The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-18
SPECIAL TO TIE PREss.J

His Investigations.
SPECIAL TO TEE PREssJ
Biddeford, November 17-Another tenn
perance meeting under the enforcement
leagues auspices was held this afternoon
in the Foss street Methodist church.
John P. Kelley, chairman of the execu-
tive committee and chief spotter, was
in attendance and was expected to speak,
but just having recovered from threat
ened attack of pneumonia, he refrained
from active participation in the speech
making.
The large audience was addressed by
three local clergymen, Rev. DR.. A. Z. P.
Small of. the Adams street Baptist church,
Rev. j. L. Marsh of the Saco Unitarian
church and Rev. d. Il. Call of the Advent
church. Several other local pastors were
also present.
The principal address was delivered by
Rev. DR.. Small, formerly of Portland,
who eloquently and forcibly discoursed
on the subject of personal responsible
ty. He spoke of the general inclination
of the officers, liquor sympathizers and
liquor sellers to shirk responsibility for
the violation of the prohibitory law and
to charge public sentiment with blame
for apathetic enforcement. He then de-
tailed the result of his personal endeavor
to follow out the various lines leading
to the sale of intoxicating liquors with
a view to locating the responsibility.
A few Sundays ago in Saco City Hall,
at mass meeting held under the leagues
auspices, Rev. J. Z. Rhoades, pastor of
the Universalist church. told of having
seen Biddeford man arrested and shack
led in the very doorway of rum shop
where in his intoxicated state he had
fallen; he was hustled off to jail..by
police officer and no questions asked re-
gardIng the cause of the prisoners con-
di tion.
Dr.. Small went home from that meet
ing determined to make study of the
problem suggested. He hunted up the man
whose arrest had been described and
asked him who was to blame for the
street scene in question. The man proved
to be ohuEch-go He said he had tried
hard to rid himself of his appetite for
liquor, and that every morning before he
left home. prayer was offered to the end
that he might be kept another day from
temptation. But on his way to work ne
had to pass rum shop and his inner
cravings oyercame his weakened will.
with the result that he got.drunk and
had to be carted off from the saloon In
his opinion the man who sold the liquor
was wholly to blame.
This seller of grog was sought out and
confronted with blame for causing the
young mans downfall But the saloon
keeper proceeded to place the RESPONSE
bility elsewhere. He said the building
was owned by the deacon of the church
whose knowledge of the purpose for
which this store was leased was equiva-
lent to his sanction, and in hunting for
a place to lay the blame he should not
be overlooked.
The deacon had a different story to tell
He blamed the officers who are elected
and paid to enforce the laws, and nobody
else should be held responsible for their
failure tosfulfll their oaths
Next the preacher interviewed off
GERS, both municipal andsexecutive, but
they all contended that public sentiment
is alone to blame for whatever condition
exists that laws of any kind cannot be
enforced beyond the point sanctioned by
public sentiment, and every citizen is in
measure responible for public senti-
ment.
DR.. Small declared that after all this
endeavor and it's almost fruitless results, |
he felt like going home and getting a |
cup Of tea or something to keep him
from fainting. He then proceeded to
voice a convincing and eloquent appeal
for individual interest in the cause of |
temperance IN Biddeford and Saco. He
praised the work of the enforcement
league and urged his hearers to assist it |
in it's cause.
The remarks of Rev. J. L. Marsh, |
who presided at the meeting, were chiefly |
in reply to certain declarations contained |
in the recent epistles of VIM. A. Roberts |
in reference to the closing of Biddeford's |
hotel The speaker quoted the claim |
that the hotel was opened last July with |
the general understanding that it could |
not be run at a profit without selling |
liquors. whoever was responsible for |
such an understanding was guilty of vio-
lation and conspiracy against the law,''
deolaered Mr.. Marsh. He added his opin- |
ion that Biddeford is large enough and |
enough to have temperance
hotel, but if it cannot have that kind |
it might as well get along without one. |
He suggested that the enforcement
league take hold of the matter and assist |
in the endeavor to have Hotel Thacher
under a temperance manage
ment.
He ridiouled the recently advanced
threat of bringing suit against the en-
forcement league members for conspiracy
to injure the business of supposed liquor