The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-23
THE STATE TEMPERANCE
MASS MEETING.
Violent Denunciation of All
the Political Parties.
NO CANDIDATES PUT IN
NOMINATION..
A Scene of Disorder at the Close.


Especial Despatch to the Press.
AUGUSTA, July 22.-The prominent temper
ance leaders began to gather here yesterda.
and the evening session of the Executive Con-
mittee at the Augusta House was fully at
tended, most of the members of the commit
tee being present, and also many of the actil Q
Prohibitionists of the State not members OF
the committee. The Hon. Joshua Nye, Gen.
Neal Dow A. j. Chase, Esq, Ex- Gov. Ding
ley, Judge Tallman of Bath, Messrs. r. W.
Dunn of Waterville, Berry of Pittston and
others were among the speakers, and there
was considerable difference of opinion mani
tested.
second session of the Executive Com
mittee was held in the parlor of the Augusta
House this morning, Mr.. Nye in the chair, and
with the attendance much the same as at the
evening session. The address prepared by
Ex-Gov. Dingley was accepted.
At the commencement of the morning ses-
sion of the convention 81 persons were present.
Mr.. Nye called the convention to order.
Mr.. W. T. Eustes of Penobscot county then
introduced the Hon. Joshua Nye as president
of the meeting, and B. c. Torsey, Esq, OF
Winthrop was chosen secretary.
Mr.. Nye then proceeded to deliver the fol-
lowing opening address:
Gentlemen of the Convention and Friends o.
Temperance:
A call was issued on the Sth of the present
month to the members of the Maine State
Temperance Society and any of the friends of
temperance who are in favor of the thorough
enforcement of the law against the sale of in
toxcating liquors in all parts of the State to
meet on this day and in this place for consul
tatjon. In answer to that call are we now as
sembled, and l trust that the blessing of God
may be upon us during our deliberation, and
that nothing may be said or done that will not
meet with His approval and be blessed by
Him.
1t may be asked why a call like this at this
busy season of the year and in this hot month
of July, when many of the rich are absent
fl ON their homes on vacations for rest or on
excursions for pleasure, and when the poor,
the bone and sinew of the temperance army,
are so busy in their labors to earn money with
which to support their families? My answer
is this: The members of our executive COM
mittee requested me to keep watch of our in
terests, and at any ime when in my opinion
our cause demanded it to call meeting at
once without waiting to call them together.
believe, as stated in the call. that our cause
never has been in greater danger than it is
to-day.
If properly enforced believe we have law
enough to close up the grog shops. / believe
the people would sustain the most rigid en-
forcement of the law in all parts of the State.
If the law can be effectually enforced in Port
land, it can be done in Bangor. If it can be
done in Lewiston there is no reason why it
should not be done as well in Augusta, Gardi-
ner Bath and Rockland. The trouble is not
with the masses of tine people but with that
little ring of politicians who think they own
the people, many of whom are i'll sympathy
with the liquor dealers and their internal
traffic. Prohibition is used by them to catch
votes They talk of enforcement of the law,
aud pass meaningless resolutions in conven-
tons to catch the votes of temperance men,
while they talk acknowledgements OF the law.
and even license, to the rumseller and rum
sympathizers in order to secure their votes.
This farce has been played too long. The
people are beginning to feel disguised and
thoroughly sick and tired OF this heartless de-
ception. AS citizens of Maine it is just as
much our business that intoxicating liquor
should not be sold in Bangor, Waterville,
Augusta, Bath Gardiner and other places as
that it should not be sold in any other NUM-
cipalitu of the State whcro-w VIC may happen to
live 1t is just as burning disgrace TO us to
have the poison dispensed anywhere in Maine,
whether in the north, south, east. west or in
terror We demand its total Punishment from
our borders The sale of intoxicating drinks
has been denounced on the floor Of the United
States Senate by one of our honored Senators,
H. Ne
lieving this to be true to the very letter, the
temperance men and women of Maine de-
mand of our officers, and all in authority the
prompt and impartial execution of the laws
against this class of criminals in every place
where they can be found within the bounds of
our Commonwealth
June 2, 1851, the Maine law, so called, was
enacted Several amendments have been
made since Much hard work has been done
in the temperance field. In fact the people
have been thoroughly educated and have al
ways been found in advance of the law. In
most parts of the State probably three-quarters,
the laws against the sale of Intoxicating
drinks have been as well enforced as those
against other crimes. Distilleries and breweries
have all been closed Two years since it could
have been said truly no open rum shops exists
in Maine. And by open rum shops I mean
where intoxicating liquors are sold as other
goods are sold without any attempt at conceal
ment. In 1872 an act was passed relating to
the duties of sheriffs and county attorneys.
This law in some counties was productive of
great good
In Penobscot county, for some years, during
the administration of Sheriff Col. Gerard, the
laws we're faithfully enforced and the grog
shops were generally closed. In a change of
the county administration, Jan. l, 1879, the
new sheriff refused or neglected to do his
duty The city and town officers claimed that
the sheriff and his deputies should enforce the
law as the former ones had done. The liquor
dealers, ever quick to see their chance to sell,
opened their shops and commenced selling in
discriminatory. Such nuisance had this be-
come that in 1879 petitions were sent to Gov
Garcelon complaining of the sheriff and pray
ing the governor to take action under the law
of 1872. The governor wrote to the sheriff,
but did not receive any answer to his commun-
ication. Before the next session of the legis-
lature Gov. Garcelon went out of office and
so could not bring the facts to the attention of
the same, officially, according to the law of
1872.
Early in this year petition was presented
to the mayor and aldermen of the city of Ban
gor by the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, signed by some 700 of the leading men
and heaviest tax payers of that city, and an
other signed by nearly as many ladies having
at heart the best interests and the good name
of the city, praying that the prohibitory law
might be enforced. The same were referred
to special committee, of which the mayor
Hon. W. Fl: Brown was chairman. On Jan
9th, public hearing was given the petition
ers in the Common Council room. A large
number were present and full discussion was
had upon the questions psesented by the petit
TONERS. 1t was shown that open grog shops in
large numbers were doing their death work
authorities. On Feb. 3, 1880, a majority re-
port was made, signed by Mayor w. Fl.
Brown, and Aldermen NJ. G. TraSk and ID. f
Kelleher, refusing to do anything more in the
future than IN the past TO suppress the grog
shops.
A minority report was also made by Alder
man Bragg, recommending that the prayer of
the petitioners be granted and that the law be
more rigidly enforced. Thus matters have re-
manned up to the present time. Rum is sold
In Bangor and in the larger towns of Penob-
scot county as freely and as openly as in New
York.
An ex-marshal told NE last spring that
about $50 grog shops were dealing out the
poison in Bangor alone. On the 4th and 9Th of
the present month it is notorious fact that
drunken men were seen by the score in that
city. Only last week gentleman residing in
Bangor wrote me that the day before he saw
three women in the police station, all drunk
This state of things is just as much disgrace
to any one citizen in the State as to another
People travelling in Maine, and passing
through it by railroad, and visiting Bangor,
are surprised to see any quantity of open rum
shops, as in cities where license is the rule
They go away and report that rum is sold as
openly in Maine as in States where the sale is
licensed. | have received many letters from
States where they are trying hard to pass such
a prohibitory law as we have asking If these
reports are true. What can l say of Bangor
but that thep are true? At our State convention
last February-one of the largest and most
enthusiastic ones ever convened in the State
among the resolutions passed were the follow
ing, (Mr. Nye here read the resolutions.)
The committee appointed by that conven-
ton went before the temperance committee of