The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-09
Temperance Meetings ON The aes


NIessrs. d. X. Randall, II. A. Shorey and r.
Dresser, a committee of the State Temperance
Executive Committee, have very appropriately
issued the following circular to the pastors and
churches, and friends of temperance generally
in Maine:
The undersigned, in behalf of the State Tenn
perance Committee, beg leave to call your at
tention to the following action of the CONGRESS
sonal Temperance Society at their meeting
held in the city of Washington on the 18th
ult.:
Believing that the habitual use of intoxicating Ii
quors as beverage causes poverty. suffering and
crime; that there is safety alone in total binence
ana that personal pledges and cooperative efforts
tend to secure and maintain such abstinence, the
Congressional TempeIa Society sug gests and
ommenas to tne ministers and the churches, to all
anthropc and patriotic throughout the laad to hold
simultaneous meetings in their several townships
and city wards on the 22d of February next The
birthday of Washington, and to unite in the organi-
cation of union temperance societies based on the
simple pledge total abs inence fiom all that intox-
icaes and TO adopt practical measures to nave such
pledge presented to every man, woman and child
over ten years of age. There are millions OF menu
bers OF Christian churches, millions OF children in
the SABBATH and public schools, and millions of
others, who, it is believed, might be persuaded to
pledge their fath truth and honor to wholly abstain
from the use OF intoxicating dInks and this society
believe that 1t concerted, vigorous and persistent
effort were made, onefourth il third of the
nation, would in few months be thus pledged and
enrolled.
The above recommendation was unanimous
ly adopted by the State Temperance Conyen-
ton recently held in the city of Auburn, and
an earnest hope was expressed that it be fully
carried out in every part of the State. In
Wnat more appropriate way can the day be
celebrated? So varied are the circumstances
OF the people in the different parts of the State
that we would not presume to present any pro-
gramme that should be universally adopted.
We would suggest the holding of public mass
tenn perance meetings in each city, town and
plantation in the State, in all the various re-
!lglous denominations, and temperance organ
lzations, and that citizens generally should
unite and present the case in its various as
poets in such manner as they may deem best.
AND also that measures be taken to present the
pledge of total abstinence for signature to every
n an, woman and child within the several mu-
inequalities.
We take the liberty to further invite every
pastor and minister in the State to introduce
the subject Cf temperance Into his sermon on
the preceding Sabbath, and to urge upon its
people the Importance of observing the day as
In this connection allow us to say that the
State Temperance Committee as such, are in
no way connected with any political temper
ance organization. While the State Temper
ance Convention considered the temperance
cause in oil its varied aspects, legal and moral
it did not as such, identity itsAlf "ns po-
litical organization