Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-23
Dry Director Heard
Continued from Pase Onel

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entering into society must give up
share Of liberty to preserve the
rest
\ government created thus, by the
people themselves from their oyvn
choice. depends for its very existence
upon the willingness Of the people to
abide by the laws of their own max
ing. Whenever respect for constitut-
ed authority and obedience to auth
orized law declines. we have TO con-
TESS our failure to govern ourselves,
and thereafter, if order is to be main
tanned at all, it must be through
dictatorship of force.
We are a free people. Not a law
exists but we epacted it. In the ma
ture of things, we do not all want
the Same laws. Because this is true,
we have, by common consent, agreed
TO become bound by the majority
subject to the rule that the funda-
mental rights of mankind must al
ways be preserved to the minority.
These rights are stated in our con-
Sl4tutlOLl lIt pun DOSC VI W illSIl ID "
protect the weak against the strong.
The precious institution of free
government has been passed safely
for we have preserved it at the cost
of much bloodshed; but in the life
of civilization, one hundred and
thirty four years is an exceedingly
short period. We have become pros
nd
mightiest nation on earth and we are
conscious of our success. If we have
come thus far prayerfully, many Of
us are becoming quite Independent.
The question is now before the peo
pie of this country. AS a practical
proposition, is the law of the land or
the defiance of the individual to pre-
vail
Deliberate Passage
The 18th Amendment to the Con-
stitution, declaring prohibition of in
toNicating liquors, became part of
our fundamental law because two
thirds of both houses of Congress and
three fourths of the states in this
Union wanted it, and for no other
reason. More than that forty-five of
the forty-cight states have approved
of it. and thirty-siX have passed
state laws in support of it. 1t came
into existence in the orderly way in
which We as a people, had agreed
that amendments to the constitution
should be made. 1t was not sprung
in the excitement of war. Only
: 90
adopted the amendment during the
war; the remaining thirty-One states
ratified it after the war had ceased.
1t was not done in the night, but
was preceded by half a century Of
effort by its sponsors. When it did
come. it's arrival caused surprise, it
is true. and many were quite UMPIRE
pared, So came peace on November
II. 1918, although the.whole world was
fighting to obtain it.
Defiance to Be Resisted
We here and now have to elect
the course we shall pursue. To per
nit lawless minority to defy the
constitution aud laws of this country
is to surrender free government.
There is absolutely no lodging the
question. or installing the conse-
quences of a wrong decision. But a
few years ago We We're shocked to
hear the doctrines of defiance of law
preached in this fair land where
more freedom and greater opportun-
itY is offered mankind than has here
tofore been known. The word was
10 &c
envy Of liberty and that men should
therefore defy the law. We were
quick to see the menace and meet
the challenge. We organized our in
telligence. our energy and our wealth
into a great campaign of American
ization, as we STYLED it. We taught
the alien within our gates the eternal
truths that liberty is not license but
security from the wrongful acts of
others; that no man has a right
to do that which unnecessarily in
jures others; and that for liberty to
exist. selfish defiance Of law must
cease. We ourselves are now pre-
scented with an opportunity to de-
morstrate by our own conduct what
We have been teaching.
We cannot afford to temporize
with this spirit of defiance but
must meet it strongly. We have not
Yet become so weak that we must
forsake the enforcement Of a law
because those who break it do not
like it,
I need not discuss the question Of
whether it is contrary to liberty to
n
drunEard while his family endures
2 broken hearted existence with the
help of charity 1t has heretofore
been considered the right of the cit
izen to be protected against un-
necessary wretchedness.
Work for w. C. 7. U.
The courageous stand for the
home which your membership has
maintained deserves the profound
gratitude of mankind Upon the
happiness OF the home the endur-
ance of this nation depends. 1t has
not been your desire to dictate TO
others how they must live or what
must be their personal habits: but
YOU have sought to lead them un-
I'll enough saw the justice of your
position to enact what you sought.
Now, is not the time for felicia
ton, however. The administration
of this law is a severe strain upon
existing machinery of government.
The effectiveness of any enactment
depends greatly upon the attitude
of the public toward it. While it
is true that all but three of the
states have approved the 18th