Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-02-13
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH
Daily Aennebte 5ournal
TEMPERANCE MEETING At VA
TERNILLE.

Special Despatch to the Daily kenneblc journal. I
WArERvILLE, February y. At large tenn
pelance meeting held here, this evening, Gen
James A. Hall oil Damaliscoita, addressed the
people. The following is an abstract Of his
speech:
This question has now resolved itself into one
OF self protection for the people Of this county.
Ii matters but little in what line YOU work, that
you driving at the same end, namely, tue abol
ition of the traffic in the whole country 1t is not
a question of whether or not it Js,esses medici-
mai qualities, how and where you can obtain 1t ::
whether druggists, agents or anybody else shall be
licensed TO sell but whether the American people
have vitality aud tact sufficient to shake oil the
curse. The record OF the past tlty years proves
that there is not single family In the land that
has not IN some way, somehow suffered from the
evil, either remotely or recently. IL has become
prolific source OF murder, ana the wonder to-day
ought 10 be, not that We are hagghng and va ell
laung about h0c and where we can obtain the
miserable stuff for medicine y hut because we
are not awake to the enormous iur ads the traffic
| is making upon the lines of our country men.
Radicals! Bigotsl Narrow minded men, cry
those no are pl. aiding for a Compensation in the
interest oil THIS monster.
We'll, ii has ALWAYS been. Luke warm men,
tmid ayercious men, in the days of American
slavery, cou4d resolve declare aLd prdy against
tue peculiar lbstlutlOhi Dul so lai a. &C lJu went
| this class OF people were at injury rather tLan a
help TO The cause OF freedom. What destroyed
slavery IN this land, pray tell Us was it Iadicai-
| ism OF conservatism 30 shall II be with Iutem-
| pelaIce Radicasm aud that Of the severt It
| kind, VII have to do the work. Bigots well,
my friends, long since learned that not unfl e.
queLtly msu judged his foow-Delngs by what
existed behind his own eyes-not what he Dehcld
| IN front Uf them.
The very argument of the learned lawyer, a few
| o. ~ ttsp ia
shoAs what awful places town az ncI,s have been
! and how few then. are now 10 eNi isltn nee.
| If place, Instituted by the officers OF munc-
| palliy where ali the Inhabitants responsible,
and the agent under bonds liable to be removed
| by the municipal officers by whom appointed,
where he must Keep all open record OF sales, and
has, or should have no interest IN the prohts; il
sucn provision coutamiuates every bouy con. ect-
ed with 1t, agent officers, patrons aud peoI e, (and
| AIN inclined to thuk IL does) where the Assur-
| snce tnat those who might handle it, under the
proposed bil would not fall into difficulties :
1he fact that there are So lew agencies III Maine,
proves that the people OF the state are appi oach
ing the position now taken oy some OF The most
eminent aud celebrated pns ssclans of the world,
! that it Is not necessary as a medicine.
One Of two things must be admitted, either the
| cause was very bad one or the advocate must
have been extremely incompetent since he failed
J to convince more than one ninth of the commit
tee. Ou who know the ability oi the advocat- IN
| this case, will agree with me- that the later Of
| these declarations is not the fact
10 make proper application OF lawyers ar
| gument, you want to know which side Employed
him, and must bear In mind that some of the very
best men OF that profession would plead ably and
eloquently. ii applied 10, and tue fee lnerefIr was
paid, IN defence Uf the ASSASSIN who might wlliu-
y murder without cause, the best citizen oi all the
| kennebec valley.
The temperance cause IN Maine has never suf-
fel ed from radical advocates; bat iIOm iukewarm
support on the part of pretended friends, added 10
| the fact that some so called temperance men have
| recognized the claInor for the use OF lIqpOr in
some forms, as just. Ihe rum power Is slriklng
Temperance people must strike back, and That IN
the Oldest possible manner.
This tia atfic murdered our ancestors, has slain
the men-t our generation, aud to-day Is the
| black dc aIh OF AmerIca snd to such extent
has IL fastened upon our citizenship that the thing
we have to meet al this time Is this; Either thls
traffic civil Institutions must 20 to the wall.
A ii men aud all women who believe Ia the cause,
every organization, and every church, every
clergy man and every deacon, every Class leader,
and every sabbath school teacher, every body
every where who believe III suppIesslug the traffic
and who have not become numo TO all seLs sb,y,
must put forth tleII personal influence, and assist
the effort which is now being made, the advance
line oi which Is forming found the capita, at
W NashlpRtOn.