The Portland daily press., 1885-05-08
THE TEMPERANCE MEETING.
Enthasiastis Speakers Address = sman
Audience.

About ak hundred people gathered In City
Hall last evening at the temperance mseting.
The special invitation to the ladies vas svi
IDENTIFY appreciated, the ladies forming more
than one half OF the audience.
The meeting was called to order By N. q.
Palmer, Esq, who nominated Hon. J. ]. Psxsy
for chairman, and Mr.. Perry was sIectsa.
Prayer was offered BY Rev. Mr.. Adams
Mr.. Perry then spoke substantially 20 fol.
lows:
The constitution of our State gives ths
people the right to discuss subjects for the pub-
lie good, and We meet for that purpose tonight,
and not as political party or sect. An Ina
partial enforcement Of law should merit the
appreciation of all good citizens without dis
tinction.
Gen. Neal Dow was the first speaker Of the
evening and stated the purpose of the meeting
to be an endorsement without respect to party
of the way in which the present municipal
officers are enforcing the liquor law. The
General thought it strange that il was nscss.
sary to endorse the enforcement OF the Law. II
man cannot provide proper execution Of az
sting laws he should not accept an offics IN
which 1t Will be his duty to see that the laws
are observed.
Lord Macaulay said that American institu.
tions cannot exist long. He meant that O ruler
would have to take the power to keep down
the lower classes coming to this country from
European countries. Republican institutions
can only exist among q cultivated people, and
the liquor curse is the greatest foe to respecta-
bilitY and prosperity.
Gen. Dow then offered set Of resolutions
endorsing tht~present administration.
In response to question from the audisncs
as to just how far the liquor Law il now en-
forced Gen. Perry could give no definite
answer bat Gen. Dow came TO the rescue and
said that arrests had been reduced go per cent.
within the past two months and tnat the
corners before frequented by Rroups Of
drunken loiterers were now as peaceable a
possible.
Rev. DR.. Bashford was the next speaker,
and said that this was not q political or
sectarlan meeting. In accounting for the
smallness of the audience the doctor said thns
what Is everybody's business is nobody's busi-
ness, and considering this fact and the little
previous notice he thought tho audiencs
larger than could have been expected. The
necessity OF enforcing the liquor Law during
the National Encampment was urged. DR..
bashford thought rigid enforcement Of the
law would tend to weaken party ties as men
are partisans because patriots, and that the
enforcement would help business as every
tlleeitimate business hurts all legitimate trads.
b. U. Jordan was next introduced. The
speaker said he supposed he was called upon
as nonresident. We can enforce the Law Ia
the country without any difficulty bat oar
people visit the city and many of them come
home drunk. Therefore the question possesses
almost as much interest for us as for you.
The enormity of the liquor traffic Ia upiysr.
sally admitted. When BOSS" Tweed was
charged with fraud, he said "what are 70.
going to do about it," and for fifty years ws
have been trying to find out what We are going
to do about this evil. After many things
statute law was tried and last fall the people
OF the State showed by a great majority that
they believed the law success.
Rsv. f. 7. Bayley made some rsmarks in
which he urged the necessity Of hearty Ap-
provsl of the enforcement of the law By men
OF all parties and dwelt upsn the necessity Of
expurgating party politics from municipal AZ.
fairs.
The resolutions offered by General Dow
were adopted and the meeting adjourned.