The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-26
Address by Rev. Mr..
Berry of Civic League.
State Is Growing Bad Very Fast,
He Says.

The 172i meeting Of the Cumberland
Conference Of Congregational churches
was held yesterday with the First Parish
church of Gorham, and the sessions were
both pleasant ana profitable. There was
a large attendance Of pastors and dele
gates from all pats Of the county. Rev.
Il. p. Wilson of Woodfords pre- SIDED. The
principal portion Of the forenoon pro-
gramme wss devoted to a d.s,r sslon Of
the question show May We Draw Nigh
to Man in Servioef" The discussion wss
participated 10 by Mr.. John h. Warren
Of WestbrooK, who spoke in place Of Ssc-
Rotary Il. L. Garland Of the Portland Y.
NJ. q. A., Mr.. Garland being unable to
be present., Rev. h. Lawton. Mr.. J. H..
Libby and Rev. Israel Jortan. At noon
a bountiful dinner WIS served In the
Ws'ry and this gave oppor tunity for
pleas mt interchange Of greeting. First in
the order Of brslns IS In the afternoon
WIS nesting OF the Maine Branch Of
the Woman Board OF Foreign Mission
at which Ms W. II. Fem Of Portland
pre- 5 ded. MIS- Fem spoke earnes In
behalf Of the fuliillment OF the pledge OF
the Maine branch to RI iss this year 81
900 for the work. She WAS followed by
Miss erie Of Portland, who toll Of the
need of NEAR to meet some OF the Incl
dental expsns Of tie work In Maine.
Miss Ma, shall Of the willston church,
Portland, explained briefly the depart
ment devoted to the children and Mrs,
j. W. d. Carter In q delightful adore S.
touched upon the general features Of the
work. Referring to the need Of hearty
support. Mrs Carter s,id among other
things: "You will bear me- witness
that s,eak the truth whsn l say tina
he Woman Literary Union and other
womtns clIbs have drawn from this
work. While the ladies alluded to the
nece sstty OF continued support OF the
undertaking of the Maine branch. they
were able to report the work In good con-
dition AMI thtir hopeful adore IS re-
Gel vsd tbs elcs 81 attention.
Rev. ID. p. Hatch was 20 have spoken
In behalf Of the Maipe Miss 'onary society.
but In his al ssnoe Rev. DIR. Jenkins OF
the SBats St church Portland, repres nad
the claims Of the society. MIR. Jenkir S
announced that he did not believe In
pledges lie did not believe that the
conference should pledge the churches but
he showed the record that pledge OF
500 for the year in bshaif of the Bethle-
hem church of Portland had teen made
and he argued that whatever might be
the opinion of him IF or Others es to the
question OF pledges, having made this
Il Or een emit the conference should keep 1t.
As matter o: fact, he said, there Is
raised. Rev. 4. p. Wilson. who particle
pated in the brief discussion of the mat
ter, said that hs did not recognize any
right of the conference to pledge his
church. II the conference had made a
pledge led the conference pay 1t. The &C.
ton Of tie conference suggested Presby =
t-r m ism as distinct from Congregation
| alism. 1t was the function Of the con-
erence to recommend to the churches,
not TO bind them. subsequently min
| ute was adopted on motion Of DR.. Jen-
kins recommending to the pastors to ask
of their churches the amount Of aid TO the
Bethlehem church given In previous
years and this was adopted.
| The topic SHOW May We Increase Our
Fellow ship" was discussed In two valu-
able papers presented By Rev. G. p.
Cleaves and Rev. A. II. Wright.
On motion of Rev. DR.. Jenkins reso-
luton was adopted thanking the GorhAm
church and all who had contributed to
the success of the meeting. Then Rev.
Wilbur b. Berry, the field secretary Of
the Christian Civic League. was intro
duced to speak in behalf OF that organiza-
| Ion. MIR. Ferry told how the movement
which had resulted In placing him in
the field was inaugurated at state con-
ference of the Cong regationalists. He
the spoke Of the nature u the state and
the duty of Its citizens to observe all Its
laws whatever might bs their opinion of
their justice and wisdom. referring to
present condition in Maine. Mr.. Berry
said In substance
"Law after law upon the statute book
is being dis,sgarded for purposes Of pleas
urs and greed. People say that the law
against the sale Of LIQUOR 10 the only one
that is violated. That shows their ignor
ance. The law against gam bling is open
| ly disregarded. In the offices of the hotels
all over the Sta 10 of Maine there have
been gambling devices from which u
man BY putting five cents In the slot
may draw five dollars .and probably viii
draw pothing. These devices are a.
open as the registers In the Offices. Re-
GENTLY at Skowhsgan where WAS attend
ing u meeting Of the Baptist brsthran /
called their attention to the fact that one
of these gambling maohines was in oper
alton in tine OH oe OF the hotel where
staid. Since then the W. @. I. U. Of tn I
county has taken the matter up and petit
toned the sheriff to enforce the Law