Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-31
Temperance Meeting In Gardiner.


he Grand Division of the Sons OF TEN
perance closed its session in Gardiner with a
public temperance meeting in johnson Hall
Thursday evening. The unfayorabe state of
the weather prevented full attendance, al
though some 100 persons were present.
Hon. Joshua Gray called the meeting to
ord-r and nominated Hon. John Berry as
President of tie evening. Mr.. Berry apollo
piz,d for The unavoidable absence Of two Of
the speakers who had been announccd-I Hon.
Neal Dow and Joshua Nyc. Esq, and said he
would call upon 5. L. Carleton to make the
opening remarks.
Mr.. Carleton spoke humorously of the un-
expected cali upon linn, and Their he urged
the need OF the rc-enactmcnt of the clause
providing imprisonment for the first offence,
and the State Police bill, which had been
abolished by lot of politicians without the
consent Of the people aad against their wishes.
He denounced the present municipal govern
mcnt of Portland, and said that the law could
be enforced there ly efficient officers. The
temperance men bad GIiyen the republican
party to elect a pure t@nperanv, Governor,
ard lie hoped we tad legislature that would
re-cnact the. State Polio, bill and provide I'M
pGsonnent tor the first offence.
/ j. ). Kimball, Lsq, of Bangor, tAcn adj
dressed the meeting ard urged ths necessity
Of drawing tho nun-woyking temperance peo-
pie OF the State into the various organization
So long as they keep aloof We woe. 4
advantage He considered that les.l and
moral measures should be used together. We
had been TOO apt to neglect the latter.
The President then called upon Hon. sid
ney Perham. the Governor elect, to address
thc meeting. aud characterized hin as man
he had always known as being on the right
side. NJ. Perham was received by the audi
ence with great applause. He sad that when
he was boy, he was impressed with the great
evils of incompetence which he saw every
where around linn, and that, urged by a
mothers advice, he determined to abstain
! from tie use of intoxicating liquors. This
| pledge lac | vi kept, and whatever success he
had been able to obtain in lie, was due to his
early resolution. He ,aid lie knew many who
cause, who had become discouraged and had
thrown OFF the harness. This was poor poll
cy. Evils still exists. bat should churches be
| given up, and reli yous effort cease because of
! it: No. We do not 70 reason; and there was
the saline argument II favor of continuing the
work to suppress intemperanc'. He contend
| cd that the cause had advanced. and cited tie
gain taat had been made since he was a boy,
when liquor WAS deemed necessity at ali
gatherings, and necessary article in every
house. lie also compared the difference in
morals between our State and those where
| they had no temperance onactments. He
urged constant work. AMI the great need Of
keeping the arguments in favor of temperance
constantly before the people and especially
the Young. Notwithstanding the success OF
our previous efforts. danger still turks around
the best of men unless they are fixed in the
principle of total abstinence. We are bur
dened with heavy taXationS. yet we bear with
| out "A murtnur tax Of $1,000, 000,0 annually
10 support the liquor traffic. No other equally
tax heavy Won be borne so quietly. The late
war was indeed 4 calamity; how many fami-
| lies mourn the loss of dear ones who fell but
within the last e hit wears we have spent more
money and lost more lives in supporting the
drinking habits of the people, than in main
tanning the supremacy of the government,
over the organized efforts OF the rebels. We
thought that to draft our young men to fight
on the battle-ield a terrible thing, but the
! draft demanded by intempcrance was still
worse. Tie draft upon US by the death of
$4,000 drunkards annually is constantly made
good by new recruits, which come from the
ranks of moderate drinkers. Here lies our
danger. We have accomplished much
already-perhaps half our work. We need
now to explode the idea that alchohol is de-
manded as medicine. The doctors and the
people generally should be educated up to
tins fact. That the people of the State had
become convinced that prohibitory law is
needed, he thought TO be established. We
want better public sentiment to back it.
We want more active work in churches and
temperance organizations or we shall go back
wards. We certainly need what laws we have
and a better enforcement OF them. Let US use
the means we now have to execute these laws,
and then if further legislation is needed the
fact will become apparent, The audience
listened with very close attention to Mr.. Per-
hams remarks and they were very generally
commended.
The singing by the choir under the direction
of Mrs. G, S. Stevens of Gardiner which
was sandwiched between the speaking, added
greatly to the interest of the gathering.
PARK House, BosroN- This house, locat-
| ted at lS7 Washington street, Boston has re-