Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-16


and deeds. You have a wonderful /
city, beautifully located, with excel
tent railroad connections, good
schools, strong churches, the seat
of one of our best New England
colleges, diversified industries, good
water power, beautiful and comfort
able homes, and, best of all, loyal,
progressive. Christian men, and wo-
men who believe in their city and
in it's future and who are ready to
cooperate in everything that is for
the public good.
One is inclined to think of a
chamber oil commerce as primarily
existing for and interested in those
Things which have to do with the
purely business phase of life. Aud
that is properly one of its great
functions. But there are other
Things for which it stands and which
are rightly stressed. The matter of
schools, school play grounds. winter
sports, summer sports, the moral,
ii not the religious welfare of your
city, the maintenance and enforce
ment of law. and the fostering of
fine civic sentiments and everything
that tends to make n better COM
munity spirit are all matters in
which, IT is Interested. 1t stands for
all these things and many more.
We can all agree that the highest
type OF manhood and womanhood is
the finest product that can be turn
ed out in life's work shop and that
the merchandise of it is better than
the merchandise of gold or silver
or precious stones, and. for that rea-
son your Chamber of Commerce has
been and is interested in all mat
tiers which have to do with the edu-
cation of the youth OF your city.
If those in control of your educa-
tlonal systems We're niggardly i'll
their appropriation for school pur-
poses and failed to make proper
provision for adequate school build
ingS, your Chamber of Commerce
might properly use its influence to
change such conditions; in fact, ii
would be false to duty, if it did not
take some action. If any condition
existed which was to the injury or
disadvantage of Waterville with.
reference to railroad facilities, trunk
line roads, city streets, unsightly and
unsanitary buildings or surround
inss, the Chamber OF Commerce
would he not only justified in TAX
ing action but it would actually use
instant and effective methods to
make things. right.
The memories of all present to-
night easily recall TIE days of the
World War. q am not referring to
those who wore the khaki, undying
honor be to themD We all felt the
ecstasy of what service we could
give at home and we somehow had
feeling of 'nearness to our fellows
such as we had not felt before: we
were lifted to heights of feeling
that, somehow, through anxiety and
suffering, the world, especially our
part oil it, was going to be better
imam ever before, and that after the
war was over mucha of the old
selfishnesS, the old wrongs, the old
criminal tendencies would have
disappeared. We have lived to learn
that we are facing conditions not
altogether what our hopes had
pictured. | am not a pessimist. |
am an optinist, and shall be as long
as l live, but l am compelled to be-
lieve that this Nation as a Nation,
It's people as people. and indi-
viduals as individuals are con-
fronted by menacingly dangerous
influences and clements which are
abroad in the land. From whence
they come. what sinister power
is back of them, can not be
said. They may spring from the I'M
rest in the minds CT men and be the
result of passing hysteria, mental
disease. as it We're that must run it's
course, but whatever they are, they
demand the attention and the chal-
longe of all sober. right thinking men
and women, and 1 can see no reason
why 4 Chamber of Commerce should
not feel it quite as much it's right
and duty to look into these ques-
tons as into any other which af-
fectS the welfare Of the people it
serves.
L am going to speak frankly to you
Tor a moment on Il subject you might
prefer to have me avoid.
There is federal and q state pro-
hibitory law on the statute books. 1t
IS ministerial whether it is popular
or unpopular law. II is law. The
question is, do you and |. as self
respecting, law abiding people gem
orally. wish to help in bringing into
disrepute all law. by publicly or pri-
vately disregarding this one law?
You and l have no right to say that
we do not propose to give up our
personal liberty. There is no such
thing as personal liberty, when one is
confronted by the edict of the law,
whether one likes that law or not.
And the man who persists in the vio-
lation of any law. privately or public
~, is helping to undermine the foun-
cation of government quite as truly
as the man who carries the red flag
In his hand and the spirit of anarchy
III his heart. The trouble is we do
not stop to think it over, but it is
time that we did. The age long
question, "Am l my brothers keep
er?' comes laundering back at us,
and it must be answered in the in
dividual heart. My friends. look me
IN the eye. Can you deny in your
hearts that n body such as this
sp .endld organization of represent |
ative business men could not have n
most powerful influence in helping
the authorities in the enforcement of
this law? And what | have said as,
TO this particular law applies to all
other laws. II q crusade should he
started by the members Of a Chamber
or Commerce against h0uses of i'll
fame and social evils of that sort in
any city, the movement backed by the
churches and by the best citizenship
Of the community, would be irresist-
!be.
The observance q moral laws in
many phases is OF course largely a
matter o. the individual life and in7
dividual conscience but when the
failure {" observe those moral laws
touches the public good. then that
public through the statute law has a
right and a duty to interfere.
In these days Of disturbed condi-
lions. Of mental unrest, IT is easy for
ordinarily thoughtful men and women
to be misled and to drift from their
moorings. and in some cases to
launch out or unchar;ed courses.
Even our churches engage in dispute
about certain matters which are not