The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-02-12
TEMPERANCE RALLY
Meeting at Y. M. C. A. Hall Last
Evening.
The Organization OF Prohibition
Party.

didates for mayor and city officers 70 meet IN
the hall of Y, NJ, c, A., about nfty assem-
bled at hatplaee last evening,
Among those present were Gee, i, klAA7
ball, President Of the Law and Order League
w. II. Hobbs, editor Of the Temperance Her
aid; Augustus r. Cox, W, g, SeHie, JahA y
White, A, j. Johnson, General Neal Dow
and Rev, s, II, Pearson,
The meeting was called 70 order at aheNt
quarter 70 eight o'clock, by All. oea, L, KIM
bali, who stated that this meeting was really
an adjourned meeting, A number OF gentle
men had previously met al the Temperance
Headquarters GA Exchange street. and be-
lieying in the necessity Of nominating list
Of city officers 80 be supported in the COM
ing municipal election, had voted to hold
public meeting for the purpose of taking
steps towards SO doing, Mr., Kimhall then
called upon Mr.. w, ii, Hobbs to read the
records of that meeting.
The records contained vote declaring the
sense of the meeting to be the nomination OF
temperance candidates for mayor, aldermen
| and councilmen. A committee was appoint
| ed to secure hall for the public meeting and
| the matter of getting Governor 81 John TO
| visit Portland was also referred 10 tnls com
mittee The committee learned OF Governor
| st. Johns engagements by corresponding
with Mr.. Charles A. Hovey, secretary of the
| New Hampshire State Prohibition commit
tee. who writes that Governor st. John has
already six engagements in Massachusetts,
| four in Rhode Island and four in New Hamp-
| shire
After the records had been read, Mr.. Kim
ball said that at the first meeting it was the
unanimous opinion of those present that a
temperance ticket should be placed in the
field. In the opinion of Mr.. Kimball the
time had come to act without regard to 9TH
er parties, and he thought the condition of
the temperance cause would warrant such
action.
General Dow was not aware Of any differ
ence of opinion existing as to the best course
to be pursued. He said that he came to a
decision slowly, but had determined to cut
loose from the old parties and had no doubt
that the movement should be Independent.
General Dow then read the following resolu-
tions which were passed.
ResoLred, That the sure and speedy adoption of
and the English speaking world requires the COM
plete extinction of the remnant OF the liquor
Lrdf1c YET lingering IN LnlS CLdLt.
RESOLVED, That the complete and final .sappres-
sion of this traffic in Maine Is impossible without
the enactment of certain amendments to the
Maine law, correcting its defects and supplying
its deficiencies
Resolued, That long experience has led us to
the conclusion that to obtain such enactmentS
and a vigorous and persistent enforcement of the
laws, the formation of political party to that end
is absolutely necessary.
After the passage of the resolutions,
| General Dow again spoke and said that he
found many people about town asking if the
temperance people were to take any action
in the coming election. He then referred to
the resolutions and said that the extinction
of the liquor traffic in this State was the
most important thing to be done in the tenn
peranee cause. The eyes of the world are
upon this State and letters are constantly
being received asking as to the condition of
affairs here. No one denies that prohibition
would be a good thing, but the temperance
men are met with the remark, "Look at
Maine; they have prohibition law there
and have not succeeded in enforcing it yet
There is only one thing to be done-to wipe
out the grog shops. For twenty years, said
the speaker, we have been before Republican
legislatures pointing out these things. They
have spit in our faces and kicked us out.
T. for one, am out. General Dow then moved
that committee of seven, one from each
ward, be appointed to nominate list of city
officers. He thought an entire ticket should
be run to give notice that they were in for
the war.
The committee was then appointed as fol-
lows, the members being nominated from
the floor:
Ward III. Wyer.
Ward 2-I I'll. Mcdonald.
Ward 3-Thos Edwards.
Ward "A. j. johnson.
Ward 5-John Higgins
Ward 6-Neal Dow
Ward 7-Geo. l.. Kimbal
On motion Of General Dow, it was voted
that when the meeting adjourned it should
adjourn to half past o'clock Monday even
| ing at the same place. when the nominations
| will be reported.
| Mr.. Kimball spoke again, and said that it
| seemed to him conviction is growing in the
| minds of temperance men that the time has
| come to form q permanent party organiza-
| ton. As General Dow says, the temperance
| men are in for the war. At no time has the
| temperance cause taken such gigantic strides
| as in the past few months. Looking over
the entire country, it seemed to Mr.. Kimball
| that this question is the only one Of national
| Importance before the people. There is no
| issue between the old parties.
General Dow-Except the distribution of
| the offices.
| Mr.. Kimball-Men of both parties are in
! terested in the silver mines. Both parties
| declare themselves in favor of civil service
reform and neither will enforce it. AS to
| the question of the national revenues the
| orfi oil
| speaker believed that no bill could be
brought before Congress which either party
| would sustain. There is no question before
| them but the distribution of the offices.
The temperance question has come to the
front in the South and has been victorious
| there in many States. While in the past the
| Republican party has justly claimed to be
| the party of temperance in the North, in
| the South the Democratic party has taken
| this stand We cannot expect Southern
| Democrats to lay aside their political be-
| liefs and traditions and enter the Republican
| party, even if that party could free itself of
| the rum interests. A similar course could
not be expected of Republicans in whose
| party the temperance element is the strong
est. The speaker believed that the new
| of the future. He remembered the forma-
ton Of the Republican party and joined it at
hat time, and believed there is greater
reason to expect the success of the temper
ance party now than there was to expect the
success of the Republican party in 1856. The
| time has come when Maine people should
lay aside party preferences and vote as they
| believe.
Gen. Dow urged the reading of temperance
| papers, and described at some length the re-
| cent victory of the temperance party in the
| city of Atlanta, Ga.
Mr.. Kimball said that those present
| showed by their attendance their desire for
| new party.
Mr.. Rufus Deering moved that as the or
| ganization is to be permanent, the committee
| already appointed be directed to appoint
standing committees. The motion passed.
The meeting then adjourned.
The Martha Washington Fair.
Notwithstanding the gloomy weather, the