The Portland daily press., 1896-02-17
Before You Try to Fire on the
Enemy
lS REV. MR.. PHELAN'S ADVICE
TO LEAGUERS.


Catter-Other officials Spoke.
Inc Westbrook Enforcement League
heia mass meeting at the Methodist
church yesterday afternoon which was
OF especial interest, coming as it did. so
soon before the municipal election and
being addressed by the mayor and other
members of the city government. The
unusual interest in the meeting was
manifest by the large number present
Mr.. Peter S. Graham called the meeting
to order and invited Rev. A. N. Diary
90 read the Scriptures. Rev. S. N. Adams
oHered prayer. Music was furnished by
the JACKSON male quartette. The frat
speaker announced was the chairman.
Mr.. Graham. He was glad to see so
muoh patriotism manifested by the resi-
dents of Westbrook and stated that he
Deiieved there was asVmuch need of patri-
QUO action in dealing with the liquor
urafho today as there WAS in 81 in deal
Ing with issues of slavery and secession.
he then called upon the Secretary of
the league, Mr.. e. j. Bragdon for his
report. A list of the legal proceedings
instituted by the league since it's orga-
seven suspected liquor dealers before
Judge Tolman's court and had secured
conviction in each case. The cases
We're all appealed and carried to higher
court, where five were thrown out. The
other two cases have not been settled.
The causes for the cases being thrown
out were either an unsufficiency of evil
dence or defect III the warrants.
Mr.: II. K. Griggs next addressed the
meeting. He opened by arraigning the
liquor traffic in his accustomed caIstic
manner. He said it was not ar abstract
thing, but living, fighting force. He
believed in divorcing the temperance
movement from politics. He thought
when this was done, there would no long
er be heard the cry of lack Of public
sentiment to back up the enforcement
of the prohibitory law.
| Protection, was the subject of a paper
| read by Mr.. w. X. Dana, vice president
| OF the league. he stood for the protec-
| ton of the home from the evil of drink,
and stated that he was doing all in his
power to make the home secure from
this destroying power. He hoped that
everything of a political nature would
| 10 6AOlQQ6tL lFOnl lDS IncSUlQQ as IL WAS
being held in a house of worship on the
Sabbath.
The interest conferred in the next speak
| er, His Honor, the Mayor. Mr.. Cutter
| is known to be a sincere believer in TEN
peranoe and there was no doubt in any
ones mind but that he would SO declare
himself. just what lins of action he
| would recommend as the best means OF
| securing this end was what his political
| friends and enemies were anxious to as
certain. That his present position or
| future aspirations did not in any way
influence his remarks, was very evident
and those who had hoped to gain politi-
cal capital out OF his remarks were
doomed to disappointment.
| After condemning the use of liquor in
| the strongest terms, and point ng out
the potency as factor in crime and
pauperism, the Mayor said:
MAYOR CUTTERS REMARKS.
"It seems to me that the prime factor
! the most powerful auxiliary in the con-
| test is home Influence. Surround your
sons and daughters with an atmosphere
that breathes of temperance and sobrie-
| ty; lead them by precept and example
to life of virtue, and their future
when out from under the parents care is
assured. OF course there are exceptions.
AS 1T seems in some cases as if Iarent ial
| teaching went for naught, for the child
becomes disaspated anil destroys his own
happiness and much of that of his rela-
| tives and friends, but do not believe
| this the rule; it ia the exception.
Education will tell, and temperate
people will certainly make less demand
| for liquor, and the matter of supply and
demand enters largely into this question
| in It's commercial asTect. Lessen the
demand and you will certainly reduce
the production of liquors. There is no
conflict IN this Worid that proves more
clearly than this one, the tt nth of the
old adage-that eternal vigilance is the
true price of success
"There is financial o. economic side
OF this question that should engage the
attention of everyone. 1t is this-teach
your children to practice economy in the
use OF money. A boy given to saving
his money, is much easier to keep within
| the bounds OF temperate life than one
a spendthrift. 1t is the duty of every
parent to impiess upon the mind of every
chlia the necessity of praotioing economy
| IN the use OF money. By calling a boy s
attention to the immense amouns of
money than is worse than thrown away
| in the purchase of liquor, you can show
him the harm and uselessness of such an
expenditure; and by showing him how
much good he can do with his own few
doliars,yo may lead him away from the
danger OF Investment III alcoholic bever-
ages.
Home instruction and public agita-
| ton upon the the temperance question
has accomplished much even within my
own recollection within this community
as we'll as in the country ut large. There
was time, not within my memory,
however, when those that we're considered
the foremost man and leading citizen 8
OF "estbrook, sold and drank liquor. II
was, l have been told, as much an ordi-
nary article of sale in these DAYS as
flour and sugar. and WAS in common and
daily use in the majority of the house
holds CT the town. 1t was thoue hit al
moss an impossibility TO do the seasons
haying, to erect house, or to move a
building without the free and almost un.
| limited use CT liquor. These were sthe
| good cid times tn az we read about. AS
good as they were, such a condition of
| things would not be tolerated in any
community in New England today. The
good new times of the present are much
pieasanter to live in, as the people as a
whole, are infinitely better, more reIig-
ions, more temperate, more Intelligent.
and better to associate with in every
way.
| -.