Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-15

says: ut Is not a question whether
We are or are not prohibitionists.
America Is making a bold expert
mcnt to deal with probably the
greatest curse of modern civiliza-
ton. She has tried many expert
ments. but they have been only conn.,
parative successes. She has made
the, decision, with the courage that
characterizes that great people, to
try the prohibition experiment., one
that never had been made on this
earth before. Let's give her a fair
chance" - =
Again. Warren S. Stone. grand
chief of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers. says: 1.-THE long
or | live and the more / see of it
the more bitterly / am opposed TO
the entire question of the manufac-
ture and sale of liquor, because I
look upon it as the basis and founda-
ton of 90 percent of, the crime and
criminals in the country today" Mr..
Stone further says: "In the .audy
of labor problems find q marked
| improvement in the number OF men
who are saving money ands vaoNn
their homes or are buying tAeir
homes; and l find a decidedAin-
provement in the home life Of the
workers due to the fact that thhf
women and children have more foody
more clothing and better care in ev-
cry way. Back of all that, the work.
| man takes his family and goes to
the picture show or to the park now,>
when he formerly spent his evenings
in the saloon drinking and spending
his money. l think that l can truth
fully say that drunkenness has de-
| creased at least Is percent among
| the workers"
| President Calvin Coolidge in his
| last message to Congress says:
Free government has no greater
menace than disrespect for authority
| and continual violation of law. 1t
is the duty of citizen not only to
observe the law but to let it be known
that he is opposed to its violation"
Such words as these falling from
the lips of such men as Warren G.
Harding. Lloyd George, Warren S.
Stone and President Calvin Coolidge,
men who had no other object in view
when they made these utterances
than the best interest of society in
general ought to set US to thinking
| more seriously about the enforcement
of the prohibitory law. Violation of
I the prohibitory law is just as much
| of crime as larceny and in fact
! murder, for many of our law en-
forcement officers are being shot
down in cold blood by the cheap rum
runner. You can hardly pick up a
morning paper but what you see
where one or more officers, while in
the discharge of their sworn duties
have been killed by these outlaws.
How quickly would any of US call
up the police station or sheriff's Of
flee is larceny was, being committed
in our neighbors house. How few
would notify the police or sheriffs
office if rum runner should dis
pense his goods in front Of your eyes.
You are under just as much obli-
cation to report one as the other.
To resist this law, or assist in it's
violation, is to set ones own selfish
whims and appetites over against the
general welfare and demand that the
former be served at any expense to
the latter Such a demand marks
the bad citizen. You hear 1t said on
all sides that the prohibitory law is
not being enforced. That there is
more liquor sold and drank today
than before the days of prohibition.
By way of comparison l have select
cd two years of my Criminal Docket.
| have taken the year 1912 and the
present year. The year 1912 is far
enough back of the war and the
enactment of National Prohibition t.
give us a good line on the drunken
ness in the City ow Waterville ne
fore and after National Prohibit IL.
1912 ...,.. -