The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-05-02
Mr. Randall Rises to Explain.

10 Me Eult0f o. C2e ffeSS.
In your issue of 2Sth inst noticed an article
referring to myself in which the writer lin re-
ferring to the action Of the Grand Lodge of
Good Tenlplars upon the cider question: says
The fact that the gentleman who introduced
the resolution and most persistently advocated
it in the recent meeting was the same one who,
as member of the committee of the State
Temperance Convention to present its views
before the Legislature asked That body to take
the very action upon the subject that it did, is
passing strange"
The writer of the above either did rot know
the views 1 advocated before the Temperance
committee of the Legislature, or he designed to
misrepresent me. T did not directly or indi-
rectly "ask that body to take the very action
upon the subject that it did," That action was
wholly unexpected to me and I have no doubt
to every friend of temperance in Maine. More
over this action, if I do not mistake, was not in
harmony. with either the majority OF minority
reports of the Temperance Com. have not the
proceedings of the Legislature at hand, but if
mistake not, this action was introduced by Mr.
VintOn of Gray as an entirely independent
measure or az substitute for both reports
When the Committee of the State Temperance
Convention appeared before the Committee of
the Legislature, l expressly stated that the
Committee of the STATE Temperance Conven-
ton had not time for consultation since their
appointment; that they had no measure to rec
ommend, but that they wanted such change of
the law of 1872 as would entirely prevent cider
selling and cider tipping in the State. 1 fur
Their said that personally would prefer that
the word solder should be stricken out of the
law of 1872, meaning of course section 3 of the
law flor that was the one under consideration
and leaving the question to be settled by the
general provisions of the law upon the subject,
for section of the law of 1872, and section %
of the 9th chapter of the Revised Statutes
would take care of the question fully. That
the Legislature did not do, but, on the contrary,
repealed section 2 of the law of 1872, which
amended section % of the Revised Statutes, in
Guiding cider" among the intoxicating liquors.
Section 3 of the same law was also repealed,
and section % of chapter q of Revised Statutes
revived This action virtually declares cider
not Intoxicating and throws open the indis-
criminata sale OF cider and wine to any one who
pleases to engage in it. This I never asked for.
1t is not very Important to the temperance
cause, whether the "Rev Mr. Randall took
this round about method to denounee himself"
or whether he seriously compromised his con-
sistency." The cause will live without him.
In a labor of more than forty years in the tenn
perance cause this is the first time l have been
accused of Inconsistency. But can stand it;
especially considering the source from whence it
came for, strongly suspect that the article un
der consideration was written by gentleman
who was present IN the Lodge, ana VINO mas
some senstiveness upon the action of the Lodge
in the case u. d. RANDALL.
Fairfield, April 30, 1873.
[The gentleman's assumptions as to the au
thorship of the article are entirely erroneous
The gentleman may not prepare his own ser
mons. but that fact should not lead him to con
clude that the editors of the Press do nor
write their editorials AS to the letter, he I'M
fortunately admits ali that the article stated.
w ED1