The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-28

on the One Side, and Ex-Gov. Perham
and Major Shorey on the Other.
The Good Templars meeting at Clark's
Grove, Hollis, yesterday drew an audience OF
about 300 in the morning and 500 in the after
noon.
Judge Kingsbury presided in the forenoon
and addresses were made by Mr.. Mcdonald
and P H. Murphy of Portland, Hon. Samuel
Capper of England and Col. Millett of Gorham
In the afternoon Rev. Thomas lyric OF
Gorham presided, and the meeting was ad-
dressed by Gen. Dow, Mr. Capper Ex-Gov
Perham, andrew j. Chase and Major Shorey.
In the morning no reference were made to
the late disagreement at Augusta except by
Mr. Mcdonald. In the afternoon the matter
was dwelt upon, Gen. Dow opening the dis
cussion. Gen. Dow said
MIR. BOWS SPEECH.
assume that the good people assembled
here are friends of the temperance cause. At
this busy season it is not to be supposed that
persons unfrendly to the cause, or Indifferent
to it. would be likely to leave their farm work,
so pressingsas it is just now, to be present at
this-meetng. We are all animated then, by
Ou6 PURPOSE, VIZ. W pun away lTOU1 lu0 peOplO
as far as possible, the temptation to intemper-
ance, and that can only be done by the abso-
lutte suppression of the traffic in intoxicating
drinks, and the eXtinguishment of the grog
shops, and this is entirely matter of votes.
We have learned by long experience in this
country, that great movement like this has,
and can have no force, unless it has votes be-
hind it. The anti-slavery people thirty years
ago discovered that and organized their forces
at the ballot box, where in time they won.
RtrfI dNJ,n had
of scorn, contempt ridicule, insult and violent
opposition, their peaceful meetings being often
broken up by mobs, some times led On by public
officers. But in the end they won.
Temperance men also, many years ago, ex-
perienced the same treatment. The first tenn
perance meeting l ever attended, presided
over by Gen. Samuel Fessenden, one of the
first men of Maine of his time, was broken up
by mob. Any other temperance meetings of
that time and in subsequent years, experienced
the same fate. The barns and houses of tenn
perance men were sometimes burned, their
orchards were often destroyed, their cattle
crippled OR killed by the enemies of temper
ance. There was great mob in Portland
twenty-five years ago. inStigated and Stimulat
ed by some OF the most prominent politicians
of that day, the most respectable people in
town, but the mob failed of it's purpose Since
that day we have had no temperance meetings
mobbed in Maine until the 22d of this MONTH
when a temperance convention was mobbed
dies led on by Republican otfice-holders The
| convention was driven to adjourn because its
business could not be transacted in conse-
| quence of the violence and outrage of this
mob. The mob of twenty-five years ago was
Wing; this one was Republican, deliberately
planned and carried out in the supposed inter-
| est of the Republican party.
| The Granite Hall was ours, hired and paid
I for by us, in which to hold our meeting The
| invasion of it by this mob, was as great an
| outrage against our rights as if it had broken
into our houses and driven US out, for a differ
ence OF opinion or for any other reason. L do
not think it too much to say that three-fourths
| OF the Republican party are temperance men;
| yet few rum Republicans at Augusta, in the
name OF the party. and in its supposed
| interests, trampled our rights under foot with
| injurious epithets, with insult and outrage,
| and drove us out of our own hall, and violent
ly prevented us from considering the matters
which we were assembled to discuss. The
| meeting was called for consultation but by
| noise and outrage we were shut off from that
very much mistake the temper of the tenn
| perance men OF Maine if they continue to up
| hold party which tramples upon the dearest
rights OF the citizens-that of meeting peace
fully and freely discussing any question what
| ever that may be Of interest to them. I may
| say this boldly, because am thoroughly a
| Republican. will not concede that there is
| IN the country member of that party more
| true to its professions and principles than am,
| but will never help it in action against free
| speech, more than l would against free man
l am temperance man first, and Republi-
can second, to the extent of my ability I will
| stand by this cause against all attacks from
whatever quarter they may come. The pres
| ent State Executive is the only one we have
| had since the organization of the Republican
| party, not in harmony with the temperance
cause and with prohibition, and it will be for
| temperance men to determine what duty to the
cause will require Of them.
| AT the close of Gen. BOWS remarks Gov.
Perham replied substantially as follows:
| Ex-GOv. PERTAINS SPEECH.
He commenced by saying those accustomed
| to hear him speak on occasions like this will
| bear him witness that it is his practice to dis
cuss the subject of temperance from stand
point above mere party politics. But the re-
| marks OF the gentleman who had preceded
him compelled him to refer to the position of
the two parties on this question. Nothing
could pain him more than to be obliged to take
issue with his old friend, Gen. Dow, but he
could not be true to his convictions end do
otherwise. He had never heard Gen. Dow
talk in this way before, but this is due to the
fact, he presumed, that he never before had
| heard him speak as Presidential candidate
Gen. Dow has warned you to be on your guard
against anything he might say by declaring
in substance, that of course office seekers and
office holders are expected to maintain party
rule. He trusted, however, that his record as
|
a sufficient guarantee that he could be true tc
the cause OF temperance whether in or out Of
office. Gen. Dow had declared that the Repub
lican party is the barrier that stands in the
way of the success OF the cause of temperance
and that this party must be put down or tenn
perance in Maine must go the wall; that this
year is especially good time to strike the
blow. because it is more likely to be fatal. NJ
man knows better than Gen. Dow that since
the formation of the Republican party all the
| rrnh 10 xuc md oil fhn G.,
their enforcement have come through the Re
publican party; that generally the temperate,
men have only found it necessary to state the
wishes to have them accepted; and he knows
as l know, that the temperance sentiment o
the party has been growing stronger, and il
stronger today than ever before.
Ii the General really desires to secure TIN
repeal of the prohibitory law he has but to Sc
cure the defeat of the Republican party, a
was done in 1856, when the law was repealed
and a license law enacted. And Cunning t.
Mr.. Capper, of England, who was on the plat
form) if prohibition and its enforcement il
Maine has in any way aided our friends on tn
other side of the water it has been done by an,
through the Republican party And if in tn
future they shall be encouraged by our success
in Maine, it will be because of more advance
ground taken upon this question by the sam
Republican party.
Gov. Perham, in the course of his remarks
doubted the assertion of Gen. Dow that Re
|
Arson P. Morrill,, had interfered with the Au
gusta temperance convention, whereat Gen
Dow appealed to Col. Millett, of Gorham VIII
was present. The Colonel discounted Gen
Dow about seven hundred, saying he though
there might have been three hundred present
Gov. Perham, in closing, declared himself a
both temperance man and Republican, an
he intended so to vote as to best promote tn
interests of both. There are other importan
questions before the people this year than tina
of temperance, one of which is the all-impol
tant question as to whether the votes given TO
any party shall be honestly counted.
A. J. Chase, Esq, of Deering followed Gov
| Perham.
MR.. CHAsEs SPEECH.
Mr.. Chase made severe arraignment G
the Republican party for its failure to enforc
prohibition. He alleged that there were 3
open rum shops in Augusta, and that in Bath
Gardiner and Bangor the traffic was com
paratively unrestricted. Republicans wer
responsible for this, and for one he propose
to hold them to that responsibility. He ha
not decided whether to purify the party b
stepping outside its ranks or to continue tn
fight inside the party lines. He Charge