Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-02-07


him never open his mouth again. Gentle
men, let us enforce the Law.
Rev. Mr.. Luce moved that . committee be
appointed to take into consideration paper
read before the Ministerial Association. by
Rev. Mr.. Mcintyre, and make an appeal to the
clergymen of the State to act in favor of the
prohibitory amendment The motion vas
carried and it vas voted that . committee be
appointed.
Rev. Mr.. LeLacheur spoke on the Son
stitutionA Amendment" have come to the
conclusion that the liquor traffic belongs tn
several parties. The first party is the ram
seller. The second party is the manufac-
turer. The third IL the government which
makes it profitable and possible to mAnufac-
ture and to sell. There are several objec-
tions to the constitutional amendment
l was told that the insertion of the amend
ment into the constitution would be TO drag
1t down. l read in the constitution that can
worship God As please, but not so as to dis
turb the public peace. All that We ask is
that the constitution shall say that men shall
not disturb the public peace by the liquor
traffic any more than by the worship of the
Deity. The constitution is the Law of the
people, and hence We are giving the peo-
pie chance to sign the law. We
want to keep the constitutional amendment
out Of party politics. Ny friend the republi.
can can vote his ticket and the democrat his.
Now isn't it possible for either to walk up to
the polls and deposit the immortal Eyes" for
the amendment? Keep this thing clear of
your party politics altogether. The republic
can, the democrat or the greenbacker can vote
for the amendment. Let US make this the
measure of the people. Let the people 60
up and vote for it, and we shall gain q vic
Oh XII 81 g
Maine, Massachusetts, and, in fact, the rum
power of the entire continent.
r. w. Dunn of Watervills, being called
on, said: What we object to in the liquor
traffic, is that it interiors with your rights
and my rights and everybody's rights.
There is no tangible reason why
the amendment should not be introduced
into the constitution. Here Mr.. Dunn ut
tered strong protest against licensing the sale
of liquor and held that the rights of the people
were no more infringed upon by prohibition
than license. l am sure that the amendment
will be carried and this principle of prohibit
ton engrafted into the constitution of the
State of Maine.
Mr.. Haskell of Boothhay, being called
upon, spoke. He believed that the traffic in
liquor was on the increase in this State.
The appointment of Revs. ID. B. Randall
of Kents Hill, C. F. Penney of Augusta, DR..
Pepper of Waterville, A. Dalton of Portland,
]. S. Gledhill Of Augusta, w. F. Obear of
Winthrop, committee to issue an appeal to
the clergy of the State, was announced.
Rev. Mr.. Randall was anxious to have a
committee appointed to examine into the
statement made by Mr.. Haskell that the sale
of rum was on the increase in the State.
r. W. Dunn of Waterville said he did not
think think there was much difference in
liquor selling in Waterville, but in some
other towns in the State il had increased. In
339 towns in the State there is no liquor
sold.
Joshua Nye called Mr.. Dunn to account
for saying there was no liquor sold in 339
towns. He was a resident of Augusta and
he knew that liquor selling was te rribly on
the increase here. There was nothing he or
any other temperance man could do to steam
the tide. Liquor was free as water. There
was not an officer in Augusta he would trust.
They would notify the rum sellers by tele-
phone in order to give them warning. 1t is
no use to wink these things out Of sight. 1
know and So does every man, woman and
child that rum selling is on the increase.
Bro. Munger of Kents Hill wished to know
if the efforts for the suppression of selling
liquor were on the increase.
Mr.. Nye answered that it was impossible
to get officers to serve warrants.
Mr.. Burke of Somerset county said that
the efforts were on the increase. but that the
county attorney had recently settled with q
rum seller for 500, who had been indicted
four times and should have been imprisoned.
Mr.. Munger said that he had brought out
the part that he wanted. Ten years ago not
a lawyer or officer would have dared to settle
with any offender. The trouble was not that
the Law was failure, but that the people had
become disguised or betrayed.
Mr.. Haskell repeated his sentiment, and
ventured the assertion that in BOothbay there
were % more young men today addicted to
drinking than II years ago. He wanted it
distinctly understood that he did not say that
he thought prohibition was failure.
MIR. Harvey of Augusta wished to second
the statement made by MIR. Nye. The prin-
cipals of the Maine law are grand, but their
are trampled upon far too
much.
Mr.. Eustis said that his business carried
him often over the State, and according to
to his observation, the sale of intoxicating
liquors had been on the increase. Mr.. Dunn
offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the increase of liquor sell
ing in certain sections of our State is due
chiefly to the unfaithfulness Of the officers
charged with the enforcement of the law.
Mr.. Woodbury. offered the following
amendment:
And we are to blame for having voted for
such men. If we continue to vote for similar
nominees we shall be thrice blameable.
A discussion upon the rejection of the
followed, participated in by Rev.
Mr.. Munger, Mr.. Greeley of Augusta and
MIR. Burke of Skowhegan. 1t was voted to
Law both the resolution and the amendment
upon the table for the present. Adjourned
until p. M.
EVENING.
The evening session opened at $50 o'clock
with a prayer meeting conducted by j. I.
Sanborn.
President Dow took the chair at O'Clock.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr.. Haskell of
Boothbsy.
Gen. Neal Dow addressed the meeting at
considerable length and gave very inter-
esting talk on the liquor question in general.
Joshua Nye addressed the convention. He
said 1 believe in the local authorities en-
forcing the Law. When they neglect to it We
should have some other person to do it. He