The Portland daily press., 1898-04-02
RUM IN WATERVlLLe.
An Interesting Discussion at Sunday
Evening Prayer Meeting.
CWatsrvf2le Mail.)

The Sunday evening prayer mee6insg at
the Methodist church resolved itself be-
fore it's close into sort Of debating So
ciety meeting, only there was no play
about the discussion and the subject dis
cussed was practical and timely.
The debate was started during the regu-
lar meeting by Chas. F. Lowe. who paid
his respects in rather uncomplimentary
terms to the city government, for what
he termed was it's bargain or agreement
with the rumseilers of the city. In the
course of his remarks Mr.. Lowe said he
had understood that the arrangement re-
ferred to had been approved OF by MEM
Der of the Methodist society, who was
then present, and he suggested that that
individual should go home after the meet
ing, get down on his Knees and ask God
to forgive him.
R. w. Dunn was another speaker who
had reason to complain OF the attitude Q
the city government. Mr.. Dunn Thought
no compromise with evil was ever .usti-
liable. He believed in this matter, as In
all others involving a question of right
eousness, Christian people should hew to
the line, no matter where the chips
might fly.
Just before the pastor was to adjourn
the meeting, Herbert L.. Emery, towards
whom, it was generally understood, Mr.
Lowe had directed good part OF his re-
marks, requested the pastor that he might
have permission to explain his position
in the matter, and thereupon the meeting
was resolved into a committee or the
whole, as it were, and the discussion on
the state of the city WAS continued.
,ad hn n
by SAYING that when he was in Portland
and heard of the work being done here by
Rev. Mr.. Berry and his coadjutors he
supposed that there was practically no
LIQUOR business done in Waterville and
that he was greatly surprised when ne
read in the inaugural address of Mayor
Remington about the freedom with which
the business had been conducted.
The next speaker was Mr.. Emery, who
rose to a question of privilege, as it would
have been called in the national house of
representatives. Mr. Emery was evident
Iv a little bit provoked at the reflections
that had been made upon him in his atti-
tude towards the city government In Its
dealing with the liquor sellers, and he
went at his subject at once and forclblys
He said that one of the chief difficulties
encountered in working for reform was
that professed temperance people would
not stand up to their convictions when
persopal responsibility and money were
called for. He declared that the % rum
sellers in the city were always ready to
contribute money and time and were
never afraid to say what they wanted and
insist on having it. He said you couldn t
find dozen temperance men willing to
come to the scratch and be counted when
ANYTHING really important was to be done
and that the slim attendance at the vari-
Gus temperance meetings. held during the
last year had been an insult to the speak
ers. In view of this state of things Mr..
Emery said he went to Mayor Abbott be-
fore his nomination and in reply to that
gentleman's query as to how much the
temperance people would demand of the
administration, replied that he did not
think that they would expect much, and
that if there could be some reasonable
restriction and some of the worst places
closed and Sunday selling stopped, that
would be about all that would be expect
ed, Mr.. Emery went on to say that in
his Judgment it was better to push the
work of reform as far as it could be
pushed without creating a reaction rath-
er than to go ahead and close everything
up for one year and then have a reaction
come that would end in free rum for
the next ten years.
Mr.. Emery's address made things look
different to those most interested, some
of whom arose to say that they had re-
ceived new light from his words.