Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-09

the great economic problems
Of the world in our school
debates. We used to talk good deal
about begging the question. and 1
wonder if when we advocate a refer
endum on this question, we are not
in sense begging the question.
Now the gentleman from Portland.
Mr.. Rounds, is a man who has dealt
with big things; he has looked at
things in large way. He is
broad-minded man. and l wonder
whether his breadth of vision has not
prevented his going into the little
details OF the matter that We men
who are more narrow have gone into.
Perhaps it is because We were inquis-
tive in our manners. I wonder if the
gentleman from Portland. Mr..
Rounds, knows that these letters We
have been receiving during the last
few weeks have come from a cor
poration that is not interested in
American affairs. We all know, those
Of US who have investigated the mat
ter, that there was a great fight n
few years ago between two factions
Of the drink producers, and one of
those factions cried out in the name
Of reform for a change in the opera
tions of the drink producers, and this
faction that cried out in the name Of
reform finally drove the opposing
faction to the wall. This great re-
ligious, reformatory association was
none other than the German liquor
nrnG,,cora Of fbiS hoN
drove to the wall the American dis
tillers as a whole, and today the Ger
man distiller sits on the throne. He
is the Kaiser. and all these circulars
that have come to us have come to us
from the German drink producers.
The most of them have been camou-
tagged under good Anglo-SaNon
names. but the last letter that came
to US. came with four unpronounca-
Bile Teutonic signatures.
Now, gentlemen, it seems to me
that it is not question of whether
we shall submit a referendum. but
it is a question of whether the State
that gave the world this principle
that now has the national endorse
ment shall stand by it's colors. CAP
plause) or whether 1t shall go down
in contemptuous defeat. In the days
when our grandfathers were fighting
the great battles Of the Revolution 4
celebrated American general led an
army over the very spot where we
are assembled at this hour: but the
expedition up the kennebec was too
much for his nerve. He was man
with a vision-a man of great initi-
ative-he was a leader of people, hut
he became discredited and sold him
self to the enemy. Now his name
might have come down to us coupled
with the name of Washington or per-
,haps with some of his most brilliant
generals, but instead of that his name
is never coupled with anyone in his
tory except that of Judas IScar,ot.
His name was Benedict Arnold ami
| is held in utter contempt by every
American schoolboy. Now the ques-
ton is whether the state which gave
the world prohibition shall have Tie
honor of fighting it out. or whether
it shall sell itself to the German beer
interests, lower its colors and let
this Teutonic host go over the top.
We have the right. as the gentleman
says, to our individual convictions.
In that l agree with him fully. We
are here today as Democrats and
Republicans. Perhaps some OF us
are Republicans because our fathers
and grandfathers were. We are III
the same plight with the man who
had the wooden leg. He said his
"a lnI ~ l.; 70 !,
had one, and it ran in the blood
Perhaps some OF Us are Republicans
because it runs in the blood ard
Democrats because it runs in the
blood. That does not matter But,
! gentlemen, this war through which
we have passed has put us on a
higher plane. and today we are not
merely Republicans and Democrats.
but Americans-no nothing but Ameri
cans.
Now there are differences of opinion
! concerning the best way to handle
this liquor question. and every man
has a perfect right to his convictions.
but this war through which we have
just passed has elevated US to a high
err plane, and we are beginning 10
look at things in a different light,
and today we Republicans must con-
cede the fact that the Democrats
are the father of this principle-the
father of prohibition. Prohibit Jon
came into the State under a Demo-
cratic Legislature, and was endorsed
! by Democratic Governor. but they
left the child on our doorStepS or else
we stole i'll do not know which. and
il does not matter. The Republicans
fostered it and nurtured it, and we
! will have to concede, very reluctant
~, that there have been times when
the Republican party has played
horse with prohibition. We Republic
cans do not like to talk about such
things. but our Democratic friends,
strange to say, found us out, and
they do not hesitate to make clean
breast Of it. But, gentlemen. the
prohibition proposition has for it's
father the Democratic party. 1t was
mothered by the Republican party
and now today the father and the
mother Of this principle should fight
it out to the end against these Ger
man invaders and should preserve
the child,-preserve the first-born.
We are all proud OF the fact that
when the Germans were defeated at
the battle at the Marine. it was Maine
that led the division that drove the
Huns back; and 1 believe when we
get through with this thing and the