Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-04
movement in the Nation and the

League. crime OF various KINGS mas
been epidemic and it is impossible to
imagine to what extremes in Grimm
ality the country might have gone if
beverage liquor had been as abundant
and as easy to procure as formerly.
This crime epidemic is difficult to
diagnose. Various causes have been
assigned, among them. the 18th
Amendment, but this disprQves itself
as the epidemic RACES with special
fury where the 18th Amendment has
had no marked effect upon either the
pulse or temperature of the commun-
ity. Whatever the cause the fact is
palpable and in sufficient force here
in Maine TO give Secretary Emery.
who handles the enforcement work of
the League, the busiest year he has
seen in his seventeen years OF SER
vice. A great number of violations or
suspected violations of the gambling
laws and the laws against Sunday
opening have been reported-more in
number than the violations of the IL
ouor laws. During the summer and
early autumn the State was over run
with street carnivals visiting two or
three times in a season the cities
and larger villages. The mission of
these carnivalS was two-fold, LIST, to
secure a financial harvest without
giving value received. End, to enter
tain the crowd with all the gambling
and vice the community would toler-
ate
In numerous instances Secretary
Emery has been invited by supporters
of the League in the community to
come TO their rescue and stop the
liot of gambling in these carnivals.
He has some times also been invited
by the local officials not to interfere
with those violators and to leave to
them the administration of these
laws. Mr.. Emery's usual reply was
"Delighted to have you. III stay by
and see how YOU do it." Our agri-
cultural fairs were infected with the
same gambling takers during the Au-
tumn and effort was made without
any inspiring success to have the
fairs freed - gambling as the 'lW
REQUIRES. 1t is pleasure to say that
evidences Of intoxicating liquor at the
fairs We're absent. A very fragrant
case Of official notification of the
"f milling law was investigated by the
League. A hearing was had before
the Governor and Council with dis
appointing result. so far as the public
aspect OF the case is concerned. 1t is
proper TO say. however, that We have
reason 10 expect that our State Off
GERS will sustain the effort to climin-
ate vice and gambling from the state
and county fairs in the future.
Although we have been officially
advised Of the fact the Boston papers
have reported that the directors of
the Lords Day League voted not TO
place an agent in Maine but to leave
to the Christian Civic League the
task Of defending our Sunday law
and to attend to it's enforcement as
far as possible i'll this State.
In the 100 years Of liquor agitation
the friends Of John Barleycorn have
never shown greater devotion TO him
than they are exhibiting now. The
18th amendment and the Nolstoad
law. whatever else they may have
done or failed to do, have inspired a
desperate aggreSsiVeneSs in our en-
emies. Wherever the friends Of the
liquor traffic have hand on the reins
of government there YOU will find
the old audacity magniied ten
fold"
In some sections of the country
the enemies of the law are exceed
ingly bold. Their organizations in
dictate by their names their purpose
as the Association Opposed to Prohi-
ton. They declare in plain terms
the object, 1st, to secure the repeal of
the Nolstead law. End to permit each
state to enact its own enforcement
laws. 3rd, to remove the 18th Amend
ment from the Constitution. In other
sections of the country they pursue
different and far more dangerous tao
tics. They declare the 18th Amend
ment has made an end of all needful
discussion. There is no longer any
occasion to talk about the matter,
especially in political campaign.
The time has come, they say, to
waste no breath over the liquor issue
and to devote ourselves to matters of
real concern to the people. The Con-
stitution and the Nolstead law will
take care of the liquor question. This
Is simply political poison gas admin
istered by wet and wary pettifoggers
to put to sleep their thoughtless and
unsuspecting victims.
"Thc terrific fight which the enem-
les Of the Constitution and the Vol
stead law are putting up now in
every state where there is the slight
est chance to displace dry Senator
or Congressman by wet is ample
proof that the battle is not ended
here in America and the shameful at
tempts of the liquor interests of wet
Nations to force their products upon
dry nations warns us that no Nation
is safe while the liquor forces have
even 50 much as a hold in the
Government of any other Nation an
der the sun. This year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and twenty-five is
no time for any red blooded man or
woman to surrender to the sleepy
doctrine unless he or she is willing
to see the liquor traffic return to
power in our National Capital to the
unspeakable hurt of every state in
the Union and to the cause of right
eousness the World over.
"From the National standpoint we
are highly favored now. With the
President. Secretary of State. a
strong majority of both Houses of
Congress and the National Prohi-
bition Enforcement unit in full and