Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-15
COUNTY NEWS.


temperance convention in Dudley.
The Worcester central district temperance
union held their annual meeting in the Congre-
gatonal church in Dudley Centre, yesterday.
Owing to the snow, and the fact of the place of
meeting being several miles distant from the
depot, the attendance was not large, but the
proceedings were quite spirited and interesting.
Chester Hastings of MiIlbury presided, and
Caleb A. Wall of Worcester was secretary, in
the absence of the regular officers of the asSo-
citation. The proceedings were opened with
prayer by Rev. D. Wait of Oxford. Messrs.
VIM. Mccorney Of Worcester, Ora Goodell of
Millbury, and John Johnson of Dudley were
appointed a committee to report list of Of
ficers for the year ensuing. Mr.. Meconey
read a letter from Rev. Samuel May of Lei
cester, expressing his thanks for the honor of
the position OF president during the past year,
and declining reelection.
Rev. A. P, Burgess, editor of the Temperance
Press, of Boston, and agent of the state temper
ancc alliance, was then introduced, and made an
eloquent and able address ON the present aspect
of the cause, which he claimed to have gained
strength and progressed largely during the past
year, among the masses, as the result of the in
creased work through the various agencies and
organizations, the holding of meetings. teaching
in the schools, &c. We had ample reason to
thank God, and go forward with hopeful spirit
in the good work.
The committee on resolutions, consisting of
lthiel johnson of Webster, Rev. d. Wait of Ok
ford, and Russell Titus of South Sutton, report
ed the following series, which were laid ON the
table for discussions
Resolved that the present liquor law is wholly
inadequate to the suppression of the sale OF ntoXi-
eating liquors.
Resolved, tnat the only hope for the temperance
cause Is in the success of the prohibitOry party.
Resolved, that we must look to a thOrOugh-g DING
temperance training of the household for the per
manent influence of correct temperance principles
at large.
State constable Solomon Shumway of Web
ster, as one Of the oldest officers in the county,
having served as deputy sheriff for over twenty
five years. was called upon to lead off in the dis
cussion of the first resolution He said the
fault was not so much in the law, however much
it might be bettercd, as in the lack of its proper
enforcement. He said every place in the district
assigned to him, comprising the six towns of
Webster, Dudley, Southbridge, Oxford, Stur-
bridge and Charlton, had been visited by him,
and the law enforced so far as it could be done
with its present provisions, The amendment
most needed was one to enable officers to
search the pockets. He then went on 10
describe the manner of the latest STYLE of retain
ing liquor, with which he had of late to CON
tend. This was by means of bottles carried in
the pockets of the dealers, so as to evade seiz-
ure or interference from the officers. As an il
lustration, he said that many large dealers in
some places have large quantities of liquor
stored in their neighbors' cellars, from which
they often replenish their hat-shaped bottles,
carried upon their persons, with the requisite
utensils, and thence doled out to customers.
This was the rarest "striped pig" dodge of mod
ern times. The beer clause was alluded to as a
fatal defeat of the present law
Remarks followed by Russell Titus, Rev. d.
Wait, Rev. A. p. Burgess, Ithiel Johnson of
Webster, John johnson of Dudley, and j. f.
Manning of Worcester, in denunciation of the
beer clause, and showing its bad effects in the
towns where the sales had been legalized. They
claimed that stringent prohibitory law of the
kind asked for could be impartially and
strictly enforced in the cities as well as in the
towns, with such officers and men to assist in it
as the one to whom they had listened. Mr..
Manning favored Imprisonment in all cases in-
stead of fines for convictions for selling liquor
The first resolution was then passed unani-
mously.
The second resolution was then taken up, and
gave rise TO an extended discussion. Messrs.
Mecorney, johnson and Titus, and Rev. Messrs.
Burgess, Wait, Noon and Pratt favored it, and
Mr. Manning and others opposed it, 1t was
passed by nearly unanimous vote.
The third resolution was then taken up, and
after remarks in favor by Mr.. Mecorney and
others, it was laid over until the next meeting
for further discussion.
Mr.. Mcconey, from the committee on officers
Tor the next year, reported the following list,
which was adopted:
President-Rev. j. H. Windsor of Grafton.
Vice Presdents-Rev. Elnathan Davis OF Auburn,
Or. NJ. d. Southwick of Blackstone, Rev. VIM. t.
Briggs of East Douglas w. l.. Davis of Dudley,
Leicester, Chester Hastings of Milbury, Rev. D.
wait OF Oxford, Il. II hutchinson of Sutton Geo
Proctor Of Spencer, Geo. W. Hobbs OF UXbridge
+. W. Dudley of Whitinsville, c. C.. Corbin of Web
ster, .. >. Foster of Worcester
secretary and Treasurer-S. ID. King of Sutton
1t was voted to hold the nextquarterly session
in Grafton, on the second Wednesday iu March
After vote of thanks to the state alliance
Tor the services of Mr.. Burgess in addressing the
convention, and to the ladies of Dudley for
their ample collation., the convention adjourned.
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The small pox is increasing in New York and
Brooklyn.