Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-16
w. C. T. u. Head Points
(Continued from Paoe One)

\SoHbIHuoo from Pa8o 0HSj
promptly followed the Eighteenth in
enactment. AS Christian patriots we
will faithfully use this new power
of the ballot for the advancement
of Gods Kingdom in custom and In
law. Our Worlds president. Anna
Adams Gordon. has clearly outlined
for US our duty as citizenss
Many signal victories have come
to the temperance forces during the
year and as many signal defeats to
the "wets."
Outstanding among. these was
efforts of the "wets" to in
troduce into the Congress bills to
weaken the Volstead Act, together
with the ignoble and senseless at
tack upon the Eighteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution. All of these
fell fiat. None were expected to
pass. Newspaper publicity was all
that was expected by the most SAN
guine,-this was the one victory of
the "wets." This publicity victory
was dearly bought. for it showed to
the people at large the malicious
objective Of this element in our, Re-
public.
VETS Howl Because Hurt
The Vets have been working up
their publicity aid their propaganda
with masterful cleverness for many
months. They are hurt and make
! much noise bowling. That seems to
be the character of their publicity.
They introduced about seventy FIVE
Wet bills in congress; mono Of them
passed or expected to be assed. but
| each bill was the basis Of newspaper
notice. Then the famous Senate
hearings in April. which were ex-
plotted by the Vets. were engineered
| entirely by those anxious for return
TO the saloon; by those openly seek
Ing to repeal the liquor laws Of the
Unite States. There was no valid
excuse for those hearings; the Drys
have won, have put the nation on a
Dry basis and are insisting that the
laws be enforced. The VETS, seeking
for a forum from which to blazon
| fort. their attacks on the Drys,
threatened to filibuster the United
States Senate to an extent that
would prevent the transa ction of i'm
! portant national legislation.
And rather than be talkeA = death
the Senate appointed a subcommit-
tee to hear both sides.
No matter what the Wet news
paper said. those hearings contain
the record of the Vets who want to
| flood the country with liquor by
knocking down law and order: and
| they also contain the record of the
| DryS who are in a majority in this
| country and intend to remain in
majority. and who have proved the
| economic and moral advantages OF
| prohibition.
There has been no change in the
strength or attitude of the decent
| people of America: and the policy to
| pursue on election day is to vote
and to see that your neighbor votes
for dry candidates.
| Senator Rice w. Means, Chairman
of the Subcommittee of the Judiciary
Committee, at the close of the hear
ing said:
THE hearings are now over and
the report has been made. -
! 1t is the opinion of this committee
that the Eighteenth Amendment to
| the United States Constitution is
both morally right and economically
! wise. 1t is the duty of every officer
| Legislative. Executive. and Judicial
TO aid in its enforcement. The hear
ings have strengthened my beliefs
No clearer explanation of the situa-
ton before US today can be made
than that given by Mrs Boole, presi.
| dent of the National W. c T. u. to
the State presidents in recent let
ter in which she said: js
! Missouri, Montana. California
| Colorado. Wisconsin have real refer.
enda initiated in accordance with their
state laws. The wording is different
but every one of them if adopted will
realty cripple law enforcement. The
NE question is submitted in New
ork and Illinois. It's wording is am.
biguous, It is not mandatory and II is
the practically unanimous opinion OF
| the temperance leaders in these two
states that the emphasis in a campaign
should be placed upon the election OF
dry officials and not on the referen.
DUN.
I'm the other states. however, the
| result is mandatory and a very &C
| tive campaign must be carried on. II
we win the fight in these states II will
stop the submission of referenda in
other states; if we lose, 1t will give aid
| and comfort to our enemies"
The situation marks crisis in the
history of the United States equal If
| IiipO1 lance 10 any OF the crises %nlcf
| preceded the Civil War, because II
the vets are successful in all their un.
dertakings at this time they will make
a considerable advance. What they
want is the privilege of selling and
drinking intoxicating liquor; and ir
some of the states where they are now
| forming their drives they plan ever
to take away the restrictions against
the sale of liquor to minors
There are many arguments from
the wet camp as to enforcement an6
| personal liberty and liquors intoxi.
eating in fact"-but what they are all
after is hard liquor They want tc
take away the State enforcement
codes; they want to repeal the Vol.
stead Act: they want the saloon.
Unceastng Vigilance Necessary
There are prominent politicians out
for high Office on the strength of theil
wet Affiliations. and this is easy t
meet. But some of the tactics ant
maneuvers of the vets in regard t.
the refernda which are proposed OF
about to be proposed need close scru
tiny and unceasing vigilance.
For instance in New York, where
Elihu Root, who works for the brew,
ers, writes the wording of the referen.
dunn the people will be asked to ge,
excited over an utterly unintelligibl
| question, while the vets vote their
candidates into Office The same thins
| will happen In Illinois and probably