The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-20
DEMOCRATIC SIDE SHOW.
A Convention Run by Fusionists,
Soreheads and Democrats.
Osgood for Governor and stone for Con
gress.

was called to order there might have been 10
people in the hall which seats over 300, and of
that number there were such prominent
temperance men present as Hiram Cash of
Raymond, Greenbacker; DIR. Lowell, Demo-
crat, of Cape Elizabeth J. B. Fillebrown,
Democratic. Falmouth; Doughty of Yarmouth,
Charles Fl. Fling, Democrat, of Portland;
Benjamin F. Andrews, Democratic alderman
from ward 4; J. Howard French of Portland
Democrat George G. Stacy, late fusion State
librarian; A. j. Cameron, fusion bookbinder
of Augusta; Geo. w. Woodbury., late Demo-
cratic Register of Municipal Court; George A.
Harmon, Democrat, ieweller, Portland;
Joshua T. Emery, Democrat, Portland; d. P.
Parker, of North Gorham, Gree nbacker; l.. B.
Chapman of Deerng, Democrat. There was
also one lady present
The meeting was called to order at 1920
o'clock by Hon. Joshua Nye who invited Rev.
John Allen (Campmeeting JOHN to make
prayer. Mr.. Allen replied by quoting the 9TH
chapter of Thessalonians, and said he thought
Paul was good temperance man and probably
Methodist since he talked of being sanctified
wholly He then prayed for holiness and
self abasement unto Goa.
A. j. Chase moved D. NJ. Frye of Spring
vale as secretary and he was elected. Mr..
Nye then spoke as follows
MR.. NYE's ADDRESS.
Gentlemen of the Convention:
A mass meeting of the Maine State Temper
ance Society and any of the friends of temper
ance who are in favor of the thorough enforce
ment of the law against the sale of intoxicating
liquors in all parts of the State, was called TO
meet in AnpuSta the ODD Of last
for consultation. For reasons, we'll known to
the public, that meeting was adjourned to
meet in Portland on this day.
May the Lord be with us to-day, and assist
us in our deliberations May we act the part
of true men and come to wise conclusions in
regard to the several duties incumbent upon
us as workers in the temperance field in which
we, as citizens of the Pine Tree State, in &C
cordance with our motto, should ever be able
with truth to exclam, "Drigo," I lead.
In my address TO you on the 10Th of July
| briefly discussed our prohibitory law, and its
success in most parts of the State, charging up
on our executive officers the responsibility,
morally, of all this evils, crime and suffering,
| caused by the illegal sale of intoxicating
drinks have nothing to take back to-day in
regard to my statements at that time. Any
f, officers who stand up and solemnly swear that
| they gill enforce the laws of the State in re-
gard to crime, and then willfully neglect or
| refuse TO enforce the laws VS.. s'the crime of
all crimes, must be held as morally guilty OF
| perjury in the sight of God and man.
| 1T is no excuse to say, "the people are not
up to it," y have so many votes to overcome
in certain locality, aud we must wait till
after election" We say the people are up to
it, and that the more energetic the officers are
in the execution OF the laws of the State, the
more popular the officers are with the masses
of the people. All we claim in regard to the
enforcement Of our prohibitory law is that it
shall be enforced with the same vigor, as are
the laws against other and lesser crimes, and if
| the people will not Stand it, then let our legis
lators repeal it. say this is fair usage, and
don't believe any of our working Temperance
men will object to my position.
| What we utter our solemn protest against is
| that in some of the cities and larger towns of
the State, the question as to whether the
liquor seller shall be Prosecuted or not, de-
ponds upon which political party he will vote
for on election day. If this is not so, why is it
that so many life long Democrats will step up
TO the polls on election day, and vote the
| Republican ticket?
1t is not the voting of the Republican ticket
| that we object to, but the cessation of all
| prosecutions against them for the sale of in
toxicating liquors, ana the letting off on pay
ment of costs, or nolle proseQui, of all actions
| commenced.
This is too common in several of the counties
of the State. And this is why the rumshops
are not closed, ana Why so many of our liquor
| sellers can build SO many brick blocks, and
| drive their wives out in costly array while
| their victims and their wives and children are
| suffering for the very money of which they
| have been robbed.
| 1t is five months to-day since the Governor
of Maine approved the act in regard to COM
mon nuisances and the sale of Intoxicating
| liquors. Section requires the Governor to
| appoint special constables to enforce the pro-
hibitory law in counties whore the local au-
| tn critics neglect or refuse so do SO.
cannot learn of one warrant having been
| served as yet by either of the appointed Off
| GERS. The same number of open bars are to
| be found in Bangor and the large towns of
| Penobscot county, as when the law was ap-
| proved. In Augusta, Gardiner and other
| large towns on the Kennebec drunken men
are seen Oh the street every day.
One constable on being asked why he did
not go to work and close up the rumshops.
| replied that he was not appointed to do it
this year but next. AS nothing has been done
| yet by any of these officials it may be that all
of them have been appointed with this expec-
tation, or at least, that nothing will be done
| till after election. A month ago at our con-
vention we were told that we must give the
| executive time to make his arrangements to
execute the law, Well, we have waited and
waited in vain, nothing has feen done, and
the work of death goes on. And SO it will be-
and if we look silently on without uttering one
word of protest, we are guilty ourselves of the
evils that may be brought upon the people of
! this State on the account of the sale of in
toxicating drinks.
| Gentlemen of the convention: With these
few remarks close. The eyes of the people
| of this state are upon us. The prayers of those
| who are suffering from the effects of intemper-
| ance, brought upon them through the neglect
| of the executive officers of the laws, are going
up to God in all parts of this state, trusting
that some good may be accomplished by this
| consultation today, and that something may be
| done to remove the great sin of intemperance
from our borders, and that most effectually
And let NE say finally, that when the dreams
of worldly realities shall have faded from the
dlsordered imagination, when the lamp of life
| shall burn dim and hasten to expire amid the
breaking in of light from the spirit world ;
when eternity shall roll up its long concealed
| orb of abiding realities, and exhibit at one
view the full and final results of this dreadful
traffic, then, and not till then, shall all of us
| wish we had done more to save our fellow men
| from the drunkard's doom.
Major Shorey of Bridgton asked if the rec
| ords of the Augusta meeting were to be had.
Mr.. Nye said that they were not, but had
been published in newspaper.
Major Shorey objected to the reading of the
| records in that manner.
| Mr.. Nye said that the first business was to
consider the motion of Col. Crossman at the
Augusta convention to indefinitely postpone
all resolutions OF censure against Governor
Davis.
Mr.. A. j. Chase moved to Law the resolution
OF Mr.. Crossman on the table.
Ex-GQv. Perham asked if there was not
resolution as substitute to that resolution that
had been offered and adopted.
Mr.. Eustis, the chairman of the Augusta
convention, explained the state of the resolu-
lions at the close of the convention at An
| gusta.
Mr. Kimball of Bangor said that the Cross
man resolution was to indefinitely postpone all
resolutions of eensure, and all substitutes
| therefor.
Mr.. Chase of Portland, renewed his mo-
| ton.
The Rev. Mr.. Howard rose to'a point of
| order
Mr.. Randall asked if there was correct re-
port OF the Augusta convention in the hands
| of the chairman.
The motion of Mr. Chase was adopted and
the Crossman resolution was laid on the table,
The following resolution was next declared
| in order:
| Resotced, That Gov, Davis, by neglecting to ap-
point sufficient number of constabies to enforce
the prohibitory law of the State, has forfeited his
| right to the support of temperance men.
Gov. Perham asked if it was charged that
| Gov. Davis had attempted to hire rumsellers
to vote the Republican ticket, giving as the
consideration the nohe prosequi of cases against
them,
Mr.. Nye replied that it was not.
| Gov Perham asked who were the Republic