Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-27
The Third Party.
ABSTRACT OF Rev. Mr.. LIE LACHEUR's AD-
DRESS AT RICHMOND.

ABSTRACT OF Rev. Mr.. LIE LAcHEuR's An
DRESS AT RICHMOND.
Yesterday We published in the Journal a
brief abstract of Rev. Mr.. LIE Lscheur's ad
dress at Richmond, in opposition TO Third
Party. all that we had space for. This morn.
ing we publish the following more complete
abstract which our readers should not fail to
read.
REV. MR.. LIE LACHEURs ADDRESS.
Mr. President.-I may concede that there
is necessity for party which supports Pro-
hibition, but l claim that the republican
party Of Maine is that prohibitory party.
Prohibition was one of the fundamental prin-
ciples of the Maine republican party at its
birth, and Prohibition has continued to
be one of the fundamental principles. The
republican party gave US thu existing Prohi-
bitorv Law in 1858, and has from year to
year given us such amendments as the ma.
jority of the friends of Prohibition asked
for. When law was desired putting tenn.
perance instruction in our public schools. the
republican party gave US such law. There
is no need of Third Prohibitory Party to
secure prohibitory legislation, tor the repub-
lican party has given us all we have askd for.
What has been accomplished through the
republican party? l allow Gen. Dow to state
the salient features, as he has in a letter to
the Alliance News of England. under date Of
June 80, 1885. In this letter Gen. Dow sums
up the result as follow
LIST Every distillery and brewery in Maine has
been suppressed: and we had many of them.
I'd The volume of the liquor traffic has been re.
duced by at least nineteenth twentieth Of its former
nually directly and indirectly nearly quite much
Sd. As result of this direct saving, Maine from
the poorest state in the Union, has become one Of
the most prosperous.
Isn't this result as stated by Gen. Dow a
most remarkable tribute to the good work
accomplished for temperance through the
republican party?
II, 1886, by the Third Party Prohibtienists
at Portland. affords even more conclusive
evidence of the good work accomplished
through the republican party. The Third
Party Prohibitionists resolved
THAT the Impressions of thousands of candid
observers in every part of the State the records of
our courts, the deposits in the savings banks of
Maine as compared with other States, the proper
tion of taxes collected by United states authorities
for the sale of liquors in Mane the total destruction
Of alcoholic liquors throughout the State, and the
vast increase of sentiment favor of total absti-
nence among generation growing up undebauched
by legalized saloons, all show that Maine may
proudly claim to lead In this REFORM and that she
quarter Of century ahead of States which license
the gigantic crime"
This is not the claim of republicans. but
of men who, after presenting such inclusive
testimony of the merits OF the republican
party of Maine as temperance party, turn
around and Inconsistently ask that the party
through which such good results have been
achieved. should be destroyed. Is this not
as though son who had received all the
glory of his father, should seek to thrust the
dagg through his fathers heart?
Parties are necessary to secure laws and
formulate policies. But we have the prohi-
bitory laws which the temperance people of
Maine have asked for: we have the prohibit
tory policy even Incorporated in the constitu-
ton. and therefore we do not need third
prohibition party tor this purpose,
Secondly, the third prohibitory party
weakens ard divides that temperance sentl
ment which is so indispensable in the enforce
ment of prohibitory law. Acting together.
and through existing parties, lifting the ques-
ton of enforcement of law above parties
we should rapidly secure such a sentiment
a. would overcome the difficulties of en-
torcement in those exceptional cases where
local support is weak. Two years ago on a
the friends of temperance gave 1907 votes
for the prohibitory amendment. At the
same election only l57 votes were cast for
the third prohibition party. Is it not desira-
bic to obtain the sympathy and support of
the GA, 507 rather than to adopt policy which
will confine our support to the ll57?
A distinguished advocate of the third party
recently said in a public speech, 81 think u
half dozen earnest temperance men in any
town can make it so hot for the municipal
officers that they will be Obliged to enforce
the law "
Then what we want are the earnest tenn
perance men in anv municipality, working by
their ordinary methods, and not a third party
which suggests weakness and DIVISION in or
der to enforce the law.
The complaint of the third party men is
that republican officials do not everywhere
properly enforce the law. They point out
dozen places where they allege that this is
the case, ignoring the $50 towns in which the
laws are enforced, and then triumphantly
turn round and claim that the republican
party is in alliance with the rum power
Nov supposing this method of judging a
political party is applied to any of our church
es. In nearly every church few members
may BIS found that do not honor their profess
sion Would it be just for an nfidel to point
to them and say that these few members show
that "y0ur church is in alliance with the
devil?" Certainly to such a charge as this
every fair. minded person would say that the
church is to be judged by the great body of
its membership, and not by few exceptions.
So with party. The republican party is to
be judged by the general course of its off,
Gals, and not by few exceptions.
Why, by this test what q sorry spectacle
our prohbitory third party would present
According to statement made here yester-
day by Mr.. Thomas, a member of this third
party, the only third party man who has been
elected to position in this State Mayor
Ladd of Gardiner must have seriously back
slidden. Mr.. Thomas informed us that in
Gardiner liquor is sold openly, and that the
officers will not enforce the law in that city.
If this be true, not simply a mere fraction,
but all of the officials of the third prohbitory
party are already in alliance with the rum
power! II this new party backslides so
greatly in two years, what a sad spectacle il
would present in thirty years. Seriously,
does not this single illustration show that this
attempt to represent that a party is to be
judged bv exceptional instances Of derelic-
ton of duty by its officials, is all wrong?
Does it not show that any attempt to organize
| a party to enforce a law, is unnecessary and
impossible? Nowhere in history can there
be found an instance where a political party
has been organized to enforce a law. The
party enacts a law; the people enforce it,
1t will be found on investigation that even
| in those cities where it is charged that repub.
-. IL. L.,