons found upon Investigation IN. dlf-
ferent sections OF the city were told
Mayor Hanson exhibited pictures or
"kitchen saloons" and newspapers tell
ina OF "ralds" 10 saloons ana other
dlsreputable places in tho city.
He quoted figures and read letters
~ show that even In kensaw, a
stronehold of prohibition bootleg
eine', was common and the per capita
CONSUMPTION Of intoxicating liquor was
high.
MAYOR Hanson said in parts
II am not addicted 10 the liquor
habit the cigarette habit, opium habit
or any of these habits. / believe IN
fempeYance. advocate temperance aud
practice temperance. hold no brief
for either John Barleycorn or King
Alcohol. 1 recognize the evils of intoNi-
eating LIQUORS when drank TO excess, and
I recognize the evils OF excessive eat
ING and l want 70 say right here, lest'
j forget II, II you 60 to any reputable
physician and ask him II he don't have
ZEN men come 20 him for treatment Tor
excessive eating against one for nto1-
cation l want TO know II. ] would be
a prohibitionist tonight II prohibition
promoted temperance. If II improved the
conditions In the home pledge myself
would be for prohibition. Why shouldn't
II But before You leave here tonigh
You win not ask me why l am not
prohihitionist. ! am going 20 tell yo
about the conditions of our homes l
Maine about our society and common
wealth"
The speaker next reviewed the hiI
tory of prohibition IN Maine since u
massage of the first law in 1896 an
referred 70 the part played by Me-
Dow. lie advanced humorous @ral
mentS 10 show that the laws passc
failed 10 result IN tho ends desired. an
after tracing this history, he asked,
'sNow what have been the condition
during these yearsl That is what 20
are interested in What are the con
ditions now The conditions have bee
one of continuous hypocrisy, Lowering
Of tho standard Of mortality, diTespeo
of law men whom we have looke'
ND to have given us object lessons tina
have shaken our faith"
I'VE closed the last saloon years
ago IN Belfast. The people decided
they did not want any. What came
in? 'Bootleggers' We had pocket
peddIers; these took the place OF bar
tenders. We got more sellers, more
rum, more taxes. The country clerk
stated that we had gone UP S49,533
on our debit we had increased our
rate of taxation more than three
times IN the county. and instead OF
PLAYING even, as we had. taxes had
gone up and the treasury had been
depleted.
How DO thy get the rum in mado
by the bootleggers? BY express COM
panies. have counted from forty
10 sixty packages of the stuh coming
up from the trains. / have stood at
Burnham Junction, about thirty miles
from our city. and I saw a package
abelled five gallons. addressed TO the
eading prohlbitionist Of our town OF
Waldo county. Il comes by freight,
by steamers and by autos.
have told the people behind pro-
hihiuon In Maine that you can't make
prohibition by placing a legislative
iaoel on II. asked the chief of police
ms very last week over the phone
70 SEND me his report from Bangor,
and have the report herr from the
city OF Bangor, Maine. There wore
$3.50 arrests IN tho city i'm the nae
year for ell crimes; $500 az thew
were for intoxication OF selling q
liquor" u