The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-02-02
THE LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE.
Meeting at the First Baptist Church Last
Might.


The audience which gathered in the First
Baptist Church last evening to listen to the
speakers was not SO large as would have been
the case had the weather been more propitious
The meeting was opened with prayer by. the
Rev. DR.. Small. Mr.. Dalton then read from
the Both chapter of Isaiah, after which Dr.
Small spoke as follows:
noticed in looking over the records of the town
of Alfred that under date of just about one hundred
years ago tonight there is an entry which says that
two barrels Of rum one barrel of pork four bushels
to help raise the meeting house. Things have
changed since then, when no minister thought
himself Hospitality treated unless liquor was set
before him during his parechial visits. It is now
about fifty years since the first temperance lecture
delivered in York county was written, and that
building it delivered. 1t was shortly after this
that it was debated whether the liquor question
was suitable one to take into politics but those
things have now been changed and settled.
DR.. Small then called upon Mr.. George L. Kim
ball. president of the League. Mr.. Kimball said
that he was sorry to state that Miss Lucia Kmball
who was to have addressed the meeting was sick
with severe cold and dared not venture out in the
bad weather. A matter which would not have been
mentioned had it not been brought to the speakers
attention by several good citizens, is the charge
that the League IS political organization and has
prosecuted Republican rumsellers with more sever
1ty that it has the Democrats. This Is not so; but
inasmuch as the majority of the rumsellers claim
to be Republicans more Of them have been brought
to trial than those who are Democrats The League
of Portland has been organized to assist the officials
in enforcing the law, whoever the prosecuted par
ties may be, and will remain as long as there is
anything to fight.
Rev. Mr.. Dalton was the next speaker He said that
while he thought it was the proper sphere of min
lister to present the gospel to his people and not to
discuss politics he recognized the effect Of the pulpit
in producing our present liquor laws, and regarded
this subject fit for ministers to enter into. Mr..
Dalton contrasted the condition of the state before
the enactment OF prohibitory laws with its present
position. Forty years ago, the houses OF our farm
ers were poor and dlapidated while the barns
could not be compared with those of today. The
daughters of the farm owners were compelled to
work in Lowell factories at three dollars week
whereas they now live at home IN comfort and
much more money. Traders coming to Portland
could be marked spreading in all directions like the
path Of fire in the forest. AS to the success of
prohibition the speaker said that prior to the enact
ment of the prohibitory law, Maine with popula-
tion of 1000 spent annually ten million dollars
for liquor, and this year with population of 65o-
600 the liquor bill win not exceed one million dol
lars. Taking the usual standards of success this
could be considered as victory for the prohibition
lists of Maine.
Gen. Neal Dow said that the enmity to prohibition
comes from the moderate drinkers. Hard drink
are all anxious for the closing of the grog shops
Before the passage of the constitutional amendment
| their opinions in regard to the matter. Moderate
drinkers nearly all bitter its denunciation.
At the polls, however, many drunkards voted yes.
Various schemes have been advocated by those who
think prohibition failure to decrease drunkenness.
Thurlow Weed advocated the acquisition of grape
| growing country that the people might have wine.
The Bishop of Rochester in New York. is in favor of
erecting inebrate asylums to be supported by tax
| on liquor sellers. Both these gentlemen have
worked on the principle that prohibition is failure.
| This is not so. We want more law. 1T other spec
les of crime increase, severer penalties are enact
| cd ahn ha co Will ba rIoru
! in q critical state in this matter. The world is
watching US and upon our success in shutting up
the grog shops depends its following in our wake.
| A rum seller has no rights. He is on a par with
the man intent upon marder whom you shoot at
sight. A member of one of our leading firms saws
that forty years ago twothirds or their sales were
| of liquor while today they sell none.
Upon the call of Mr.. Kimball those present
who favored vigorous prosecution Of the law
rose and the vote was apparently unanimous.
DIR. Small then pronounced the benediction
and the meeting closed.