The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-16

Dute 10 the election OF Hill ana CleVeland
upon such platform, against the great TEN
perance element Of the State.
General Perry then spoke OF what the lie.
publican party had done for the cause OF
temperance both In this and other States
that all the pr0hibit0ry laws that mad been
put upon the statute. books Of the several
States had been carried through by Republic
can votes and opposed by the Democracy
with a very few exceptions. / know, he
said, that 1t Is said that in Maine the Demo
Gratis enacted the first prohlbitory law. That
is true; but they repealed the law after
wards. The present law was passed by Re-
publicans. and the amendments TO it have
been passed by Republican legislatures.
For many years, year after year, an effort
has been made to get through Congress bill
for commission Of enquiry to report to the
country the status Of the liquor traffic. IL
has been opposed by the Democrats. l see
nothing to gain for temperance by the cleo
tion of President Cleveland.
like many things about the Prohibition
party. l am not prepared to say what will
be the result of this movement. But de-
sire to say, Mr. President, that while can
not see Just how, yet believe that in some
way the cause OF temperance VIII triumph,
and / have no doubt that eventually the
question must be settled at the ballot-box,
He closed by an earnest appeal TO the Prohl-
bitionists and all temperance men to put their
votes where they would do the most good
and accomplish the desired result.
Gen. Perry spoke about 40 minutes, after
which President Pride called upon Gen.
Dow, who consumed the time up to adjourn
ment at $50.
Gen. Dow said in effect: Our friend Gen.
Perry is one of the men who are entitled 10
say they are as g00d temperance men as any
body. Our difference is one Of methods. Ju-
rymeR differ. So do temperance men. A
lew years ago | agreed with Gen. Perry.
for Hlafn Ia hat 4 h0u
got my eyes open.
There has never been a time so Opportune
as the present for settling the temperance
question. There Is now no issue between
the two old parties but the offices. As Rev.
DIR. Ward, editor Of the New York Indepen-
dent says, this tariff talk is ''only to befog
and TO befool the people" While Gen. Har-
rison Is a temperance man, he Is outSpOken
against prohibition. So is Warner KILLER,
In New York, and no man can vote for him
without endorsing the Infamous license poll
cy, which for S258 per year would permit a
man to work devastation and ruin by selling
rum to his neighbors. But be that as Il
may, we do not vote in New York. and In
Maine the only question Is whether we shall
endorse the National Republican party In
its subserviency TO the saloon or disown It's
course by vote for Gen. Fisk.
General Perry is at fault in stating that all
temperance legislation come from the Re
publicans. In the Democratic South great
OF dItd Is uuucI pIOulDlLlOn LQdl IN Lue he
publican North. The Democrats enacted the
earliest prohibitory law, that Of 1916. and
later they enacted what was known as the
nj aine Law, and they took the responsibility
for It. 1t Is true they repealed it later, and
the Republicans re-enacted a portion Of It
but they shirked the responsibility of it by
referring 1t to the people. They have never
passed the amendments asked by the temper
ance people, but lot Of rubbish of no earth.
ly use, and never used in the courts. "If the
Legislature Of Maine twenty years ago had
passed the amendments we wanted there
would be no Prohibition party now. How
so? With those amendments we should have
swept the gr0g shops from our State; and
these grog shops of Maine have been the
great obstacle that has kept back Prohibition
everywhere"
General Dow was glad General Perry had
spoken Of the Commission Of Enquiry bill
When the Senate was Democratic and the
house Republican, the bill passed the Sem
ate, but the House was too busy to pass it.
Now that the Senate is Republican and the
and the Republicans are shocked because the
Democratic House does not pass 1t. II used
to think that all the cheating was Democrat
| ic in old times"
General Perry does not see how the tenn
| perance question will achieve victory, MOI
| does he say what will be the result OF the
| work of the Prohibition party. We pu
these two things together. The Prohibition
| party Is working out victory for temperance
| though notprobably victory for itself any
more than the Free Sellers achieved. Year
| ago the Wing party professed TO be the anti
| slavery party, and 1t was, in the same way
| that the Republican party Is the temperance
| party now, that Is, 1t contained the bulk o.
| the anti-slavery men. But 1t was helpless t
| oppose slavery, because it contained a pro
slavery wing which threatened defeat. In,
Republican party Is In the same position.
General Fisk gets large vote this fall, be
fore 1892 a new party will have been forme,
| which will include the Prohibitionists, ant
will do what the Republicans never can--de
| feat the Democrats.
vote was passed thanking General Per
| ry for his presence.