“One moment, gentlemen.  That doesn’t mean that I or any other man, or that the prohibitory law, as we have it, or any other mere law, can stop the drinking of liquor in this State.  I’m speaking only of the open sale of it.  I know perfectly well that my attempt to make men sober by law alone will fail miserably.  As it is administered now, the law still caters to appetite and public demand for privileges, and the public goes along without especial disturbance.  But as I shall enforce the prohibitory law, conditions will be so intolerable in this State that the way will be paved for a common-sense treatment of the liquor question.  I shall enforce in order to show how wrong the prohibitory principles are.  They have not been shown up so far, for the law has not been enforced.”

The delegates were disconcerted.  The spokesman’s face grew red.

“Do you dare, sir, as a candidate for Governor of a prohibition State, to stand up here before these representatives of the temperance societies and say you are opposed to prohibition?”

“I certainly do,” declared the unruffled General.  “For this State is not a prohibition State!  It fatuously thinks it is when the citizens can get all the liquor they want without trouble.  I merely propose to put it to the test of honesty.”

“You declare yourself an enemy, then, do you?”

“Mr. Prouty, there you launch yourself into your usual intemperance!  At the first word of another man’s dignified difference of opinion you shout ‘enemy’ and prepare to fight!  I want to ask you and your supporters here a question:  Will you meet with representatives of all the interests concerned in this matter, including the liquor men and those who use liquor in its various forms, and endeavor to arrive at some compromise in this State which shall put a stop to what is practically civil war, in which we are expending all our energies without accomplishing any real betterment of conditions?  Will you agree to some middle ground, if it can be shown that more men can be made sober and less men hypocrites?”

“I stand solely for the principle of prohibition, unswerving till death,” announced the clergyman.  His partisans applauded.

“You won’t stop and listen to what may be for the actual best interests of our State, then?”

“I’ll not license crime nor compound felonies with criminals.”

“Mr. Prouty, as Governor I signed the first prohibition law passed in this State.  It was on trial.  I was liberal enough to bend my own personal views to give it that trial.  When I’m thinking of my State I don’t insist that my way is the only way.  Now, sir, if you knew that, as citizens, not mere partisans, we could all get together and frame something better than a law that has bred evils of political corruption through all the years without altering the appetites of the people—­if you knew that, wouldn’t you remould some of your opinions and help us bring about the best good for the whole of us?”