The Portland daily press., 1898-07-05
PROHIBITIONISTS.
Cumberland Cold Water Men in Con
yenti0n.

The Prohibition convention for Cumper-
! land county met at Congress hall yesterday
afternoon for the purpose of nominatin G
candidates. The attendance, though not
large was eminently respectable. Twenty
seven d elegates We're present.
| Little interest was felt in any nomination
except that of sheriff, the rest being re-
ferred to committee which made them en-
bloc, reporting as follows:
Senators-L. Mcdonald Portland; Charles
NlcnolS, Mlndham; A. s. Blsbee, Brunswick
Il. ". Jefferson, Casco.
Attorney-John S. White, Naples,
| 1Glerk-Edward W. Knight, Deering.
treasurer. L. Clouthy, Westbrook.
Iteglster-E. j. Bragdou, WeStbrook
te-. -''" -0'''''
The real business of the convention was
the nomination of sheriff, the call reading
as follows:
| "ln the face of so general notification
OF the prohibitory law as this county has
witnessed during the past few years, it be-
| hooyes every citizen who believes in the
faithful and impartial enforcement of the
law to rise up and put into the sheriff's office
a man who is not only a friend to the pro-
| hibitory law, on who believes that law is
| on the statute books, no to be nullified in
one section and enforced in another, who
will have no political pledges to fulfill in re-
turn for saloon votes; but who believes that
public office is a public trust that should be
fearlessly and faithfully administered
| For the place of sheriff, the Rev. Samuel
f. Pearson, who presided over the brief de-
alterations with skill and impartiality was
nominated by reclamation, and thou gh he
/ declined in favor n Mr. DaniaI o,I-o
the candidate two years ago, neither that
| gentleman nor the convention would take
| no for an answer
MIR. Pearson finally yielded to the repeat
ed solicitations and sacrificed himself in an
| animated speech in which he declared this
to be a fighting campaign, and promised to
do his best to deserve victory. The
speech was hailed with cheers for' the fight
ing parson,' and AIr. Perrigewe, who de-
| clsred that like Napoleon's drummer at Ma
| rengo he did not know how to beat retreat,
voiced the sentiments Of the audience in a
picturesque and animated speech. Other
| animated talk dwelling upon the evils OF
| the liquor traffic, and sharply calling state
| and county authorities to task for their in
| difference, were delivered by the Rev. MT.
Clothy of Westbrook, who said the state of
| affairs was worse til ere than in Bangor;
| and the Rev. Mr.. Wood of Lewiston, who as
serted that the strongestRepubican paper in
Androscoggin county is not in favor of en-
| torcement. The law down there is becom-
| ing more and more a dead letter.
6 When the committee on resolutions came
| in they reported as follows;
Gas patriotic citizens whose hearts beat in
| spirit. of loyalty to our country in time of
war as well as peace, and who believe in
justice and liberty throughout all lands, we
deeply sympathize with the suffering Gu
bans who have BEEN struggling for freedom
from the calling chains of Spanish rule.
| "Whila we lament the loss of human life
in the contest near Santiago we are proud of
the valor and courage of the American SOL
diers, as news of victory comes to us on this
Independence Day.
! "But as delegates to a county convention
| whose chief concern should be to deal with
| local. not national issues who have assem-
| bled to nominate officers to conduct the
affairs of this county, we arraign the Re-
publican party for its inefficient policy of
enforcing the prohibit DRY law, and for the
manner in which it shirks responsibility and
shows manifest unwillingness to meet the
cent convention in sentiments and resolu-
lions more fitting to the platform of a
national cow ention.
"Whon the law is so wanton1y violated as
| it has been and now Is, it is time that a
county convention should single out this is
sue and pass specific resolutions of enforce
| ment instead of weak and unmeaning plat
itudes. LIN FF'
|
SIT is equally unwise for temperance men
to expect help from the Democratic party,
for it long ago took stand against prohibi-
tory legislation, and it is an open question
today in the minds of well informed citizens
as to which party-tEe Democratic OF Re-
publican-will outstrip the other i'll contest
for high license.
"We are unequivocally opposed to license,
either high or low; therefore be it
| "Resolved, That all of the nominees of this
convention shall be temperance men who
| believe inthe principle of prohibiting The
liquor traffic; and
"Resolved, That our candidate for sheriff
shall publicly pledge to do all in his power
if elected, to suppress the illegal sale of in
toxicating liquor in every town and city in
this county,"
While waiting for reports of the various
committees some brisk remarks were made
Nj. Pearson declaring the prohibitory law
as never SO loosely enforced in Portland
as now. He said that more arrests for drunk.
enness were made in this city last week
than the convention contained delegates
which is undoubtedly true. He also said thai
no man in the convention has put out
thousand dollars to carry caucuses. That al.
so can be readily believed. Mr.. Pearson re.
iterated his often expressed conviction tina
the pulpits are afraid of the pews and tha
! the parsons do not dare to speak out theil