The Portland daily press., 1878-02-28

| Sagadahoc-R w. Adams, Bath.
Somerset-H. G. Munson, Skowhegan.
| Wado-Geo. e. Brackett, Belfast.
Washipgton-J. w. Lyman, Machias.
! York;. w. Morton, Kennebunk
Rev. j. r. Day, of the Committee on Reso-
lutions, reported the following, which were
adopted:
| work, and that we. each one of us, pledge to the
| officers elected here to-day, an active and hearty
cooperation with them in the furtherance of every
| measure which they may inaugurate to promote the
| cause of Temperance.
Resolved,-That this Alliance extends to all other
Temperance organizations cordial greeting of love
| and sympathy, and we declare it to be the mission
| of this organization to affiliate and cordially
co-operate with every other temperance organization
in the state in the prosecution of the work of the
temperance REFORM and that our field of labor shall
| be such unoccuped territory as the extent OF our
Resotued-That our executive officers be instructed
| to studiously avoid any interference with the
legitimate work OF other organizations, bat in every
branch of the temperance work in which we may
engage, to seek to make this Alliance the sympathetic
central point around which may cluster all efforts tor
| the furtherance OF the great temperance reform.
Resolyed-That the thanks of the Alliance are
due to the of the entire State for the generous
manner in which they have responded to our
demands for notices, and the publication of the call
for this meeting. and we tender them our sincere
thanks for their liberahty aud kindness.
Gov. Dingley was then called to the chair
and spoke briefly. He said it was to him al
ways an honor to preside at temperance
meeting Understanding the object of the
| Alliance as do, it is the executive committee
| of all other organizations. This organization
is to concentrate all interests We are an as
ISOLATION of temperance men and women all
| over the state. This association may be the
means of much good.
Mr.. Kingsbury introduced the Rev. John
Allen to the meeting. He said that he was an
old stoger, having baen interested in the tenn
perance cause for So years. 1 believe we are
about ready to take high grounds on the qaes-
ton of using liquor as medicine. He said he
had not used liquor for upwards of 80 years
| and he did not think that he should do SO now.
| Mr.. Plunkett of Yarmouth, spoke strongly
against the use Of liquor as medicine, and
denounced the liquor agencies in the strongest
| terms.
The meeting then adjourned until evening.
The Evening Meeting.
| In the evening very largely attended and
| enthusiastic temperance rally was held at CITY
Hall. The platform was occupied by promi-
| nent workers in the temperance cause. Ex-
| Governor Dingley, President Of the Alliance,
| presided in his usual graceful manner. The
meeting was opened by Rev. John Allen, who,
| in his characteristic manner, stepped forward
| and repeated the first psalm, and then followed
| with fervent prayer for the success Of the
| temperance cause.
A select choir then sang one of the GOSPEL
hymns.
Letters were read from W. NJ Thayer, Sec
rotary of the Massachusetts, State Alliance, T.
r. Simanton of Camden and Ex-Gov A P.
Morrill,, regretting their inability to be present
The following is the letter Of Ex-Gov. Morrill,:
READFIELD, Feb. &c, 1873.
My Dear SRI had intended without fail, to
be at the temperance meeting in your city to-
morrow, but regret to say, shall not be able
to do so. l feel that the organization proposed
to be formed may be of great service to the
good cause which is now so decidedly advance
ing, and taking deeper root in the hearts of the
people. The recent grand defeat of the apothe-
carries movement before the Legislature is most
significant of the power and watchfulness of
the temperance people of Maine. and their de-
termination that rum shops shall be abated,
rather than multiplied under any pretepce
whatever. The Importance and completeness
of the victory by the friends of temperance can
only be fully appreciated by considering the or
ganized and methodcal manner in which the
enemy prepared for and made the attack, and
the great unanimity with which they were de-
feated before the committee, and also before
the Legislature AS Mr.. Baker, counsel for the
petitioners, would insist, sneerngy, that the OPP
posers to the rem0nstrance were women and
children, let it be conceded and remembered,
as the defeat of the apothecares by the tenn
perance women and children of Maine. If l
felt disposed to tender the counsel any measure
of coincidence in view of his ardent effort and
crushing defeat, would direct his attention to
the case described by the poet Barker. of an as
sault made upon an advancing railroad train
near Etna bog.
Mr. Dana, who labored zealously for his
brother apothecaries as representative of Port
land, avoided all unjust criticism of the remon-
strants and advocated licensing ali apothecaries
on the high ground Of humanity. Reading Mr..
Dana's speech almost persusdes me that he
may be an honest man, but evidently mono
maniac on the liquor question. Why, he grave
~ told the House that in their decision were
involved "the issues of life and DEATH On
enquiry, Il is said, no instance could be found
where life had been lost for the want of intox-
eating liquors, but all could state innumerable
instances where everything worth living for,
and life ITSELF had been destroyed BY the use of
intuxicants. So the House, III to 25, saw life
only in denying the prayer Of the petitioners.
| rejoice sincerely that the women and chill
perance. IL is the chow of promise that our
state shall not again be deluged with intoxicat-
ing liquors. Those temperance cadets, who
now proudly wear its badges and join in re-
spectful protest against the increase of rum
shops, will soon reach the stage of manhood
with the armor of temperance firmly girt about
them. Oh, let US Hold the Fort until that
gallant reserve arrives to assume the duties of
the hour, and maintain the integrity of the
great cause of temperance and freedom.
Very respectfully yours,
ANsoN P. MORRILL,
f. G. Rich, Esq, Portland, Me-
Mr.. Dingley, upon being introduced to the
meeting said that he was gratiied to meet SO
many Of the friends of Temperance. He said
that he had many times been asked if it was
| true as had been stated time, time and again
that our prohibitory laws were failure To
| meet these remarks, and at the request of sew
| eral gentlemen he had taken pains to look up
some statistics touching on the matter. He
then presented official facts showing the condi-
ton of Maine with referenc to the liquor traffic
in 1880, and its condition tsday Statistics col
| lected and published in 1882 by Secretary Pond
| Of the Maine State Temperance Association,
| showed that with population of only $4,000,
| there were 1000 places or bars in which intoxi-
| eating liquors were openly sold as beverage
| -one grog shop to every 225 men, women and
| children. Nearly every store and tavern sold
| liquor by the glass. The sales of these 1000
/ places were ten million dollars annually, MAIN
| ly cheap rum, or 500 for each inhabitant. At
| that time Maine was in the same condition as
| to the use of intoxicating liquors as other
| states Since then there has been some i'm
| pr0voment IN the country at large. STATISTICS
| compiled in 1872 by Mr.. Young of the internal
Revenue Department, show that the sales of
Intoxicating liquors in the United States for the
| previous year were about six hundred million
dollars or l6 per nhabtant. Later estimates
swell the sales to seven hundred millions, with
the increase of population. This puts the
average sale and consumption of liquors in this
country, at the present time at SIG for every
man, woman and child-a marked gain for the
whole country.
But Maine has gained much more than the
country as whole. Last year the sales of
liquor by the hundred town agencies in the
state, ostensibly for medical and mechanical
purposes, were nearly 100000; or, with our
present population of 625,000, about 10 cents
per inhabitant. Instead of 1000 open bars as
we had in 1882, which with our present popula-
tion would proportionally give about $500 now,
so far as can learn there is no bar or place in
our state where liquor is openly sold in known
defiance of law. How much there is secretly
sold is largely matter of conjecture The
friend of temperance think not over $500 600
making the aggregate sales in the state $500, 000
| or 81 per inhabitant The widest enemies Of
temperance do not set the aggregate sales high
er than one million dollars, or less than So per
l ;uho Infant Cnnpaia EVAN this hiph estimate