The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-04-11
LAW AND ORDFR.
First Public Meeting of she Lsagu.-A
Large Audience Present In,eres,iuy Re.
marks by Leading Temperance worL.
era.

Farsf Public Meeting of she Leasue-A
Large Audience Present. Interestiuy Re.
marks by Lending Temperance Work.
ePs.
The citizens temperance meeting, under the
auspices OF the Law and Order League. was
held at City Hall last evening, President I'll.
A. Hart in the chair. There were about sig
hundred ladies and gentlemen present. Upon
the platform were a number of the prIma
movers in the organization of the League. In.
GLIDING Hon. W. W, Thomas, Gen. Neal Dow
ex-Gov. Perham, and number of the clerov.
After devotional exercises, conducted by Rev.
James McWhinnie, the meeting was onapaa
by PRESIDENT Hart, who explained that he had
always been citizen in private life, but had
come before the public as the president OF the
league, perhaps for short time. He dwe.t
briefly on the name OF tht league and its uur.
poses, and then introduced Rev, Mr.. Hallook
as the first speaker of the evening, who smoke
substantially as follows:
REV. HlR. HALLoeE's REMARKS,
feel it an honor to open the meetino Tho
large NUMBER Of people present 10 The index at
pablo ssEtiaenb The object Of the league i
10 do good. There 10 90 i'oat Ia The meal
snd our purpose Ia Cd open ID the sanlisht.
There is no political machinery about ID, The
object OF this society, according to its name, Ia
not only to promote temperance, but to see that
men men shall not take the law before the peoples
eyes and trample 1t under their feet There
are two parties on one side of the question
those who want to sell liquor, and those who
want to drink it. On the other side there are
men and women who want to do good. II the
law Is on the statute book wa are bound TO en-.
force it, The league does not stspd slonet this
movement has gathered strength with years,
and is rapidly becoming the national question.
There was little body of men and women in
Ohio, who had started the battle with intern.
perance and fought 1t nobly. Francis Muir.
pay swept the country over and all that was
separated and isolated has been welded to-
getber and is under the guidance of master
| l. rejoice with the people of this organization.
IL Is Lo spssm end the men on the platform
are made out of the stuff that heroes were
made Of. They do not fear odium, and with
tue cooperation OF the people great deal can
ce dons. May God speed the CAUSE until they
Who will foT the price Of glass of liquor send
your son and mine to his death, be stopped Ia
their business. May the wisdom and pru-
dence OF the principles of the Law and Order
League be such as to command the respect OF
all law-abiding citizens"
REV. D. W. LELAcHEUR's REMARKS.
Rev. D. w. LeLacheur was next called up
on. He said, ~ am pleased to be connected
with the Law and Order League OF Portland,
and for some time have been trying to an
swer this question, What Is tho rum traffic
opposed to, and why should / be opposed to it?'
The rum traffic is opposed to nay home and ev-
erything that is dear to me. The rum traffic
is opposed to everything that is of value in the
world. l do not say | am an enemy to the
rumseller. but am an enemy to his business.
We can't deny that the rum traffic goes on in
Portland. Lay knows no Partially and hope
the Law and Order League will not. If the
well dressed man sells rum, he is as mean as
the lowest one who sells it in rags. Does the
law say that because man has diamond
ring on his finger he shall not be touched? God
Will support your efforts il you are fair in in
hicting punishment; and II any OF you think
yoa Will lose the price of few gallons of
molasses or some calico, then the Lord pity
you. (Applause).
HON. NEAL BOWS REMARKS.
Hon. Neal Dow said that the Maine law is
for the purpose of extirpating the liquor traf-
fic. 1t is a much larger trade than any other
IN the country; it is very much larger than
any other two trades. Or proposition is to
annihilate that trade. 1t has nearly the abso-
lutte control OF every place In this country.
we must put the liquor traffic down, or it will
put our nation down. Rum had something to
do with the Cincinnati riot. Ia proportion to
the population there Is as much trampling
down ofithe law in Maine as in New York, or
any other place. What about the admins
-lataTo has made . law when = person
sells rum he shall pay 500 costs, and shall be
sent to jail for six months for the second Of
Tense. know of county where the Judge
has not carried ont she penalty, but We viii
not mention the name OF the county. II the
law is bad one let 1t be repealed; but IL 1t Is
good one let it be enforced
The liquor traffic brings more evil upon the
people than all other traffics combined. The
liquor traffic is all bad. The people are just
beginning 20 realize the evil that is CO uiug
upon them from strong drink.
Ex-aov. PERTAINS REMARKS.
Hon. Sidney Perham was called upon. He
said that he was in favor of law, and of the
enforcement of law, especially against strong
drink. have been thinking why it is neces-
sary for the leading citizens OF the city to COM
bine and form law and order league. Much
work is to be done by the temperance % en-.
There seems to be misunderstanding among
municipal officers as to whether they shall en-
force the law. United States officials expect
to enforce the Law, and no man should blame
the public officer for enforcing it, One reason
why the law is not enforced here is because
some say that it Injuries the business of the
city. More rum-selling means more misery.
pauperism. A great many men that come
here want rum; but there are also great
many who come here that do not want rum.
They come here with their families and see
that it is unsafe for man to bring up fami-
ly here.
REV. MR.. LINDsAY's REMARKS.
Rev. Mr.. Lindsay said he had not come here
so much to make speech as to find out the
purpose of the League. like to see man, if
he Is a temperance man, show his colors. L
think great many mora names of Irish origin
appear among those recorded fer selling rum
here than et any other class of people. hope
you will stop the hotels from selling liquor as
we'll as those places in the back streets. 1
plead with the Law and Order League, and
say enforce the law impartially.
REV. MR.. BLANCHARD's REMARKS.
The president then called upon Rev. Henry
Blanchard. He said: "I congratulate the
president and the League on account of the
large attendance. Whatsoever the existing
law is have it enforced. have been thi mixing
a good deal since the organization of this
league about the way to suppress the liquor
trathb. For this present time it will be wise
for all men to league together, not for license,
but for prohibition. can argue on license
and on other ways of suppressing the liquor
traffic; but the strongest arguments can be
brought forward in favor of prohibition. There
is one class in the league who ought to be
represented. Every woman. think, as well
as every man, has right to express her opin-
ion by ballot; and if women Can not be repre-
sented in the legislature, hope they will be in
this lesgue. hope the rime will come when,
by the uniting of the peos,,v and constitutional
amendments we can sweep the liquor traffic
from our dear country.
Hon. W. W. Thomas was called upon, and
he expressed his hearty cooperation in the
work of the League.