The Portland daily press., 1874-02-28
Temperance Mass Convention.
Grand Rally at City Hall,
GOV. DINGLEY ANNOUNCES HIS
POSITION.
SPEAKING BY MANY MEN.

The assemblage of the advocates of and SYM
pathizers in the temperance movement in the
State assembled at City Hall yesterday morn
ing. The hall was about half filed, there be-
ing fair sprinkling of ladies' At 10 30 the
meeting was called to order by Rev. j. NJ Palm
mer, who announced as the temporary organi-
cation Dr. George E. Brckett of Augusta, Pres
ident, and Messrs. David o. Foye of Bath, and
L. NJ. Webb of Portland, as Secretaries. An
appropriate prayer was then made by Rev. Dr.
Smaller of this CITY,
On motion of Mr.. A. w. Clark of Waldo
boro, committee of nine was appointed to
effect permanent organization. The chair
appointed as that committee A. w. Clark Of
Waldoboro, j. w. Munger of Portland, Rev.
w. III. Bartlett of Kennebunk, Rev. j. ID. EN-
erson of Biddeford, j. d. Anderson of Gray,
John A. Mace of Belfast, w. + Merrill of
Deering, ID. c. Moulton of Falmouth, L. b.
Chapman of Deering.
On motion of A. j. Chase of Portland, q
business committee of five was appointed The
chairman named as members of that commit
tee A. j. Chase of Portland, j. E. Hazeltine of
Portland, H. M. Bryant of Lewiston, F. A.
Smith of Portland, Rev. II. c. Munson of Tur-
ner.
After the appointment of the committees the
chairman called upon Rev. G.. w. Bcknell of
Portland, for speech. Mr.. Bcknell not being
present, Mr.. I'll. NJ. Bryant of Lewiston, was
called to the platform and addressed the meet
ing.
Mr.. Bryant said the question of temperance
was paramount issue, and as a subject of ma
tional interest and anxiety, was taking quite
as prominent place in the thoughts of the
| pubic as once did the evil of slavery. Maine
| mas bright record on the temperance ques-
ton, record which should not be furnished
The OBJECT of this meeting is to call public at
| tention to the temperance cause and 90 the olo-
rious crusade in the West. There are laws
enough on the statute book in all conscience
Inc trouble is in their Don-enforcement The
blame OF this nou enforcement rests upon the
| citizens, and upon no one else If the people
demand enforcement then enforcement there
| will be. If there are five hundred rum shops
In the city of Portland, the people of that city
| are to ulame, and no Others If there be thee
rum murders in single week in that city its
citizens are to blame, because they do not aid
| to form public sentiment which shall render
| these things impossible.
| Rev. j. M. Palmer of this city was the next
speaker. He said the State the nation the
world even looked to Portland for her position
on the temperance question. Maine is regard
ed almost as the typical temperance State, and
Portland is her ehies city. DIR, Hills state
ment that he saw more drunkenness in Port
land during the last six months than he ever
before saw in his life and that the prohibitory
law is a failure, has been copied far and wide
Now It is ridiculous to say that the law is fail
ure 1t is imperative. Not finger is lifted
to enforce it, There are 800 open rum shops in
the city to-day, the City Marshal Informs me.
This condition of affairs is damnable shame.
The only remedy is to withhold our votes from
the men who neglect to enforce the law they
1 hnU suTar fn f1A nsf
ment will not stop the rum traffic we must tell
| its members that they can't have our votes We
have no personal feeling against these men, but
we shall not support them for office. We must
| do as the antl-slavery apostles did, nominate
our men and stick to them through defeat as
through victory.
At this point the committee on permanent or
ganization came in and Mr. Palmer brought his
remarks to close, saying that either temper
ance must never be mentioned, or else only tenn
perance men be pnt in nomination and support
ed. Any other course any talk about social in
| fuence merely, is a sham.
The committee on permanent organization
eported as follows:
PRESIDENT.
His Excellency Gov. Nelson Dingley, Jr.
VICE PRESIDENTS.
Joshua Nye, of Kenuebec.
w. w. Thomas, of Cumberland.
John A. Mace OF Waldo.
Hon. E. w. Stetson of Lincoln.
Rev. John Stevens, of York.
Rev. Zenas Thompson, Of Androscoggin.
Hon. Sidney Perham of Oxford.
G. o. Payson, of Knox.
| Marcus Wight, of Som erset.
| NJ. G. Prentiss Of riscataquis.
| N. b. Mutt of Washington.
David Q. Foye, of Sagadahoc.
Moses Stone, of Franklin.
SECRETARIES.
| L. NJ. Webb, of Portland.
| w. +. Morrill,, of Deering
John Richards of Waldoboro.
The chairman then introduced the President,
Gov. Dingley, saying by way of preface, that
the fault in the matter of non-prohibition was
not that of the officers, but of the citizens gen.
orally.
Gov. Dingley was received with applause as
he stepped forward. He said that as a temper
ance man he remained to this meeting, though
| business at Augusta demanded his attention.
He expressed his strong sympathy with the OBJ
jects of the gathering, and spoke warmly of
the necessity OF creating public sentiment in
favor of temperance. The enforcement of law
depends in a large measure upon this public
| sentiment. The abuse of this sentiment does
not excuse dereliction of duty on the part of
onieefs, however. The present prohbtory law
4 q
the county of Androscoggin with its two cities.
there is not single open dram shop, and drunk
enness is rare. Owing to the enforcement of
tne law 10 tnat county the evils of intemper-
ance are kept within the closest possible limits
1t does not entirely accomplish Its object We
have statutes against theft, but there are thieves
| stll; we have laws against murder, but there
| are murde-ers still. No human statute entirely
| aecomplishes its objects The prohibitory law
when enforced, is as effective as Others Sill.
| as the 'asls OF law, we need moral suasion. In
society, in the church, in the charitable and
other associations, in all places where men
| gather together this subject should b. agitated
| Law can only supplement moral suasion. Law
| Is necessary for moral suasion alone cannot ac-
| complish its object. The temptation of the
open dram shop must be taken from out the
| path of the reformed man Law and moral
suaslon must 60 hand in hand. Too little at
tention has been paid to moral suasion and too
| much to law.
The Governor strongly condemned any local
officer who neglected to enforce the law for tear
| of interfering with the sheIiffs. The primary
] duty of enforcement is with them. They know
| the haunts of wee, they can best suppress the
dram shops. The duty of the sherffs is only
| supplementary, or at least concurrent. A sher-
III of the county of Cumberland told the s,..ak k
| e. that he would be glad to have the assis suee
| OF the local officers, for he nee led it, L have
given orders to every sherlH in the State to en-
force the law. They are doing their best Let
the local officers support them, and create a
local public sentiment which will sustain these
local officers 1t is the local feeling which too
often paralyzes the officers. We cannot expect
them TO heartily dc their duty unle SIS we extend
to them our sympathy and support. One of the
greatest works for men to do in those localities
where the law is not enforced is to 20 to the
| officers and tell them that you support them
You must manifest the true public sentiment
which really exists. Unless they think them
selves supported they become faint hearted.
| The foundations of the movement must be laid
| by the public press and the church oil Christ.
| A great work has been done during the past
forty years by the veterans of the temperance
cause, and the progress is encouraging but
much remains to do. Gov. Dingley closed by
| pledging himself to do all in his power. This
| declaration was greeted with warm applause.
TIE business committee reported a pro-
gramms for the days exercises, which was
adopted.
Ihe following were constituted committee
on resolutions:
Hon j. Nye, Augusta.
j. w. Donnigan Bangor
y. NJ. Palmer, Portland.
Rev. j. X. Day, Ba h.
Q. NJ. Bailey, Winthrop.
+. III. Starbrd, Falmouth.
J. w. Munger, Portland.
III. Harrington. Waldnhoro