The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-01
Fir. Paterson Scores
the Liquor Traffic.
THE DEVILS WORK.
What 1t Has Done In the
Town of Clinton.

Clinton, Feb. 2s-"I am opposed toI
the sale of rum, absolutely opposed. [
wish there was not drop of the stuff
in the world. No drop of the stuff
should be sold anywhere"
Thus spoke Rev. FIR. r. J. Paterson,
the beloved and venerable rector of
St Johns Church, to the correspond
ent of The Spy and more to the same
effect, this afternoon.
No person who does not know Father
Paterson, and especially who does not
know the strength of his feeling
against the sale of liquor, can imagine
the emphasis with which the opening
paragraph was uttered.
| Sunday FIR. Paterson referred to the
great amount of drunkenness in the
town, and warned all the members of
his flock to stay away from places
where drink is sold. to have nothing to
do with such places and not to drink
| This was the extent of what he said
then, and what was said was said in a
passing way. 1t gave rise to story
however, that FIR. Paterson, in these
| remarks, urged the voters of his flock
to vote for no-license
1t was to ascertain just what FIR.
| Paterson did say that the correspond
ent of The Spy called upon him this
afternoon, as well as to learn his exact
position upon a question which the
voters viii decide March s.
FIR. Paterson said, quite conclusively:
| 81 did not in my remarks Sunday urge
the voters of my flock to vote one way
81. F1Et
mot in my mind at the moment. Ny
position is where it has always been.
I am absolutely opposed to the sale of
rum I wish there was not a drop of it
in the world l do not dictate to any
man what his vote shall be. know
how l shall vote myself.
Look at the things that are hap
pening every day in this twon because
of drink. Look at that man whose lip
was nearly chewed off the other day in
drunken quarrel 1t was an act or
| cannibalism: the rum made the man
that did that almost a cannibal. 1t is
the work of the devil
This is Rev. FIR. Paterson's position
on the question of license. He doesn't
believe drop Of liquor should be sold.
He will cast his vote for no license.
1t may be said, although the inform
alton is not derived from his own lips,
/ that FIR. Paterson has observed with
deepest pain the awful work of liquor
in this town in the past few months
some Of the worst cases being among
members of his own flock. 1t is the
sorrow from the knowledge of these
things that made him speak with such
depth of feeling and intensity OF pur
pose this afternoon
The recent instance of incipient can
nibalism is but one Of the awful things
for which the sale of liquor in this town
i. LII ~. ~
stances which people have in mind is
the case where a young man, while
| drunk. committed the crime of bigamy,
| the woman in the case the crime of in
fidelity. To drown his sorrow over the
affair. brother who had not drunk for
more than four years, took to drink
again. lost the position in which he
had served honestly and faithfully, suf-
fered delirium and was sent to Jail,
where the other two were, until they
| were bailed out.
| Instances of the horrors wrought here
might be multiplied indefinitely. At
| amy rate the question of license or no
license will be up to the voters i'll
| few days. The question of interest to
the readers of The Spy in Clinton is,
Can license win?Y
| With FIR. Paterson occupying the de-
ternined position that he does, the
prospect looks bright to David b. In
gals and other advocates of no license
| here. 1t is conceded on all sides that
| the result today is in the balance
Even the staunchest advocates of Ii
| Cense. and they are the men who have
| or expect to receive licenses, believe
| that the weight is so equal that a little
| thing thrown into the no-license pan
will tip the scales that way
| A little extra work in the canvass, a
| little extra agitation, the influence of
| the OlItSnOkpn uttarnnca Of apo+bo,,
strong man, such as FIR Patterson, it
is universally held here, will remove
1.-THE situation from doubt and put the
| town in the no-license column.
! 1t is true, however, that the no-li-
cense workers need support that has
| not cCme to them. While they are not
making noisy fight, they are making
a thorough one and are already doing
| about all that they can do, the number
| of active workers being as few as they
are. They are doing all that a com
paratively small number of earnest
| men and deYout women can do.
| This afternoon small bet was
made in the Office of well Unknown on
cial. Five dollars was posted against
ST. The 81 will be lost if the town goes
| license.
James WEIGH the young man to
| whose act Rev. FIR. Patterson referred
to- is now under sentence or six months
Fitchburg jail waiting the result of
his appeal.
| David Brown, the young man whose
lip was chewed off, was sent back TO
Southbridge yesterday. He will be dis
figured for the rest of his life-terribly
disfgured.
WEIGH is a good enough fellow when
he is sober, He was a recruit in Com
pany X, and had his services been de-
| manded, would have gone to the front
as bravely as any of the other mem
bers of the company did. When he
drinks he is flend
| There has been no lack of nomina
tions following the regular tickets
Nomination papers have been filed i'm
the interest of John j. Mitchell for con-
stable by the republicans; Abiiah
Brown. for constable, by the republi-
cans: Malachi e. Kittredge for audit
or, by the democrats, and DR.. John w.
Worcester for tho board of health. by
! the republicans.
Malachi Z. Kittredge ESCAPED the
democratic nomination by a hairs
breadth. He owes his place to the
agility of Secretary Charles H Centsch
of the democratic town COMMITTEES. Re
| tween 40 and 3, the last moment ~
which the paper could be filed. Mr.
Gentsch secured the names of q voters
secured the signature Of Registrar
Charles l.. Stevens. at the Clinton
! Wire Cloth Company, of Registrar p
H.. Morrison, at his place of business
in California" and of Town CLERK
Tyler. at the towr clerks Office. 1t was
really few seconds after when the
paper appeared in the town clerk s
office but the republicans did not wish
4 to stand on a technicality, and the
document was filed.
! This Is another of the innun,arahia