Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-21
RINGING APPEALS.
Spen Ger Clergymen Warmly ADJ
vocate No-License.
Union Meeting in Town Hall is Largely At
tended-Voters, Not Police. Respon-
sibIe for Present State of
Affairs.

/
man w. Brown presided. The meeting
was opened by the singing of Grown
him Lord Of alp by the choirs Of the
Methodist, Congregational, Universalist
and Baptist churches. Rev. f. M. Bis
sell read selections from The scriptures,
and Rev. F. E. Heath offered an impress
sive prayer Rev. S. w. Brown, pastor
of the Congregational Church, intro
duced the speakers. He said:
Spencer has been in the no-license
column for four years; in '96 we carried
the town for no-license, in 81 we carried
Spencer for no-license, and L believe we
will vote for no-license in Spencer this
year."
Rev Flint NJ. Bissell, pastor of the
Unfversalist Church, was introduced as
the next speaker. He said in part: 81
believe that no-license in Spencer is a
success. The advocates of license tell
us that it is better for men to drink at
an open bar than at the dives, but let
us not be deluded into thinking that OPP
en1ng saloons in Spencer will close all
Of the kitchen dives. 1 am sure that the
30 illegal places which there may be in
Spencer today would not do near as
much harm to Spencer as eight or ten
open bars 1t is true that license never
reformed any drunkards, yet it is equal
ly true that no-license has prevented
hundreds from being drunkards. The
question before us is not whether no.
license is complete revolution of the
temperance question, yet ii is a step,
and prevents intemperance Every year
that you can keep a town in the no-li-
cense column you can be sure that no.
license is working good in the town."
Mr.. Bissell said in conclusion that it
was not enough to believe in no-license,
but what is wanted is to vote no-license.
Rev; f. e. Heath, pastor of the Bap-
ust Church, was the next speaker. He
said In part: Il am not so enthusiastic
over this subject as FUSED to be, and l
am free to confess it tonight. Three
years ago such was not the case I
have come to the conclusion that you
don't need lectures, but l think actions
count for more. believe the issue is
not so much license, or no license in
Spencer, but rum or no rum. 1 have
had the reproach cast in any face with
in few weeks, that before every town
meeting we have made a great hue and
cry against rum, and that the rest of
the year we are quiet. Well, this is in
a measure true, l am sorry to confess.
The one thing which wish to impress
on your minds is that after Spencer
votes for no-license, and I believe it
will, it is our duty to take off our coats
and drive these rum dives out of our
midst. I understand that there are 40
rum dives in town. Our duty after
town meeting is to drive out the rum
dives"
Mr.. Heath denounced in strong terms
the way in which rum is sold in the
low dives of Spencer He said that the
police force was not to be blamed, but
that it was a disgrace to the entire
community that liquor should be sold
in so many places, and especially when
the town was enjoying the reputation
of being in the no-license column.
Rev. G. w. Simonson, pastor of the
Methodist Church, was the next
speaker. His address, in substance, was
as follows: THE man who tells me
that as much liquor will be sold under
no-license, as under license, I have to
tell him, i don't believe it.. [ am yet
| to see the respectable young man who
took the first step of the drunkard's
life at a kitchen dive. 1t is the open
saloon where young men find it easy
to commence drinking. 1t isn't true
that there are 40 Illicit rum shops in
Spencer, it isn't true that as much Ii
quor would be sold under no-license as
| under license. The rum business is
made to chop down society. Every sin
gle voter in this town that votes yes,
and every single voter that don't vote
at all, is responsible for the rum bust
| ness in Spencer. I believe that we are
altogether too much asleep here. Thank
God for the present absence of the open
saloon, but when you criticise the pres
ent lack of law enforcement, you ought
to be criticising yourselves. Four
4 hundred Spencer voters refused to vote
on the license question last year"
Mr.. Simonson appealed to the voters
i i,,rf for 11F Hoo
town meeting day. He also appealed to
the newspaper reporters present to
print his speech in full.
Rev. S. w. Brown was the last speak
er. He spoke of the absurdity of Ii
censing saloons In Spencer; also of the
ruin which the saloons do to commu-
nifty.
The meeting was closed by the singing
of America"
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE.
The fourth quarterly conference Of the
Methodist church was held this after
noon. Presiding Elder DIR. j. o. Knowles
of the Springfield district was present
and made a brief informal address. He
spoke of the general spiritual condition
of the churches of the district, and con-
| graduated Sthe MethodiSts on the excel
| lent standing Of their church. At the
business meeting the following officers
! were elected: Trustees, S. K. Hindley,
w. B. Prouty, J. IT Putnam, l.. w. Rich.
! G. Edgar Bemis, John NJ. Hill, James A
I Spencer Arthur S. Davis, John Johnson
stewards A. NJ Tourtelotte, M. Bourret,
w. L. Smith, j. II. Blanchard, john A.
Hosking, James A. Spencer, William
Hosking, b. C. Priest, Mrs. H. N. Spoon
er, Mrs. Martha j Wybert, Mrs. Hattie
T. Brown, Mrs Maud HosHdng; record
ing steward, A. M. Tourtelotte; district
steward, w. L. Smith; church recording
secretary, Joseph H. Blanchard.
OTHER CHURCH NEWS.
Rev. S. w. Brown preached to a large
audience at the Congregational church
this forenoon. The subject of his SER
mon was "The mind of Christ
The Y. P. S. c. E. met at 6 o'clock
p. M, in the chapel-topic, 1.-THE evils of
all intemperance."
The Tribe prayer meeting will be held
| Tuesday evening at 7.30 o'clock, at the
home of G. e. Manley.
The Ladies' Charitable Society win
meet Thursday at 2 30 p. M, at the
church parlors.
There will be a meeting of the Wom-
ans Home Missionary Society at the
church parlors Thursday at $50 o'clock
| p. m.
Rev. S. Whitfield Simonson preached
at the Methodist Church this forenoon,
| the subject being: 1.-THE trespass offer
ing, or the blood the way back" Sister
! Anna johnson led the Epworth League
prayer meeting at o'clock p. m.
The Kings Daughters will meet to-
morrow at A o'clock D. m, with Sister
Carrie Smith, Pleasant street.
Rev. F. E. Heath preached today at
the Baptist Church, his sermon being on