The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-27
THE CIVIC LEAGUE.
Second Address in the Series by Rev. MIR.
Cate.

| W L.
The second address in the series given
under the auspices of the Civic League
was the one delivered by Rev. Mr.. Gate
at the First FreeBaptist church yesterday
afternoon.
The exercises began with the singing
Of the hymn Something for Jesus"
followed by the reading of the XIII.
Psalm by MI. Cate. Rev. Mr.. Hack of
the Second Parish offered prayer and the
congregation then sang Coward Chris
| tian Soldiers
Mr.. Gate then said that as there were
number of clergy yet to deliver sermons
under tine auspices Of the League he had
decided to confine himself to it's prinoi.
PIES and let the others deal with the de-
tails Our friends, he said, had asked us
what We hoped to effect by orr organi-
cation. They say this is but the usua
spasm of virtue that precedes an cleo
ton. But the election is not the end tn
League has in view, or is it the ultimate
obi sct'of the efforts of the League We hope
| We udfo CUIll6 u Sthy. vi COURSE, W6
hope to influence political action but
not by political methods. We think we
have TOO much politics already. We would
not launch another party. We propose
an educational campaign in regard to
all laws We have been taUnted
with our lack of knowledge in city mat
tiers. 1t is shame that we have known
moro of buried Troy than Of our own
town. The League is Influenced by
! Christian patriotism and our object is
righteousnenss. True patriotism is
purpose, not a sentiment alone. The ex-
cuse for our being is the spirit of lawless-
ness that prevails calling for loyalty to
law on the part of good citizens. If we
do not like law there is legal way to
deal with it and that is through the leg
islaSure, or, if the legislature fails to re-
peal it, or, we do not wish to go TO that
tribunal, we can fold our tents and get
out. A number of statistics was read
from the Chicago Tribune, to show the
growth of crime i'll the five years between
1890 and 1896, necessitating the toning
up of public sentiment all over the ooun-
try.
The speaker said there were institu-
tions in Portland today as autocratio as
any in the world. They defy the law
and are stronger apparently than the
political and military power combined.
If people are to be lax in regard to the
saloons how do they expect that the laws
in regard to the rights of property are
|
upon the saloon element in Portland,
which every one knows, who knows any
! thing, is here in force, and deprecated
the cry that one mustn't say anything
about it because if he does it will give
the city bad name. Would not such d
concession put as much heart into cur
enemies the saloon keepers as it would
take it out of US. We cannot expect alb
solute enforcement Of the law, it is true,
| for nothing isaabsolute except to God. We
can enforce the rum law as absolutely as
we do other laws.
Mr.. Cate argued that there should be
no partisanship in municipal politics and
then the city would be well governed.
Then the good of both parties would
| COIH6 bOS0GucI esh0 tuoL6 WOulQ Do no
temptation to haggle with the laws
He said he felt tempted at times to wish
for the power to sweep out all the sinks
of iniquity in town, but it WAS doubtful
| if that would be we'll since it would be
releasing the officials from the work that
is imposed on than. The officials should
do the work but be encouraged by the
citizens. 1t is an injustice to 80 hamper
the laws that officials are deprived of the
powers of sight and smell. 1t may be
said that public opinion does not desire
the enforcement of the law in the city
but that it Dies in the state. There is
no public opinion for officials except
what is voiced by the oracle at Augusta.
The civic league desires to make it easier
| to enforce and harder to defy the laws.
The great difficulty IS that the law break
ers combine as unit and are strong,
while the law abiders look askance at
each other and do not therefore put forth
their strength 1t is the aim of the civic
| league to combine all in favor of law and
order to have them at the caucuses, to
let the aspirants for public Office know
what we are, and that we propose to
vote only for those pledged to enforce the