The Portland daily press., 1877-11-09
Citizens Tempe rance Meetings

The third meeting in the series opened with
large and intelligent audience, who main
tanned their close attention to the close.
Capt. j. B. Coyle was introduced as the pre-
siding oficer,of the evening, and in accepting
the position addressed the audience briefly in
his usual happy manner.
Prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr.. Morgan
CT the West End church.
Rev. j. r. Day of the Chestnut street Meth
odist church was introduced, and made a most
eloquent and effective speech. He said it was
important 10 all moral reforms that we have
good laws, and just in proportion to the faith
fitness of their execution will be the good
results accomplished; but the moral and re-
ligious law was above this. Law is the Frame
work-the skeleton; high moral sentiment is
the heart, the nerve, the muscle, the brain; and
prize most highly this moral movement which
seeks to reach the sentiment and heart of the
people. Thanks be to God, the subject of
temperance has been lifted up by good men.
who have been willing to sacrifice for it. A
prison is good thing for tie rumseller; he
better be there than poisoning our citizens by
his destructive traffic. But prisons do not re-
form men; there is nothing but the grace of
Jesus Christ that can save the drunkard; that
appetite that will wade through the tears of
wife and peril the homer of a child will not be
restrained or slaked by prison walls; but you
who have been Frustrated again and again may
rise up and stand forth free man by laying
hold of the gospel of Christ. He eloquently
appealed to drinking men to accept Christ as
the corner stone upon which to build. He
thought the church and clergy were all right
upon this subject, and their sympathy and
prayers vera with the temperance workers.
Rev. G. S. Perkins, of the Casco street Bap-
fist church, was the next speaker, and he fully
established himself in the minds of the audi
ence as an eloquent and effective temperance
speaker. He appealed earnestly to the men of
business to give their influence in this move
ment, and to lend their aid in rescuing young
men from the influence of drinking habits.
They can do as much, OR more, than the minis
tiers, because they come directly in contact with
the young, and have peculiar chances to infu-
ence and direct them in the path of good
works.
Mr.. George Murch spoke in behalf of the
reformed men of Portland, pedging them to do
oil III Iueir power 10 prove themselves upright
citizens. He said: Let the law take care of
the rumsellers, and we reformed men will do
all we can to save their victims he made a
good speech.
Mr.. III. M. Bryant of Lewiston then called
the audience up to join 10 the chorus while he
sung the air of "Glory Hallelujahr' with great
enthusiasm, many during the singing coming
forward and signing the pledge. Mr.. Bryant
then made one of his peculiar and persuasive
appeals fer drinking men to come forward and
sign the pledge; and, as if they couldn't help
it, they responded every time he appealed.
Mr.. Bryant has happy faculty of reading the
hearts of the drinking class, and his appeals
never fail of good results. He makes a most
pleasant and social "talk," and is always
greeted with hearty applause. He will be
present at all the meetings for the week.
This evening Gen. James A. Hall of Dam
sriscotta and Judge Talman of Bath will
make addresses, with several reformed men to
close