Evening journal., 1917-10-15
maine TOWN MAYOR
FAV0RS THE VETS
Declares Prohibition Has
Failed to Prohibit
Liquor Sales
"BoOTLEGGERS"
PROSPER, HE SAYS

AO0A LIN AA6 VA -
E. T. Hanson, elected mayor OF Bel
fast Maine, for ten consecutive terms.
was the chief speaker last night at
The meeting conducted by the license
forces in the Queen Theatre. Although
Belfast is a dry" town In a dry" dis
trict Mayor Hanson. a wet" advocate,
said he has been elected by the resi-
dents 30 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 nrst pro-
hibitory law "a years ago and the at
tempts made there to enforce prohinl-
ton. He amused his hearers by MS
accounts Of hiw bootleg whlskey Is
sold IN Maine and It's effects ana OF
fhe various homemade concocuons
Used. by the thirsty.
Conditions IN Bangor, Lewiston
Belfast. and ether cities were descrlo.
cd. The number Of arrests IN alleged
dry districts in Bangor; the cohdl-
tions found upon investigation in du-
ferent sections Of the city were told
Mayor Hanson exhibited pictures OF
"kitchen saloons" and newspapers tell
ing Of raids" IN saloons and other
disreputahle places IN the city.
He quoted figures and read letters
10 show that even In kensaw' a
sironehold OF prohibition bootleg
elner was common and the per capita
Consumption OF intoxicating liquor was
high,
Mavor Hnneon said in part;
Il am not addicted to the liquor
habit the cigarette habit, opium habit
or any of these habits. / believe m
+emperance. | advocate temperance ana
practice temperance. / hold no brief
for either John Barleycom or King
Alcohol recognize the evils of intoNi-
eating LIQUORS when drank TO excess, ana
1 recognize the evils of excessive eat
inc. and want 10 say right here. les'
j forget IT, il you 90 10 any reputable
nhvsician and ask him II he don't have
ten men. come 10 him for treatment toi
excessive eating against one for inton-
cation want 70 know Il. / would b'
n prohibitionist tonight II prohibition
promoted temperance. II 1t improved TN
conditions in the home l pledge myself
would be for prohibition. Why shouldn'
II But before you leave here tonigh
YOU will not ask me why / ann not
prohibitionist I am going 20 tell 20
about the conditions OF our homes !
Maine about our society and common
wealth
The speaker next reviewed the hi
tory of prohibition In Maine since u
passage Of the first law In ls4o, az
. referred 70 the part played by Ne
Dow. He advanced numerous <ari
ments 70 show that the laws pass
failed 10 result in the ends desired, al
after tracing this history. he asked;
srNow what have been the condition
during these yoars7 That Is what "
are interested in. What are the co
ditions now! The conditions have be-
one of continuous hypocrisy. loweril
Of the standard Of mortality, disrespe
of law men whom we have look
up 10 have given us object lessons tn
have shaken our faith"
I'VE closed the last saloon year
apo In Belfast. The people decide
they did not want any. What cam
irT2 'Bootleggers.' We had pock'
peddlers; these took the place OF bs
tenders. We got more sellers, MOI
rum, more taxes. The country clel
stated that we had gone up S49,5'
on our debit we had increased OF
rate Of taxation more than thr'
times in the county. and instead
playing even, as we had. taxes hi
gone up and the treasury had be-
depleted
How do thy get the rum In MAJ
by the bootleggers? By express col
panies. Il have counted from for
TO sixty packages of the stun comil
ND from the trains. j have stood
purnham Junction, about thirty mil
rom our city, and ] saw a packaa
abelled five gallons. addressed TO .
eading prohibitionist OF our town
Waldo county. II comes by freigl
BY steamers and by autos.
II have told the people behind pr
lihuion in Maine that you can't nal
prohibition by placing a leglslati
label on g. asked the chief of poll
this very last week over the pho
TO send me his report from BangC
and have the report here from q
city OF Bangor, Maine. There we
$3.50 arrests In the city In the pa
year for all crimes; $500 OF the
were for intoxication OF selling
liquor"